The Greek doma refers to a gift or present — something given freely to another. It is related to didōmi (to give) and dōron (gift, offering), and appears in Pauline citations of Psalm 68.
Paul's citation of Psalm 68:18 in Ephesians 4:8 transforms the text in a profound way. The Psalm says the ascended conqueror 'received gifts (mattanot) from people,' but Paul quotes it as 'gave gifts (doma) to people' — reflecting a rabbinic interpretive tradition and pointing to Christ's ascension as the moment when He distributed spiritual gifts to His church. The ascended Lord is not a recipient but a giver: He pours out the Spirit with His gifts (prophecy, teaching, evangelism, etc.) to equip the saints for ministry. Doma thus becomes a cornerstone of ecclesiology — the church is built and sustained by gifts given by the glorified Christ from His heavenly throne.