This forum has discussed the following verses (especially 6-7) before:
Romans 10.5-10: 5 For Moses writes that the man who practices the righteousness which is based on law shall live by that righteousness. 6 But the righteousness based on faith speaks thus, "Do not say in your heart, 'Who will ascend into heaven [εἰς τὸν οὐρανόν]?' (that is, to bring Christ down), 7 or 'Who will descend into the abyss [εἰς τὴν ἄβυσσον]?' (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead)." 8 But what does it say? "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart" — that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, 9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved; 10 for with the heart man believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.
It is well known that Paul is here relying upon a passage from Deuteronomy:
Deuteronomy 30.12-14: 12 "It is not in heaven, that you should say, 'Who will go into heaven [LXX εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν] for us to get it for us and make us hear it, that we may observe it?' 13 Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, 'Who will go across the sea [LXX εἰς τὸ πέραν τῆς θαλάσσης] for us to get it for us and make us hear it, that we may observe it?' 14 But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may observe it."
But, whereas Paul wonders about descending "into the abyss" (LXX εἰς τὸν οὐρανόν), Deuteronomy speaks merely going "across the sea" (LXX εἰς τὸ πέραν τῆς θαλάσσης). Is Paul freewheeling here?
Perhaps, rather, he is tapping into a Jewish tradition which is now extant only in a Targum:
Targum Jerusalem, Deuteronomy 30.12-14: 12 The law is not in the heavens, that thou shouldst say, O that we had one like Mosheh the prophet to ascend into heaven, and bring it to us, and make us hear its commands, that we may do them! 13 Neither is the law beyond the great sea, that thou shouldst say, O that we had one like Jonah the prophet, who could descend into the depths [לעמקוי] of the great sea, and bring it to us, and make us hear its commands, that we may do them! 14 For the word is very nigh you, in your mouth, that you may meditate upon it, and in your hearts, that you may perform it. See, behold, I have set before you this day the way of life, which is the path of the good, and the way of death, which is the path of the evil.
Here, instead of being invited to imagine merely crossing the sea, the reader is invited to imagine descending into the depths like Jonah. Paul, if he knew of this interpretation involving Jonah, could have been led quite naturally to refer to the abyss by the following:
Jonah 2.5: 5 "Water encompassed me to the point of death. The abyss [LXX ἄβυσσος] engulfed me; weeds were wrapped around my head."
And it almost goes without saying that the Targumic interpretation of the ascent involving Moses fits well into Paul's context, which mentions Moses specifically and has to do with the law.
It is tempting to interpret the part about Moses in terms of his ascent to heaven (instead of dying) in Jewish lore, but I think the context of Moses bringing the law down to humans in the Targum leads us instead to the Sinai event, at which the heavens supposedly descended to the top of the mountain so that God himself could descend and meet with Moses:
Pseudo-Philo, Biblical Antiquities 15.6: 6 And there hath not been the like of this word since the day when I said: Let the waters under the heaven be gathered into one place, unto this day. And I brought them out, and slew their enemies and led them before me unto the Mount Sina. And I bowed the heavens and descended [inclinavi coelos et descendi] to kindle a lamp for my people, and to set bounds to all creatures. And I taught them to make me a sanctuary that I might dwell among them. But they have forsaken me and become faithless in my words, and their mind hath fainted, and now behold the days shall come when I will do unto them as they have desired and I will cast forth their bodies in the wilderness.
4 Ezra 3.17-18: 17 And when thou didst lead his descendants out of Egypt, thou didst bring them to Mount Sinai. 18 Thou didst bend down the heavens [inclinasti caelos] and shake the earth, and move the world, and make the depths to tremble, and trouble the times.
There are times when Paul or other authors quote the Hebrew scriptures inexactly, changing the wording for their own purposes, and there are times when it seems like they may be quoting existing variants of the text instead. This very much looks like one of those latter times to me, despite the unknown date of the Targum which offers such a juicy parallel.
Thoughts?
Ben.