DESCENDERE, to go down, and go up: We go up to Jerusalem: He goes down to Jericho. Abraham came up from Egypt: Jacob went down into Egypt. Go up to Ai: They went down to Cæsarea. By all which nothing more is meant, than that they went to Jerusalem, into Egypt, to Jericho, Ai, and Cæsarea; but the situation of the place they were going to, is described by the words going up and going down.
5 Y Descen-
Descendere in Infernum; to go down to the grave, the place where the dead are. Descendant in infernum viventes. Let them go down alive into the grave, like Corah, Dathan and Abiram. The dead shall not praise thee, O Lord, nor they who go down into Hell, into the Grave. All they who go down to the earth shall worship him: In conspectu ejus cadent omnes qui descendunt in terram. They who go down to the earth, may signify either mortal men who are born in this world, or the poor who go down to the dust, according to the Hebrew; or the dead who go down to the grave, the dust.
Hosea xi. 12.Hosea says, that Judah descended with God, Judas testis descendit cum Deo & cum sanctis fidelis. This is interpreted as relating to the Tribe of Judah, which descended first into the red Sea, the other Tribes not daring to venture. It may be understood likewise of the Tribe of Judah, which continued firm to the worship of God, and the house of David; while Ephraim and the other Tribes rebelled against Rehoboam, and forsook the Lord.
Descendere in lacum, that is to say, to die, to descend into the grave. Lacus in this place signifies caves, graves dug in rocks, or under ground, into which the dead were let down.
They who go down to the Sea, are the Ps. cvii. 23.merchants who make voyages upon the Sea. Jonah says, that he went down to the very foundation of the mountains; that is to say, to the bottom of the Sea, where the mountains have their basis and foundation.