The Meaning of Ephesians 4:9 Explained

Ephesians 4:9

KJV: (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?

YLT: and that, he went up, what is it except that he also went down first to the lower parts of the earth?

Darby: But that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended into the lower parts of the earth?

ASV: (Now this, He ascended, what is it but that he also descended into the lower parts of the earth?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

(Now  that he ascended,  what  is it  but  that  he  also  descended  first  into  the lower  parts  of the earth? 

What does Ephesians 4:9 Mean?

Verse Meaning

In Ephesians 4:9-11 Paul commented on the meaning of "ascended" and "gave" in his citation.
For Christ to have ascended to heaven He first had to descend to "the lower parts of the earth." This is probably a reference to Jesus" grave (genitive of possession) [1] rather than to the earth (genitive of apposition) [2] or to Hades (genitive of comparison) [3] in view of the context. In His death Jesus Christ gained the victory over sin, and He redeemed those whom He would give as gifts to the church.

Context Summary

Ephesians 4:1-10 - Keeping The "unity Of The Spirit"
Paul here admonishes lowliness in the presence of another's excellence; meekness in suffering injury; long-suffering under provocation; forbearance toward the trying mistakes and failures of others. Remember that the unity of the Church, as the body of Christ, is already made; but it is for us to maintain it. We must avoid whatever in word or deed would break it. There are seven different bonds of unity, but of these the greatest is the nature of God, which is transcendent, who is above all; penetrant, through all; and immanent, in all. Each saint has some grace or gift; use it. On the whole, after we reach maturity, we had better center on what we can do best.
What a magnificent conception is given in Ephesians 4:8-9 of the ascended Christ! The original conception was supplied by Deborah in her noble song. Descending from her morning vigil on Tabor, she summoned Barak to lead captive the foe who for so long had held the land in captivity. But in Jesus' ascension, a long procession of yet mightier foes was led captive by Him. Among them were Death, the Grave, and Hades, the underworld. It is from the hands of Jesus that even the rebellious may obtain their gifts. There is no depth to which Jesus will not go to save; no height to which He will not lift us [source]

Chapter Summary: Ephesians 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

Greek Commentary for Ephesians 4:9

Now this [το δε]
Paul picks out the verb αναβας — anabas (second aorist active participle of αναβαινω — anabainō to go up), changes its form to ανεβη — anebē (second aorist indicative), and points the article (το — to) at it. Then he concludes that it implied a previous καταβας — katabas (coming down). [source]
Into the lower parts of the earth [εις τα κατωτερα της γης]
If the αναβας — anabas is the Ascension of Christ, then the καταβας — katabas would be the Descent (Incarnation) to earth and της γης — tēs gēs would be the genitive of apposition. What follows in Ephesians 4:10 argues for this view. Otherwise one must think of the death of Christ (the descent into Hades of Acts 2:31). [source]
Now that He ascended []
Ephesians 4:9and Ephesians 4:10are parenthetical, showing what the ascension of Christ presupposes. By descending into the depths and ascending above all, He entered upon His function of filling the whole universe, in virtue of which function He distributes gifts to men. See Ephesians 1:23. Rev., properly, inserts this, thus giving the force of the article which calls attention to the fact of ascension alluded to in the quotation. “Now the or this 'He ascended.”' [source]
What is it but []
What does it imply? [source]
Descended first [καὶ κατέβη]
His ascent implies a previous descent. A.V. reads first, following the Tex. Rec. πρῶτον . Rev., correctly, He also descended. Compare John 3:13. [source]
The lower parts of the earth [τὰ κατώτερα μέρη τῆς γῆς]
The under world. The reference is to Christ's descent into Hades. Some give the words a comparative force, deeper than the earth. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Ephesians 4:9

Romans 11:25 In part [ἀπὸ μέρους]
Μέρος partis never used adverbially in the Gospels, Acts, and Revelation. In the Epistles it is rarely used in any other way. The only exceptions are 2 Corinthians 3:10; 2 Corinthians 9:3; Ephesians 4:9, Ephesians 4:16. Paul employs it in several combinations. With ἀπό from(1 Corinthians 1:14; 1 Corinthians 2:5), and ἐκ outof (1 Corinthians 12:27; 1 Corinthians 13:9, 1 Corinthians 13:10, 1 Corinthians 13:12), in which a thing is conceived as looked at from the part, either ( ἀπὸ ) as a simple point of view, or ( ἐκ ) as a standard according to which the whole is estimated. Thus 1 Corinthians 12:27, “members ἐκ μέρους severallyi.e., members from a part of the whole point of view. Also with ἐν inas Colossians 2:16, with respect to, literally, in the matter of. With ἀνά upthe idea being of a series or column of parts reckoned upward, part by part. Μέρος τι withregard to some part, partly, occurs 1 Corinthians 11:18; and κατὰ μέρος , reckoning part by part downward; according to part, particularly, Hebrews 9:5. Construe here with hath happened: has partially befallen. Not partial hardening, but hardening extending over a part. -DIVIDER-
-DIVIDER-
[source]

Ephesians 4:9 Now that He ascended []
Ephesians 4:9and Ephesians 4:10are parenthetical, showing what the ascension of Christ presupposes. By descending into the depths and ascending above all, He entered upon His function of filling the whole universe, in virtue of which function He distributes gifts to men. See Ephesians 1:23. Rev., properly, inserts this, thus giving the force of the article which calls attention to the fact of ascension alluded to in the quotation. “Now the or this 'He ascended.”' [source]
1 Thessalonians 4:16 Shall descend from heaven []
Used nowhere else of Christ's second coming. Frequently in the Fourth Gospel, of Christ's descent to earth as man. See John 3:13; John 6:33, John 6:38, John 6:41, etc. In Ephesians 4:9, of his descent by the Spirit in order to endow the church. [source]
1 Peter 3:19 In which also [εν ωι και]
That is, in spirit (relative referring to πνευματι — pneumati). But, a number of modern scholars have followed Griesbach‘s conjecture that the original text was either Νωε και — Nōe kai (Noah also), or Ενωχ και — Enōch kai (Enoch also), or εν ωι και Ενωχ — en hōi kai Enōch (in which Enoch also) which an early scribe misunderstood or omitted Ενωχ και — Enōch kai in copying It is allowed in Stier and Theile‘s Polyglott. It is advocated by J. Cramer in 1891, by J. Rendel Harris in The Expositor (1901), and Sidelights on N.T. Research (p. 208), by Nestle in 1902, by Moffatt‘s New Translation of the New Testament. Windisch rejects it as inconsistent with the context. There is no manuscript for the conjecture, though it would relieve the difficulty greatly. Luther admits that he does not know what Peter means. Bigg has no doubt that the event recorded took place between Christ‘s death and his resurrection and holds that Peter is alluding to Christ‘s Descensus ad Inferos in Acts 2:27 (with which he compares Matthew 27:52.; Luke 23:34; Ephesians 4:9). With this Windisch agrees. But Wohlenberg holds that Peter means that Christ in his preexistent state preached to those who rejected the preaching of Noah who are now in prison. Augustine held that Christ was in Noah when he preached. Bigg argues strongly that Christ during the time between his death and resurrection preached to those who once heard Noah (but are now in prison) and offered them another chance and not mere condemnation. If so, why did Jesus confine his preaching to this one group? So the theories run on about this passage. One can only say that it is a slim hope for those who neglect or reject Christ in this life to gamble with a possible second chance after death which rests on very precarious exegesis of a most difficult passage in Peter‘s Epistle. Accepting the text as we have, what can we make of it? [source]

What do the individual words in Ephesians 4:9 mean?

- And He ascended what is if not that also He descended into the lower regions of the earth
Τὸ δὲ Ἀνέβη τί ἐστιν εἰ μὴ ὅτι καὶ κατέβη εἰς τὰ κατώτερα μέρη τῆς γῆς

Τὸ  - 
Parse: Article, Nominative Neuter Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
Ἀνέβη  He  ascended 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: ἀναβαίνω  
Sense: ascend.
ὅτι  that 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: ὅτι  
Sense: that, because, since.
καὶ  also 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: καί  
Sense: and, also, even, indeed, but.
κατέβη  He  descended 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: καταβαίνω  
Sense: to go down, come down, descend.
εἰς  into 
Parse: Preposition
Root: εἰς  
Sense: into, unto, to, towards, for, among.
κατώτερα  lower 
Parse: Adjective, Accusative Neuter Plural, Comparative
Root: κατώτερος  
Sense: lower.
μέρη  regions 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Neuter Plural
Root: μέρος  
Sense: a part.
τῆς  of  the 
Parse: Article, Genitive Feminine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
γῆς  earth 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Feminine Singular
Root: γῆ  
Sense: arable land.