1883 Haydock Douay Rheims Bible
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| Ephesians 4:8 | Wherefore he saith: *Ascending on high, he led captivity captive: he gave gifts to men. Psalm 67:19. | He led captivity captive.{ Ver. 8. Captivam duxit captivitatem. On which words St. Jerome: (p. 364.) Descendit ad inferna, et sanctas animas, quae ibi detinebantur, secum ad coelos victor deduxit. See 1 Peter 3.|} St. Jerome 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 [i.e. Limbo of the Fathers; sometimes called paradise (Luke 23:43.), Abraham‘ bosom (Luke 16:22.), or prison (1 Peter 3:19.)]. --- 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 Psalm lxvii., 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) |