Romans 8:35

Amplified Bible

Who shall ever separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?

Parallel Translations

Easy-to-Read Version
Can anything separate us from Christ's love? Can trouble or problems or persecution separate us from his love? If we have no food or clothes or face danger or even death, will that separate us from his love?

Revised Standard Version
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
Who shall seperate vs fro the love of god? shall tribulacion? or anguysshe? or persecucion? other honger? other nakednesse? other parell? other swearde?

Hebrew Names Version
Who shall separate us from the love of Messiah? Could oppression, or anguish, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

International Standard Version
Who can separate us from Christ's love? Can trouble, distress, persecution, hunger, nakedness, danger, or a sword?[fn]

New American Standard Bible
Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or trouble, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?

New Century Version
Can anything separate us from the love Christ has for us? Can troubles or problems or sufferings or hunger or nakedness or danger or violent death?

Update Bible Version
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or anguish, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

Webster's Bible Translation
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? [shall] tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

English Standard Version
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?

World English Bible
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Could oppression, or anguish, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall affliction, or distress, or persecution, or hunger, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

Weymouth's New Testament
Who shall separate us from Christ's love? Shall affliction or distress, persecution or hunger, nakedness or danger or the sword?

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Who thanne schal departe vs fro the charite of Crist? tribulacioun, or anguysch, or hungur, or nakidnesse, or persecucioun, or perel, or swerd?

English Revised Version
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or anguish, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

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

Contemporary English Version
Can anything separate us from the love of Christ? Can trouble, suffering, and hard times, or hunger and nakedness, or danger and death?

American Standard Version
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or anguish, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

Bible in Basic English
Who will come between us and the love of Christ? Will trouble, or pain, or cruel acts, or the need of food or of clothing, or danger, or the sword?

Complete Jewish Bible
Who will separate us from the love of the Messiah? Trouble? Hardship? Persecution? Hunger? Poverty? Danger? War?

Darby Translation
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? tribulation or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?

Etheridge Translation
Who shall separate us from the love of Meshiha ? Affliction, or sorrow, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or the sword ?

Murdock Translation
What will sever me from the love of Messiah? Will affliction? or distress? or persecution? or famine? or nakedness? or peril? or the sword?

King James Version (1611)
Who shall separate vs from the loue of Christ? shall tribulation, or distresse, or persecution, or famine, or nakednesse, or perill, or sword?

New Living Translation
Can anything ever separate us from Christ's love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death?

New Life Bible
Who can keep us away from the love of Christ? Can trouble or problems? Can suffering wrong from others or having no food? Can it be because of no clothes or because of danger or war?

New Revised Standard
Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

Geneva Bible (1587)
Who shall separate vs from the loue of Christ? shall tribulation or anguish, or persecution, or famine, or nakednesse, or perill, or sworde?

George Lamsa Translation
What shall separate me from the love of Christ? tribulation, or imprisonment, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Who shall separate us from the love of the Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? -

Douay-Rheims Bible
Who then shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation? Or distress? Or famine? Or nakedness? Or danger? Or persecution? Or the sword?

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Who shall seperate vs from the loue of God? Shall tribulation or anguishe, or persecution, either hunger, either nakednesse, either peryll, either sworde?

Good News Translation
Who, then, can separate us from the love of Christ? Can trouble do it, or hardship or persecution or hunger or poverty or danger or death?

Christian Standard Bible®
Who can separate us from the love of Christ? Can affliction or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?

King James Version
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

Lexham English Bible
Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will affliction or distress or persecution or hunger or lack of sufficient clothing or danger or the sword?

Literal Translation
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?

Young's Literal Translation
Who shall separate us from the love of the Christ? tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Who will separate vs from the loue of God? Trouble? or anguysh? or persecucio? or honger? or nakednesse? or parell? or swerde?

Mace New Testament (1729)
what shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or penury, or peril, or sword?

New English Translation
Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will trouble, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?

New King James Version
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

Simplified Cowboy Version
Can we do anything to make Jesus throw rocks at us and run us off? Does it mean he has given up on us if we go through hard times, or we are hungry, or near death, or even threatened with death?

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

Legacy Standard Bible
Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will affliction, or turmoil, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

Contextual Overview

³¹What then shall we say to all these things? If God is for us, who can be [successful] against us? ³²He who did not spare [even] His own Son, but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things? ³³Who will bring any charge against God's elect (His chosen ones)? It is God who justifies us [declaring us blameless and putting us in a right relationship with Himself]. ³⁴Who is the one who condemns us? Christ Jesus is the One who died [to pay our penalty], and more than that, who was raised [from the dead], and who is at the right hand of God interceding [with the Father] for us. ³⁵Who shall ever separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?³⁶Just as it is written and forever remains written, "FOR YOUR SAKE WE ARE PUT TO DEATH ALL DAY LONG; WE ARE REGARDED AS SHEEP FOR THE SLAUGHTER." ³⁷Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors and gain an overwhelming victory through Him who loved us [so much that He died for us]. ³⁸For I am convinced [and continue to be convinced—beyond any doubt] that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present and threatening, nor things to come, nor powers, ³⁹nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the [unlimited] love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

shall separate: Romans 8:39, Psalms 103:17, Jeremiah 31:3, John 10:28, John 13:1, 2 Thessalonians 2:13, 2 Thessalonians 2:14, 2 Thessalonians 2:16, Revelation 1:5

shall tribulation: Romans 8:17, Romans 5:3-5, Matthew 5:10-12, Matthew 10:28-31, Luke 21:12-18, John 16:33, Acts 14:22, Acts 20:23, Acts 20:24, 2 Corinthians 4:17, 2 Corinthians 6:4-10, 2 Corinthians 11:23-27, 2 Timothy 1:12, 2 Timothy 4:16-18, Hebrews 12:3-11, James 1:2-4, 1 Peter 1:5-7, 1 Peter 4:12-14, Revelation 7:14-17

Reciprocal: Deuteronomy 33:3 - all his saints Judges 6:33 - Then all 1 Samuel 26:25 - prevail Psalms 4:8 - for Psalms 27:3 - war Psalms 36:11 - hand Psalms 121:7 - preserve Psalms 129:2 - yet they have Proverbs 1:33 - and shall Proverbs 10:30 - never Proverbs 12:13 - but Proverbs 18:14 - spirit Jeremiah 15:15 - know Luke 6:48 - the flood Luke 10:42 - which John 16:22 - and your Acts 21:13 - for Romans 8:28 - we know 1 Corinthians 4:11 - and are naked 2 Corinthians 4:8 - yet 2 Corinthians 11:27 - nakedness 2 Corinthians 12:10 - I take Philippians 1:21 - to die Philippians 1:30 - the same 1 Thessalonians 3:3 - we are 2 Timothy 3:11 - Persecutions Hebrews 11:25 - Choosing 1 John 5:4 - overcometh Revelation 2:9 - tribulation

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?.... By "the love of Christ" is not meant the saints' love to Christ, but his love to them; he is indeed the object of their love, and so strong is their love to him, that it can never be destroyed; for though there may be an abatement in the fervour of it, it can never be lost; yet this is never called the love of Christ: besides, the apostle is speaking not of their love to Christ, but of the love of God and Christ to them, throughout the context; and his design is, to strengthen the faith of God's people, and comfort their souls, under their various afflictions: now nothing more effectually serves such purposes, than the love of Christ; and the things here instanced in are such, as are apt to inject doubts and fears, about interest in the love of Christ, and of the love of God in Christ, as it is interpreted in some following verses: moreover, the separation here interrogated is not of Christ from us, but of us from him; whereas was it our love to Christ, which is here meant, it should rather have been put, who shall separate him from us, and not us from the love of Christ? That Christ does love the elect of God, who are the persons here spoken of, is evident from his undertaking for them, espousing their persons, assuming their nature, dying in their room and stead, paying off their debts, and redeeming their persons, by going to prepare a place for them, by interceding for them, by supplying them with all grace, and using them in the most free and familiar manner; which love of his is wonderful, matchless, and inconceivable, special and peculiar, free and undeserved, exceeding affectionate, unchangeable, durable, and for ever. This is the bond of union to Christ; and the union which is made by it is exceeding near and close; it is real; perfect, and indissoluble, nothing can separate from it: not

tribulation; or "affliction", which springs from his love, and is the fruit of it; and notwithstanding that, he rests in his love; this is not taken away, but is often sensibly enjoyed, in the midst of afflictions:

or distress; whether of body or mind; straitness in the affairs and circumstances of life, or straitness of mind, in the exercise of grace, and discharge of duty; for "though we believe not, yet he abides faithful", 2 Timothy 2:13, to his covenant and promises:

or persecution: from the world; for this is rather an evidence that Christ has loved them chosen and called them, because the world hates them:

or famine: want of the necessaries of life, as food and drink; being exposed to great hunger and thirst, which has sometimes been the lot of the dear children of God:

or nakedness; want of proper clothing, or the use of common apparel; wandering about in sheep skins and goat skins, which has been the case of some, of whom the world was not worthy, and so no proof of separation from the love of Christ:

or peril; dangers from different quarters, by different persons and ways; such as the Apostle Paul had trial of, who was highly in the love of Christ, 1 Corinthians 11:26;

or sword; that is, death by the sword; which death James the brother of John died, Acts 12:13: now, though this may separate the head from the body, and separate soul and body, yet cannot separate from the love of Christ.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Who shall separate us - That is, finally or entirely separate us. This is a new argument of the apostle, showing his strong confidence in the safety of the Christian.

From the love of Christ - This expression is ambiguous; and may mean either our love to Christ or his love to us. I understand it in the former sense, and suppose it means, “Who shall cause us to cease to love the Saviour?” In other words, the love which Christians have for their Redeemer is so strong, that it will surmount and survive all opposition and all trials. The reason for so understanding the expression is, that it is not conceivable how afflictions, etc. should have any tendency to alienate Christ’s love “from us;” but their supposed tendency to alienate “our love” from him might be very strong. They are endured in his cause. They are caused, in a good degree, by professed attachment to him. The persecutions and trials to which Christians are exposed on account of their professed attachment to him, might be supposed to make them weary of a service that involved so many trials. But no, says the apostle. Our love for him is so strong that we are willing to bear all; and nothing that these foes of our peace can do, can alienate us from him and from his cause. The argument, therefore, is drawn from the strong love of a Christian to his Saviour; and from the assurance that nothing would be able to separate him from that love.

On the other hand, it is alleged that “the object of the apostle is to assure us, not so immediately of our love to God, as of his love to us, by directing our attention to his predestinating, calling, justifying, and glorifying us, and not sparing his own Son, but delivering him up for us; that in addition to this it contributes more to our consolation, to have our minds fixed upon God’s love to us, than upon our love to him, which is subject to so many failings and infirmities.” Haldane.

Indeed the whole of this passage proceeds, in its triumphing strain, on the ground of what God and Christ have done “for us,” and not on the ground of anything belonging to us. It is therefore improbable, that the apostle, in the midst of such a strain, should introduce the love of the creature to God, as a just reason for such unparalleled confidence. It is more natural to the Christian to triumph in the love of Christ to him, than in any return he can make. He can glory in the strength of the former, while he mourns over the weakness of the latter. As to the objection that afflictions can have no tendency to alienate Christ’s love, these are the “very things” that alienate people from us. There are persons who are called “summer friends” because they desert us in the winter of adversity. But the love of Christ is greatly exalted by the fact, that none of all possible adverse circumstances, of which the apostle enumerates not a few, shall ever change his love.

Shall tribulation - θλίψις thlipsis. Note, Romans 2:9. The word properly refers to pressure from without; affliction arising from external causes. It means, however, not infrequently, trial of any kind.

Or distress - στενοχωρία stenochōria. This word properly means “narrowness of place;” and then, great anxiety and distress of mind, such as arises when a man does not know where to turn himself or what to do for relief. It refers, therefore, to distress or anxiety “of mind,” such as the early Christians were often subject to from their trials and persecutions; 2 Corinthians 7:5,” Without were fightings, “within were fears;” see the note at Romans 2:9.

Or persecutions - Note, Matthew 5:11. To these the early Christians were constantly exposed.

Or famine - To this they were also exposed as the natural result of being driven from home, and of being often compelled to wander amidst strangers, and in deserts and desolate places.

Or peril - Danger of any kind.

Or sword - The sword of persecution; the danger of their lives to which they were constantly exposed. As all these things happened to them in consequence of their professed attachment to Christ, it might be supposed that they would tend to alienate their minds from him. But the apostle was assured that they had not this power, but that their love to the Saviour was so strong as to overcome all, and to bind them unalterably to his cause in the midst of the deepest trials. The fact is, that the more painful the trials to which they are exposed on his account, the more strong and unwavering is their love to him, and their confidence in his ability to save.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 35. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? — I do think that this question has been generally misunderstood. The apostle is referring to the persecutions and tribulations to which genuine Christians were exposed through their attachment to Christ, and the gracious provision God had made for their support and final salvation. As in this provision God had shown his infinite love to them in providing Jesus Christ as their sin-offering, and Jesus Christ had shown his love in suffering death upon the cross for them; so, here, he speaks of the love of the followers of God to that Christ who had first loved them. Therefore the question is not, Who shall separate the love of Christ from us? or prevent Christ from loving us? but, Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Who or what shall be able to remove our affection from him? And the questions that immediately follow show that this is the sense of the passage; for the tribulation, distress, c., which he enumerates, are things by which they might be affected, but by which Christ could not be affected and, consequently, the question most evidently refers to their love to him who had first loved them, and, while it affords a strong presumption of their perseverance, furnishes a most powerful argument against apostasy.

Shall tribulation? — φλιψις, grievous affliction, or distress of any kind; from φλιβω, to compress, oppress, straiten, c. any thing by which a man is rendered miserable.

Or distress? — στενοχωρια, a word of nearly the same import with the former, but more intense in its signification. It signifies straitness, being hemmed in on every side, without the possibility of getting out or escaping; from στενος, strait or narrow, and χωρος, a place.

Or persecution? — διωγμος, from διωκω, to pursue, press upon, prosecute, signifies such pursuing as an enemy uses in order to overtake the object of his malice, that he may destroy him.

Or famine? — λιμος, from λειπω, to fail; the total want of bread, and all the necessaries of life.

Or nakedness? — γυμνοτης, being absolutely without clothing; forcibly expressed by the derivation of the word γυιαμοναεχων, having one's limbs only, being totally unclothed.

Or peril? — κινδυνος, a state of extreme and continued danger, perplexing and distressing with grievous forebodings and alarms; derived from κινειταςοδυνας, it excites anguish; because much evil is felt, and much more feared.

Or sword? — μαχαιρα, slaughter; the total destruction of life, and especially beheading, and such like, done by the order of the civil magistrate; for the word is used in this epistle, Romans 13:4, to signify the authority and power which he has of judicially terminating life; i.e. of inflicting capital punishment.