Psalms 68:18

Thou hast ascended on high— "Thou hast now marched up to the heights of mount Sion, and taken possession of this sacred hill;" God being figuratively said to do, what the ark had done; as he peculiarly resided, and gave frequently visible appearances of his majesty and glory in it. Thou hast led captivity captive: "Thou hast led captive our enemies by enabling us to subdue them, and reduce them into subjection to us;" referring either to the many signal victories that God had given them in former times, or the victories that David himself had obtained, by God's assistance, over the Philistines, and which he mentions here as an earnest of his future successes. Thou hast received gifts for men; yea, for the rebellious, i.e. those malignant adversaries, who, through hatred and envy, opposed David's government, and disturbed by their invasions the quiet of his reign. For these, or (as the word should be rendered) amongst these, God received gifts; "Thou hast received gifts from men, even from amongst the refractory and envious opposers of the kingdom." These gifts were the spoils of his conquered enemies, particularly the Philistines; which God is said to receive, or to have taken from them, as they were taken under his conduct by David, and given to enrich his victorious people; and part of which David himself consecrated, that the Lord God might inhabit, might have a place where to rest and abide for ever. See Isaiah 13:20. The immense charge of this procession, and the whole apparatus for the reception of the ark, was undoubtedly supported, at least in part, by the riches that he obtained as the fruit of his victories. And it is probable that David had now, in some measure, formed the scheme of erecting a temple to the honour of God; that the Lord might have an habitation; and that he determined to make the voluntary offerings of his friends, and the spoils of his conquered enemies, subservient to his great design. It may be further observed, that these words are capable of a different rendering: Thou hast received gifts, that the Lord God might dwell amongst men, even amongst the rebellious: i.e. "Thou hast subdued thine enemies, and rendered them tributary to thy throne, that they might enjoy the benefit of thy protection, and live happily under thy government;" God being said to receive the gifts which were offered to David, and to reign over them, as they were subjected to David's crown, who was God's king, established by him in Sion. But I rather choose the former sense, as it items most agreeable to the apostle's application of the words to our blessed Saviour, Ephesians 4:8 to whom they are in a higher sense applicable than they could be to David; who personally ascended up to the highest heavens; led captivity captive, by triumphing over all his conquered enemies; and, having received gifts from his heavenly father, gave them unto men, as was most conducive to the establishment of his kingdom over all the nations of the earth.