The Conquest and Inclusion of the Gentiles in Psalm 68 and Ephesians 4

Psalm 68 agrees with Eph 4 in that both follow a sequence in which God descends, conquers hostile powers, and ascends with captives. He then incorporates the nations into Israel. God both gives and receives gifts in the psalm, and the nations join Israel in a sacred procession to the temple to worship God. This provides the basis for understanding how Paul linked the psalm to the gifts of apostles, prophets, etc. A new translation is proposed for Ps 68:19 and a resolution is offered for understanding the “lower parts of earth” in Eph 4:9.