Therefore he says, “When he ascended on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts to people.”
ExplanationCommentary
Verse 8. He led captivity captive. [1] S. Jerom and others expound these words of Christ’s delivering the pious souls that had died before his ascension, and which were detained in a place of rest which is called Limbus Patrum.—He gave gifts to men. Having delivered men from the captivity of sin, he bestowed upon them his gifts and graces. Witham.—Wherefore he, David, in Psalms 67 makes use of these words, in order to shew that these gifts were gratuitous, and that no person had a right to complain that another had received more: after this the apostle proceeds to shew that Christ even descended to the lower parts of the earth, in order to teach us humility; whence he concludes that we ought to be humble and live in union with our brethren, which is the chief subject of the present chapter. Tirinus.