Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version (What does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions? New Living Translation Notice that it says “he ascended.” This clearly means that Christ also descended to our lowly world. English Standard Version (In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth? Berean Standard Bible What does “He ascended” mean, except that He also descended to the lower parts of the earth? Berean Literal Bible Now what is "He ascended," except that He also descended into the lower regions of the earth? King James Bible (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? New King James Version (Now this, “He ascended” —what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth? New American Standard Bible (Now this expression, “He ascended,” what does it mean except that He also had descended into the lower parts of the earth? NASB 1995 (Now this expression, “He ascended,” what does it mean except that He also had descended into the lower parts of the earth? NASB 1977 (Now this expression, “He ascended,” what does it mean except that He also had descended into the lower parts of the earth? Legacy Standard Bible (Now this expression, “He ascended,” what does it mean except that He also descended into the lower parts of the earth? Amplified Bible (Now this expression, “He ascended,” what does it mean except that He also had previously descended [from the heights of heaven] into the lower parts of the earth? Christian Standard Bible But what does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower parts of the earth? Holman Christian Standard Bible But what does “He ascended” mean except that He descended to the lower parts of the earth? American Standard Version (Now this, He ascended, what is it but that he also descended into the lower parts of the earth? Aramaic Bible in Plain English But that he ascended, what is it but that also he first descended to the lower regions of The Earth? Contemporary English Version When it says, "he went up," it means that Christ had been deep in the earth. Douay-Rheims Bible Now that he ascended, what is it, but because he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? English Revised Version (Now this, He ascended, what is it but that he also descended into the lower parts of the earth? GOD'S WORD® Translation Now what does it mean that he went up except that he also had gone down to the lowest parts of the earth? Good News Translation Now, what does "he went up" mean? It means that first he came down to the lowest depths of the earth. International Standard Version Now what does this "he went up" mean except that he also had gone down into the lower parts of the earth? Literal Standard Version And that, He went up, what is it except that He also went down first into the lower parts of the earth? Majority Standard Bible What does “He ascended” mean, except that He also descended first to the lower parts of the earth? New American Bible What does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended into the lower [regions] of the earth? NET Bible Now what is the meaning of "he ascended," except that he also descended to the lower regions, namely, the earth? New Revised Standard Version (When it says, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower parts of the earth? New Heart English Bible Now this, "He ascended," what is it but that he also descended into the lower parts of the earth? Webster's Bible Translation Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? Weymouth New Testament World English Bible Now this, “He ascended”, what is it but that he also first descended into the lower parts of the earth? Young's Literal Translation and that, he went up, what is it except that he also went down first to the lower parts of the earth? Additional Translations ... Audio Bible Context Unity in the Body…8This is why it says: “When He ascended on high, He led captives away, and gave gifts to men.” 9 What does “He ascended” mean, except that He also descended to the lower parts of the earth? 10He who descended is the very One who ascended above all the heavens, in order to fill all things.… Cross References Isaiah 44:23 Sing for joy, O heavens, for the LORD has done this; shout aloud, O depths of the earth. Break forth in song, O mountains, you forests and all your trees. For the LORD has redeemed Jacob, and revealed His glory in Israel. Ezekiel 31:14 This happened so that no other trees by the waters would become great in height and set their tops among the clouds, and no other well-watered trees would reach them in height. For they have all been consigned to death, to the depths of the earth, among the mortals who descend to the Pit.' John 3:13 No one has ascended into heaven except the One who descended from heaven--the Son of Man. Treasury of Scripture (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? he ascended. Proverbs 30:4 Who hath ascended up into heaven, or descended? who hath gathered the wind in his fists? who hath bound the waters in a garment? who hath established all the ends of the earth? what is his name, and what is his son's name, if thou canst tell? John 3:13 And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven. John 6:33,62 For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world… he also. Genesis 11:5 And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded. Exodus 19:20 And the LORD came down upon mount Sinai, on the top of the mount: and the LORD called Moses up to the top of the mount; and Moses went up. John 6:33,38,41,51,58 For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world… the lower. Psalm 8:5 For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour. Psalm 63:9 But those that seek my soul, to destroy it, shall go into the lower parts of the earth. Psalm 139:15 My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Jump to Previous Ascended Descended Earth Earthly Except Expression First Lower Mean Parts RegionsJump to Next Ascended Descended Earth Earthly Except Expression First Lower Mean Parts RegionsEphesians 4 1. He exhorts to unity;7. and declares that God therefore gives various gifts unto men; 11. that his church might be edified, 16. and grow up in Christ. 18. He calls them from the impurity of the Gentiles; 24. to put on the new man; 25. to cast off lying; 29. and corrupt communication. (9, 10) These verses form a parenthesis, designed to bring out the pervading idea of this and the parallel Epistle--the Divine humanity of Christ as "filling all in all" and "gathering all things" into Himself. (9) The lower parts of the earth.--This may mean either the regions of the earth, as "lower" than heaven, or the regions beneath the earth. The reasoning of the text in itself would be satisfied by the former. For St. Paul is simply arguing that the use of the phrase "ascended" from earth to heaven implies a previous corresponding descent, which must be from heaven to earth; exactly as in John 3:13, "No man hath ascended into heaven, but He that came down from heaven." But form and usage of the phrase itself seem to point to the other meaning, which is held by almost all ancient interpreters and most moderns. It agrees with the strong expression of "filling all things," in Ephesians 4:10, and is possibly suggested by the leading captive of the powers of hell and death. Though, perhaps, injurious to the strictness of the antithesis, it is quite accordant with St. Paul's manner to introduce thus a fresh idea beyond the simple idea of descent, which is sufficient for his argument: "He descended--yea, even to the realms below." For this idea is most apposite to that frequent reference to spiritual powers of evil found in this Epistle, and it may be thought to correspond by antithesis to the "far above all heavens" of the next verse. Verse 9. - Now (the fact) that he ascended, what does it imply but that he descended first? The ascent implied a previous descent; that is, the ascent of the Son of God - of one who was himself in heaven, who was in the bosom of the Father (comp. John 3:13), implied that he had come down from heaven, a striking proof of his interest in and love for the children of men. And the descent was net merely to the ordinary condition of humanity, but to a more than ordinarily degraded condition, not merely to the surface of the earth, but to the lower parts of the earth. This has sometimes been interpreted of Hades, but surely without reason. If the expression denotes more than Christ's humble condition, it probably means the grave. This was the climax of Christ's humiliation; to be removed out of men's sight, as too offensive for them to look on - to be hidden away in the depths of the earth, in the grave, was indeed supremely humbling. The object is to show that, in bestowing gifts on men, Christ did not merely bring into play his inherent bountifulness as the Son of God, but acted as Mediator, by right of special purchase, through his work of humiliation on earth; and thus to lead us to think the more highly both of the Giver and of his gifts.Parallel Commentaries ... Greek Whatτί (ti) Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Nominative Neuter Singular Strong's 5101: Who, which, what, why. Probably emphatic of tis; an interrogative pronoun, who, which or what. [does] ἐστιν (estin) Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular Strong's 1510: I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist. “He ascended” [mean], Ἀνέβη (Anebē) Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular Strong's 305: To go up, mount, ascend; of things: I rise, spring up, come up. From ana and the base of basis; to go up. except εἰ (ei) Conjunction Strong's 1487: If. A primary particle of conditionality; if, whether, that, etc. that ὅτι (hoti) Conjunction Strong's 3754: Neuter of hostis as conjunction; demonstrative, that; causative, because. He also descended κατέβη (katebē) Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular Strong's 2597: To go down, come down, either from the sky or from higher land, descend. From kata and the base of basis; to descend. to εἰς (eis) Preposition Strong's 1519: A primary preposition; to or into, of place, time, or purpose; also in adverbial phrases. the τὰ (ta) Article - Accusative Neuter Plural Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the. lower κατώτερα (katōtera) Adjective - Accusative Neuter Plural - Comparative Strong's 2737: Lower. Comparative from kato; inferior. parts μέρη (merē) Noun - Accusative Neuter Plural Strong's 3313: A part, portion, share. From an obsolete but more primary form of meiromai; a division or share. of the τῆς (tēs) Article - Genitive Feminine Singular Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the. earth? γῆς (gēs) Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular Strong's 1093: Contracted from a primary word; soil; by extension a region, or the solid part or the whole of the terrene globe. 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