Revelation 3:4

Revelation 3:4 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy.
• New International Version (NIV)Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes. They will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy.
• New King James Version (NKJV)You have a few names even in Sardis who have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy.
• New Living Translation (NLT)“Yet there are some in the church in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes with evil. They will walk with me in white, for they are worthy.

Context of Revelation 3:4

2Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God. 3Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent. If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you. Yet you have still a few names in Sardis, people who have not soiled their garments, and they will walk with me in white, for they are worthy. 5The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels. 6He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.'

Revelation 3:4 word by word

ἀλλ᾽ ἔχεις ὀλίγα ὀνόματα ἐν Σάρδεσιν ἃ οὐκ ἐμόλυναν τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτῶν, καὶ περιπατήσουσιν μετ᾽ ἐμοῦ ἐν λευκοῖς, ὅτι ἄξιοί εἰσιν.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Thou hastἔχωechō · to have/beG2192
• a fewὀλίγοςoligos · little/fewG3641
• namesὄνομαonoma · nameG3686
• evenκαίkai · andG2532
• inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• SardisΣάρδειςSardeis · SardisG4554
• whichὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
• haveμολύνωmolunō · to defileG3435
• notοὐou · noG3756
• theirαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• garmentsὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• garmentsἱμάτιονhimation · clothingG2440
• they shall walkπεριπατέωperipateō · to walkG4043
• withμετάmeta · with/afterG3326
• meἐγώegō · I/weG1473
• whiteλευκόςleukos · whiteG3022
• forὅτιhoti · that/since: sinceG3754
• they areεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• worthyἄξιοςaxios · worthyG514

Cross-references for Revelation 3:4

• Revelation 11:13And at that hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.
• Acts 1:15In those days Peter stood up among the brothers (the company of persons was in all about 120) and said,
• 1 Kings 19:18Yet I will leave seven thousand in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him."
• Isaiah 1:9If the Lord of hosts had not left us a few survivors, we should have been like Sodom, and become like Gomorrah.
• Romans 11:4But what is God's reply to him? "I have kept for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal."
• Revelation 7:14I said to him, "Sir, you know." And he said to me, "These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
• Revelation 19:8it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure"— for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.
• Isaiah 52:1Awake, awake, put on your strength, O Zion; put on your beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city; for there shall no more come into you the uncircumcised and the unclean.
• Isaiah 59:6Their webs will not serve as clothing; men will not cover themselves with what they make. Their works are works of iniquity, and deeds of violence are in their hands.
• Isaiah 61:3to grant to those who mourn in Zion— to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified.
• Isaiah 64:6We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.
• Zechariah 3:3Now Joshua was standing before the angel, clothed with filthy garments.
• Jude 1:23save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh.
• Revelation 3:5The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels.
• Revelation 4:4Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and seated on the thrones were twenty-four elders, clothed in white garments, with golden crowns on their heads.
• Revelation 6:11Then they were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been.

Commentaries on Revelation 3:4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4Thou hast a few names even in Sardis - A few persons, names being put for those who bore them. And as the members of the Church were all enrolled, or their names entered in a book, when admitted into the Church or when baptized, names are here put for the people themselves. See Revelation 3:5. Have not defiled their garments - Their souls. The Hebrews considered holiness as the garb of the soul, and evil actions as stains or spots on this garb. So in…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4Thou hast a few names even in Sardis - See the analysis of the chapter. The word “names” here is equivalent to “persons”; and the idea is, that even in a place so depraved, and where religion had so much declined, there were a few persons who had kept themselves free from the general contamination. In most cases, when error and sin prevail, there may be found a few who are worthy of the divine commendation; a few who show that true religion may exist even…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4Soiled … garments symbolize an impure life (Zechariah 3:4), while white clothes represent purity (see Revelation 6:11; 7:13–14; 22:14). How they walk means how a person lives (see Genesis 17:1; Psalms 81:13; 82:5; Romans 8:4; Galatians 5:16).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 44. The three oldest manuscripts prefix "but," or "nevertheless" (notwithstanding thy spiritual deadness), and omit "even." names--persons named in the book of life (Re 3:5) known by name by the Lord as His own. These had the reality corresponding to their name; not a mere name among men as living, while really dead (Re 3:1). The gracious Lord does not overlook any exceptional cases of real saints in the midst of unreal professors. not defiled their…Read the comment

Topics related to Revelation 3:4

• Church
• Colors
• Decision
• Immortality
• Obedience
• Righteous
• Sardis
• Walking

In the dictionaries

• Angel
• Banquet
• Chasten
• Cold
• Counsel
• Dead
• Lukewarm
• Naked
• Poor
• Rich

Commentaries on Revelation 3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings