or, ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’ (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead.)”
ExplanationCommentary
Verse 5–7. Moses (Leviticus 18:12) wrote that the justice which is of the law … shall live by it. That is, shall have the recompense of a long temporal life, or even an everlasting life, by joining a faith in Christ their Redeemer, that was to come. But the justice which is of faith, speaketh thus, that is, Moses speaketh thus of it, (Deuteronomy 30) say not in thy heart, who shall ascend into heaven? and so forth the apostle gives us the spiritual sense of the words, by adding, to bring Christ down, and so forth The sense is, that it is now fulfilled in the new law, when Christ is come from heaven by his incarnation, and is also again risen from the abyss by his resurrection: and therefore,