Chizuk Emunah (Pt 2) Under the Microscope: Chapter 91

Ephesians 4:8, "Wherefore, he saith, when he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men."

The quotation seems to be made from memory. The psalmist (68:18) who addresses the Almighty, says, "Thou hast taken gifts from men," and not thou hast given gifts.

There is a difference in the Greek as well. Psalm 68 in the Greek states:
ἔλαβες δόματα ἐν ἀνθρώπῳ

While Ephesians states it as:
ἔδωκεν δόματα τοῖς ἀνθρώποις

The Septuagint translates it as "received gifts from men" while Ephesians translates it as "given gifts to men." So it's a question of whether Ephesians is problematic for not quoting the verse directly.

Paul is likely doing a midrash, or a homiletical application of the passage. One only need go to the targum to see much freer interpretations.

Sefaria has commentary on this, although much has not yet been translated.

A. Lukyn Williams responds by quoting rabbinic traditions:

Rashi is equally clear in expounding the passage of Moses: "Thou hast gone up. The leader of his people, Moses the son of Amram, came on high. Thou hast led captivity captive, i.e. the Law. And thou didst receive gifts, i.e. from those above, even to give them to the sons of man."

The Babylonian Talmud, too, refers to the verse in much the same manner. See Sabbath, 88b, 89a. Moses goes up to heaven to receive the Law, but the angels object, that, after God has hidden it for nine hundred and seventy-four generations before the creation of the world, He should now seek to give it to flesh and blood. Eventually there is said to Moses, "Thou hast gone up on high, thou hast led captivity captive, thou hast received gifts b'adam, i.e. as a reward because they called thee Adam." The Apostle's exposition is grave compared with this!

The Metzudoth David, on the other hand, interprets it of Israel. "Thou hast gone up on high. And with all this, thou Israel hast gone up on high! He means, thy hand is raised on high to prevail against them, to receive the Law. And thou didst bring it captive out of the hand of the angels, and thou didst receive it for gifts, that it should be found among the sons of man, and not among the angels above."

The rabbis also take huge creative liberties with the Bible in other places, too. The parsha Vayeshev begins with Joseph and his amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (my translation of כְּתֹנֶת פַּסִּֽים)

His brothers hated him for his ego and for being the favorite of their father. When Joseph went out, to check on his brothers at Dothan, they threw him into a pit.

"And they took him and threw him into a pit. The pit was empty; there was no water in it."
 (Genesis 37:24)

The ancient rabbinic interpreters known as Chazal say that there were snakes and scorpions in the pit. Why? Because the text said that the pit was empty, and also that there was no water in it. Why did the text say that there was no water in it? Because there were other things in it!

If you are scratching your head, then you are not alone. If the text wanted to just imply that there were other things in the pit, then it would say that they threw him into a pit, and that there was no water in it. If the pit was not empty, the text would not say that.

If Paul took such liberties with the text, the anti-missionaries would be up in arms about it. But they hold a double standard, so they don't find it a problem as long as it's their own people who do it.