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things contrary, ver. 35, 38, 39, corresponds to these four weighty turning points of his argument. In ver. 35, the former are lighter and less considerable [than in ver. 38], and may be all referred to [reduced to the one head, viz.] death , ver. 38, inasmuch as they are, as it were, previous tendencies towards death. The contraries in the way of the elect, enumerated in ver. 38, 39, are more weighty ones. That topic will be by and by brought out more fully. — /xdXXov, rather ) ch. v. 10. Our faith ought to lean on the death of Christ, but it ought rather also to make such progress, as to lean on His resurrection, kingly dominion, and second coming. — hn v iv rou @sov, is at the right hand of
God ) He is able to save ; He Himself and the Father. The ascension is not previously mentioned, nor does the mention of His glorious coming follow : for the former is the act of sitting at the right hand of God, the latter entirely takes away all, that threatens separation from the love of God, and brings in the state of glory, of which ver. 30 treats. — bruyydvu, intercedes ) He is willing to save : He Himself and the Father.
35. Tig yyAug ^wp/tei, who shall separate us) The perpetuity of the union, for the time to come, with the love of Christ and of God, is deduced from the death of Christ, from His resurrection , His sitting at the right hand of God and His intercession , comp, ch. v. 5, 6, 9, 10 ; Heb. vii. 25. But the who is presently after explained by the enumeration [shall tribulation or distress, etc.], without an aetiology following after : from which again it is evident, that the aetiology, [assigning of the reason] must be sought for before the words, who shall separate us, in ver. 34 : and he says who, not what, although he subjoins [shall] affliction , etc., because personal enemies lurk under these adverse things. — rrig ayanrig, from the love) towards us, ver. 37, 39. The founda- tion of the impossibility of being separated from the love of Christ is love ; the foundation of this confidence is love clearly perceived. — rov Xpidrov, of Christ ) The love of God is one with the love of Christ, ver. 39. — yufivorrig) nakedness, the want of clothing, the extreme of poverty, 1 Cor. iv. 11 ; 2 Cor. xi. 27. The enumeration for the most part goes on in pairs, hunger and nakedness, etc. — zhduvog, peril) Hypocrites often sink under mere dangers. — jjf ^dyjyjpa, or sword) an instrument of slaughter. Paul mentions the kind of death, with which he himself had been