Revelation 3:5
in Revelation 3Like them, he who overcomes will be dressed in white. And I will never blot out his name from the Book of Life, but I will confess his name before My Father and His angels.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
He that overcometh shall thus be arrayed in white garments; and I will in no wise blot his name out of the book of life, and I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.
KJV
He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.
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This verse in Revelation 3
Commentary
13 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
He that overcometh - See the notes on Rev 2:7. The same shall be clothed in white raiment - Whosoever he may be that shall overcome sin and the temptations of this world, shall be admitted to this glorious reward. The promise is made not only to those in Sardis who should be victorious, but to all in every age and every land. The hope that is thus held out before us, is that of appearing with the Redeemer in his kingdom, clad in robes expressive of holiness and joy.
This site's exposition
a few people in Sardis
on Revelation 3:4-6
Even in Sardis a few people have not soiled their garments and will walk in white. The overcomer's promise answers the church's failure: white clothing for soiled garments, a name kept in the Book of Life, and a name confessed before My Father, echoing Matthew 10:32.
This site's exposition
I will never blot out his name
John Wesley reads the promise about the Book of Life against the angel of Sardis, whose name was in danger. Jamieson, Fausset and Brown hold that the matter is still open, humanly speaking, for those who hear. The promise to confess his name repeats Matthew 10:32.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers3 voices
We have also in the Scriptures robes mentioned as allegorizing the hope of the flesh. Thus in the Revelation of John it is said, "These are they who have not defiled their clothes with women"—indicating, of course, virgins, and such as have become "eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake." Therefore they shall be "clothed in white raiment," that is, in the bright beauty of the unwedded flesh. In the Gospel even, "the wedding garment" may be regarded as the sanctity of the flesh.
Therefore they shall be "clothed in white raiment," that is, in the bright beauty of the unwedded flesh.
The one who overcomes is said to be clothed with white garments in the coming age. For indeed, he himself promises in the Gospels that the saints will shine like the sun and the moon (Matt. 13:43); but the pure ones are said to be …
The Medieval Church2 voices
He that shall overcome, shall thus be clothed in white garments. That is, he who fights against the enemy to get his garments back, and overcomes, will be clothed in the same garments again and shine in the same way as those who have kept …
He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments. He urges everyone to the habit of those who have kept the seamless robe of baptism unblemished.
5 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
He shall be clothed in white raiment - The colour of victory, joy, and triumph. And I will not blot his name out of the book of life - Like that of the angel of the church at Sardis: but he shall live forever. I will confess his name - As one of my faithful servants and soldiers.
), and it is very much the same with what has been already mentioned: He that overcometh shall be clothed in white raiment. The purity of grace shall be rewarded with the perfect purity of glory. Holiness, when perfected, shall be its own reward; glory is the perfection of grace, differing not in kind, but in degree.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
He that overcometh,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Salvation is open to all and is pending (humanly speaking) in the case of those mentioned here. 21:27, exhibit the book of the elect alone in the narrower sense, after the erasure of the others. before . . . before--Greek, "in the presence of." Compare the same promise of Christ's confessing before His Father those who confessed Him, Mt 10:32, 33;
I will not blot out his name - This may be an allusion to the custom of registering the names of those who were admitted into the Church in a book kept for that purpose, from which custom our baptismal registers in Churches are derived. These are properly books of life, as there those who were born unto God were registered; as in the latter those who were born in that parish were enrolled. Or there may be allusions to the white raiment worn by the priests, and the erasing of the name of any priest out of the sacerdotal list who had either sinned, or was found not to be of the seed of Aaron. In Middoth, fol. 37, 2: “The great council of Israel sat and judged the priests. If in a priest any vice was found they stripped of his white garments and clothed him in black, in which he wrapped himself, went out, and departed. Him in whom no vice was found they clothed in white, and he went and took his part in the ministry among his brother priests.” I will confess his name - I will acknowledge that this person is my true disciple, and a member of my mystical body. In all this there may also be an allusion to the custom of registering citizens. Their names were entered into books, according to their condition, tribes, family, etc.; and when they were dead, or had by unconstitutional acts forfeited their right of citizenship, the name was blotted out, or erased from the registers. See the note on Exo 32:32.
The words behind it
33 Greek wordsEvery 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.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ὁ | ho | The [one] | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| νικῶν | nikon | overcoming | G3528 → | 28 times |
| οὕτως | houtos | thus | G3779 → | 208 times |
| περιβαλεῖται | peribaleitai | will be clothed | G4016 → | 23 times |
| ἐν | en | in | G1722 → | 2738 times |
| ἱματίοις | himatiois | garments | G2440 → | 60 times |
| λευκοῖς, | leukois | white, | G3022 → | 25 times |
| καὶ | kai | And | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| οὐ | ou | certainly | G3756 → | 1664 times |
| μὴ | me | not | G3361 → | 1066 times |
| ἐξαλείψω | exaleipso | will I blot out | G1813 → | 5 times |
| τὸ | to | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ὄνομα | onoma | name | G3686 → | 227 times |
| αὐτοῦ | autou | of him | G846 → | 5565 times |
| ἐκ | ek | from | G1537 → | 911 times |
| τῆς | tes | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| βίβλου | biblou | book | G976 → | |
| τῆς | tes | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ζωῆς | zoes | of life | G2222 → | 135 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ὁμολογήσω | homologeso | I will acknowledge | G3670 → | |
| τὸ | to | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ὄνομα | onoma | name | G3686 → | 227 times |
| αὐτοῦ | autou | of him | G846 → | 5565 times |
| ἐνώπιον | enopion | before | G1799 → | 94 times |
| τοῦ | tou | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| πατρός | patros | Father | G3962 → | 410 times |
| μου | mou | of Mine | G3165 → | 1936 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ἐνώπιον | enopion | before | G1799 → | 94 times |
| τῶν | ton | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἀγγέλων | angelon | angels | G32 → | 175 times |
| αὐτοῦ. | autou | of Him. | G846 → | 5565 times |
ὁThe [one]
hoG3588 →19766 times
νικῶνovercoming
nikonG3528 →28 times
οὕτωςthus
houtosG3779 →208 times
περιβαλεῖταιwill be clothed
peribaleitaiG4016 →23 times
ἐνin
enG1722 →2738 times
ἱματίοιςgarments
himatioisG2440 →60 times
λευκοῖς,white,
leukoisG3022 →25 times
καὶAnd
kaiG2532 →9120 times
οὐcertainly
ouG3756 →1664 times
μὴnot
meG3361 →1066 times
ἐξαλείψωwill I blot out
exaleipsoG1813 →5 times
τὸthe
toG3588 →19766 times
ὄνομαname
onomaG3686 →227 times
αὐτοῦof him
autouG846 →5565 times
ἐκfrom
ekG1537 →911 times
τῆςthe
tesG3588 →19766 times
βίβλουbook
biblouG976 →
τῆς<the>
tesG3588 →19766 times
ζωῆςof life
zoesG2222 →135 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ὁμολογήσωI will acknowledge
homologesoG3670 →
τὸthe
toG3588 →19766 times
ὄνομαname
onomaG3686 →227 times
αὐτοῦof him
autouG846 →5565 times
ἐνώπιονbefore
enopionG1799 →94 times
τοῦthe
touG3588 →19766 times
πατρόςFather
patrosG3962 →410 times
μουof Mine
mouG3165 →1936 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ἐνώπιονbefore
enopionG1799 →94 times
τῶνthe
tonG3588 →19766 times
ἀγγέλωνangels
angelonG32 →175 times
αὐτοῦ.of Him.
autouG846 →5565 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach 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
Matthew 10:32Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father in heaven.
it leads to
- Romans 10:9–10
that if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Luke 12:8–9
I tell you, everyone who confesses Me before men, the Son of Man will also confess him before the angels of God.
- Romans 10:9–10
Through
Revelation 20:12And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne. And there were open books, and one of them was the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their…
it leads to
- 2 Corinthians 5:10
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive his due for the things done in the body, whether good or bad.
- Matthew 16:27
For the Son of Man will come in His Father’s glory with His angels, and then He will repay each one according to what he has done.
- Daniel 7:10
A river of fire was flowing, coming out from His presence. Thousands upon thousands attended Him, and myriads upon myriads stood before Him. The court was convened, and the books were opened.
- Ecclesiastes 12:14
For God will bring every deed into judgment, along with every hidden thing, whether good or evil.
- Revelation 2:23
Then I will strike her children dead, and all the churches will know that I am the One who searches minds and hearts, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds.
- 2 Corinthians 5:10
Through
Luke 12:8I tell you, everyone who confesses Me before men, the Son of Man will also confess him before the angels of God.
it leads to
- Matthew 10:32–33
Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father in heaven.
- Matthew 10:32–33
Where this verse is studied
About Revelation
This page draws on 12 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); Alcuin of York, COMMENTARY ON REVELATION; Bede, Commentary on Revelation; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Oecumenius, Commentary on Revelation; Tertullian, ON THE RESURRECTION OF THE FLESH 27 and Tertullian, On the Resurrection of the Flesh.