Psalms 68:18

“You went up on high; you took captives; you took gifts among human beings, and even the rebellious, for Yah Elohim to dwell there.”

Psalms 68:18 · direct translation from the Hebrew
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With the Hebrew beneath

18

Quotation · Ephesians 4:8

Go to Ephesians 4:8

Where the Hebrew says “you took gifts among human beings,” Ephesians says “he gave gifts to men,” and puts the phrase in the third person.

Formula: διὸ λέγει “therefore it says” (Ephesians 4:8)

See the original texts

Greek of the New Testament: διὸ λέγει Ἀναβὰς εἰς ὕψος ᾐχμαλώτευσεν αἰχμαλωσίαν ἔδωκεν δόματα τοῖς ἀνθρώποις

Hebrew (Masoretic text): עָלִיתָ לַמָּרוֹם שָׁבִיתָ שֶּׁבִי לָקַחְתָּ מַתָּנוֹת בָּאָדָם וְאַף סוֹרְרִים לִשְׁכֹּן יָהּ אֱלֹהִים

Septuagint (Psalms 67:19 in the Septuagint numbering): ἀναβὰς εἰς ὕψος ᾐχμαλώτευσας αἰχμαλωσίαν, ἔλαβες δόματα ἐν ἀνθρώπῳ, καὶ γὰρ ἀπειθοῦντες τοῦ κατασκηνῶσαι.

In the Septuagint verse that most resembles it, at most 3 consecutive words match the Greek of the NT. The transcription has reading errors, so a match may not show.

Septuagint, Swete’s text, First1KGreek transcription (with reading errors), CC BY-SA 4.0

Psalms 68:18, word by word

You went upעָלִיתָalita

go up

To go from a low place to a higher one: up the mountain, to Jerusalem or to a city.

Where else “alita” appears
on highמָּרוֹםmarom

height

What is on high: the height, the highest heaven.

Where else “marom” appears
you took captivesשָׁבִיתָshavita

take captive

Take captive, carry off as prisoners in war.

Where else “shavita” appears
you took captivesשֶּׁבִיshevi

captive, captivity

Captive, prisoner; captivity.

Where else “shevi” appears
you tookלָקַחְתָּlakachta

accept

To accept what someone gives, such as teaching or correction.

Where else “lakachta” appears
giftsמַתָּנוֹתmatanot

gift

Gift, present.

Where else “matanot” appears
among human beingsאָדָםadam

human being

All humankind, men and women, as creatures God formed.

Where else “adam” appears
the rebelliousסוֹרְרִיםsorrim

be stubborn

Be stubborn: turn away from what one is told, refuse to be led.

Where else “sorrim” appears
Yahיָהּyah

Yah

Yah: the short form of the name YHWH. It is the form found in "Hallelujah" ("praise Yah").

Where else “yah” appears
Elohimאֱלֹהִיםelohim

Elohim

The one true God, the Creator; the word is plural but means one.

Where else “elohim” appears
to dwell thereשְׁכֹּןshekon

dwell

To live somewhere, stay.

Where else “shekon” appears

Translation note

It can be understood as the image of the victorious king who goes up to his mountain with the prisoners and the tribute. Paul quotes this verse in Ephesians 4:8 with the words “he gave gifts to men.”

Parallel passages

Other books that tell the same thing or quote these words.

Quotation · Ephesians 4:8

Where the Hebrew says “you took gifts among human beings,” Ephesians says “he gave gifts to men,” and puts the phrase in the third person.

See them side by side

Psalms 68:18

18You went up on high; you took captives; you took gifts among human beings, and even the rebellious, for Yah Elohim to dwell there.

Ephesians 4:8

8Therefore it says: Having ascended on high, he led captive captivity; he gave gifts to men.

The context

17The chariots of Elohim are two myriads, thousands and more thousands; Adonai is among them, Sinai in the holy place.

18 · This verse (above)

19Blessed be Adonai; day after day he bears our burden, the El of our salvation. Selah.

Read all of Psalms 68

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