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Romans 8:39

in Romans 8

neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

KJV

Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

This verse in Romans 8

Commentary

18 notes on this verse

A commentator

Origen of Alexandria

ON FIRST PRINCIPLES 3.2.5 · Written before 253.

Human nature cannot by itself maintain the struggle against angels and heights and depths and any other creature; but when it has felt the Lord to be present and dwelling within, it will say in the confidence of receiving divine help: "The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?"

This site's exposition

neither death nor life

on Romans 8:38-39

The list sweeps every category, from death and life to all time and space, with a last clause for anything left out. The chapter opened at no condemnation and ends at no separation.

This site's exposition

neither height nor depth

Height and depth have been read many ways. Adam Clarke takes them as honour and disgrace, and Augustine as curiosity about heaven and hell. Every reading leaves the sum of the verse standing, the love of God in Christ Jesus.

The record, by era

The Church Fathers4 voices

A commentator

Origen of Alexandria

COMMENTARY ON THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS · Written before 253.

proposed

"For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." The Apostle seems to have shown two orders of those things which are accustomed to stir up temptations for men.

A commentator

Augustine of Hippo

AUGUSTINE ON ROMANS 58 · Written in the 5th century.

proposed

Often vain curiosity about things which are unknowable … whether in heaven or in hell separates us from God, unless love triumphs. For love calls us to certain spiritual knowledge not by the vanity of external things but by an inner light."Nor anything else in all creation" can be understood in two ways. First, as a visible creature.… By this interpretation Paul means that no other creature, i.e., no love of bodies, separates us from God. Or surely it may also mean that no other creature … stands between us and God, opposing us and keeping us from God's embrace. For beyond human minds, which are rational, there is no other creature—only God himself.

A commentator

Caesarius of Arles

SERMON 82.2 · Written before 542.

proposed

Spiritual souls are not separated from Christ by torments, but carnal souls are sometimes separated by idle gossip. The cruel sword cannot separate the former, but carnal affections remove the latter. Nothing hard breaks down spiritual men, but even flattering words corrupt the carnal.

A commentator

John Chrysostom

Homily on Romans 15 · Written in the 5th century.

proposed

"For I am persuaded, that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." And here the words he uses are high-wrought and exceedingly warm, to show his love. And what he means is somewhat as follows. Why speak, he means, of things present, and evils inherited in this life? For even if a person were to tell me of things to come, and of powers; of things, such as death and life; of powers, such as angels and archangels, and all the superior orders of beings; even these would be little to me compared with the love of Christ. For even if a person were to threaten me with that future death to which there is no death, to separate me from Christ, nor if he promised the life without end, would I agree to it. Why mention kings here below and consuls? and this one or that? for if you tell me of angels, or all the powers above, or all existing things, or all that are to come, they are all small to me, both those in the earth, and those in heaven, and those under the earth, and those above heaven, compared to this charm. Then as though these were not enough to set before them the strong desire which he had, he gives a being to others again of like magnitude, and says, "nor any other creation." And what he means is nearly this, even if there were any other creation as great as the visible, and as great as the intelligible, none of them could part me from that love. This he says not as if the Angels attempted it, or the other Powers, far from it, but as wishing to show quite to the utmost the charm he had toward Christ. […]

The Medieval Church1 voice

A commentator

Thomas Aquinas

Commentary on Romans · Written before 1274.

proposed

Second, he mentions magnitude of dimension, describing them by what properly belongs to bodies, namely height and depth. Hence he says, "nor height," from which someone might threaten to cast me headlong, as in Luke: "they led Jesus to the brow of the hill, that …
10 more voices on this verse

The Medieval Church2 voices

A commentator

Theophylact of Ohrid

Commentary on Romans · Written before 1107.

proposed

He first said that God loved us, and then speaks of his own love for God, so that no one would think that he is exalting himself. We, he reasons, are so bound to the love of God that not only can the calamities inseparable …

A commentator

Bonaventure

Collationes de Septem Donis, Collation 5 · Written in the 13th century.

proposed

Chrysostom says that Paul enumerates all creatures and says: "Nor shall any other creature be able to separate me from the charity which is in Christ Jesus": that is, if a creature could be made anew, it could not separate me. This charity draws us …

The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice

Nor height, nor depth,.... Neither heaven, earth, nor hell, nor any of the inhabitants of either, or anything in either; no high or low place, to be cast down from the one, or into the other; nor the height of honour and prosperity, or the depth of meanness and adversity; nor the height of power, or depth of policy in men or devils; nor any other creature.

The Nineteenth Century5 voices

Nor height - This has been variously understood. Some have regarded it as referring to evil spirits in the air; others, to high and lofty speculation in doctrine; others, to heaven - to all that is in heaven. I regard it here as a synonymous with prosperity, honor, elevation in this life. The meaning is, that “no possible circumstances” in which Christians could be placed, though surrounded with wealth, honor, splendor, and though elevated to rank and function, could alienate them from the love of Christ.

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

(10) "The whole universe, with all that it contains, so far as it is good, is the friend and ally of the Christian; and, so far as it is evil, is more than a conquered foe" (Ro 8:35-39) [HODGE]. (11) Are we who "have tasted that the Lord is gracious," both "kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation" (1Pe 1:5), and embraced in the arms of Invincible Love?
A CHRISTIAN Brother was asked, one day, "To what persuasion do you belong?" He parried the question at first, for he did not think that it was very important for him to answer it. So the enquirer asked him again, "But what is your persuasion?"
A CHRISTIAN Brother was asked, one day, "To what persuasion do you belong?" He parried the question at first, for he did not think that it was very important for him to answer it. So the enquirer asked him again, "But what is your persuasion?" "Well," he said, "if you must know my persuasion, this is it, 'I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.'" I also am of that persuasion. Somebody says, "That is Calvinistic doctrine." If you like to call it so, you may, but I would rather that you made the mistake of the good old Christian woman who did not know much about these things and who said that she herself was "a high Calvaristt" She liked "high Calvary" preaching and so do I. And it is "high Calvary" doctrine that I find in this passage. He who hung on high Calvary was such a lover of the souls of men that from that glorious fact I am brought to this blessed persuasion, "I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Paul was fully persuaded of this great Truth of God. Did he not learn it by Revelation? I doubt not that God at first supernaturally revealed it to him, but yet, in order that he might be still more sure of it, God was pleased to reveal it to him again and again, till his trembling heart was more and more completely persuaded of it.

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

proposed

Nor height - of honor, nor depth - of ignominy, nor any other creature, ουτε τις κτισις ετερα, (nor any other thing whatever), shall be able to separate us, who love God, from the love of God, which he has vouchsafed to us in Christ Jesus. See Whitby. And for farther observations on the subject of the 29th and 30th verses, see at the end of the chapter, (the following notes). 1. The confidence expressed by the apostle at the end of this chapter, is as rational as it is bold. On the premises laid down by him, in reference to which he has most logically conducted his whole argument, the conclusion to which he arrives is as natural and forcible as it is legitimate. The permanency of the Christian Church, in all the tribulations it has endured from pagans and papists, is a full proof of the correctness of the apostle’s reasoning. The true followers of Christ can never be forsaken by him. And his Church, which is founded on the rock, can never be shaken down by the tempests of persecution. And what God does for his Church in general, (the collective body of those who believe in the Lord Jesus, love, and obey him), he does for every individual in that body: no man that trusts in him can be confounded. While the love of God is in his heart, and the work of God in his hand, he may be as fully persuaded as he is of his own being, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other thing whatsoever, shall be able to separate him from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus. The reader who has any knowledge of what is great, commanding, and sublime in composition, will not hesitate to add here, with Dr. Taylor: “The conclusion of this chapter is the most elegant and sublime piece of writing I remember ever to have read. […]

Modern Voices2 voices

But in the marriage of Christ and His bride, there is neither divorce nor separation.

A commentator

R. C. Sproul

1939–2017

The Inseparable Love of God

proposed

It is the elect who enjoy the guarantee of this inseparable love.

The words behind it

23 Greek words

Every Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

The walk

8 stops

Each card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.

  • Through

    Romans 5:8

    But God proves His love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

    it leads to

    • John 3:16

      For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.

      Reached by 2 separate paths from here.

    • John 15:13

      Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.

    • Romans 5:6

      For at just the right time, while we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.

    • 1 Peter 3:18

      For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit,

    • 1 John 3:16

      By this we know what love is: Jesus laid down His life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.

  • Through

    1 John 4:19

    We love because He first loved us.

    it leads to

    • 1 John 4:10

      And love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as the atoning sacrifice for our sins.

  • Through

    Romans 8:35

    Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?

    it leads to

    • John 10:28

      I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them out of My hand.

    • Psalms 103:17

      But from everlasting to everlasting the loving devotion of the LORD extends to those who fear Him, and His righteousness to their children’s children—

Where this verse is studied

About Romans

Saint Paul Writing His Epistles, Valentin de Boulogne, about 1618 to 1620, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. Public domain.
Saint Paul Writing His Epistles, Valentin de Boulogne, about 1618 to 1620, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. Public domain.
This page draws on 16 works. Open the list of works

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Augustine of Hippo, AUGUSTINE ON ROMANS 58; Bonaventure, Collationes de Septem Donis, Collation 5; Caesarius of Arles, SERMON 82.2; Charles Spurgeon, Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, sermons on Romans 8; Charles Spurgeon, The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 2492: “Paul's Persuasion” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, Homily on Romans 15; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Origen of Alexandria, ON FIRST PRINCIPLES 3.2.5; Origen of Alexandria, COMMENTARY ON THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS; R. C. Sproul, The Inseparable Love of God; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Romans and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Romans.