New English Translation
Revelation 3:4
4But you have a few individuals in Sardis who have not stained their clothes, and they will walk with me dressed in white, because they are worthy.
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.
- English Standard Version (ESV)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.
- 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.
Context of Revelation 3:4
2Wake up then, and strengthen what remains that was about to die, because I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of my God. 3Therefore, remember what you received and heard, and obey it, and repent. If you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will never know at what hour I will come against you. But you have a few individuals in Sardis who have not stained their clothes, and they will walk with me dressed in white, because they are worthy. 5The one who conquers will be dressed like them in white clothing, and I will never erase his name from the book of life, but will declare his name before my Father and before his angels. 6The one who has an ear had better hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’
Read all of Revelation 3Revelation 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 11:13Just then a major earthquake took place and a tenth of the city collapsed; 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 believers (a gathering of about one hundred and twenty people) and said,
- 1 Kings 19:18I still have left in Israel seven thousand followers who have not bowed their knees to Baal or kissed the images of him.”
- Isaiah 1:9If the Lord who commands armies had not left us a few survivors, we would have quickly become like Sodom, we would have become like Gomorrah.
- Romans 11:4But what was the divine response to him? “I have kept for myself seven thousand people who have not bent the knee to Baal.”
- Revelation 7:14So I said to him, “My lord, you know the answer.” Then he said to me, “These are the ones who have come out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb!
- Revelation 19:8She was permitted to be dressed in bright, clean, fine linen” (for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints).
- Isaiah 52:1Wake up! Wake up! Clothe yourself with strength, O Zion! Put on your beautiful clothes, O Jerusalem, holy city! For uncircumcised and unclean pagans will no longer invade you.
- Isaiah 59:6Their webs cannot be used for clothing; they cannot cover themselves with what they make. Their deeds are sinful; they commit violent crimes.
- Isaiah 61:3to strengthen those who mourn in Zion, by giving them a turban, instead of ashes, oil symbolizing joy, instead of mourning, a garment symbolizing praise, instead of discouragement. They will be called oaks of righteousness, trees planted by the Lord to reveal his splendor.
- Isaiah 64:6We are all like one who is unclean, all our so-called righteous acts are like a menstrual rag in your sight. We all wither like a leaf; our sins carry us away like the wind.
- Zechariah 3:3Now Joshua was dressed in filthy clothes as he stood there before the angel.
- Jude 1:23save others by snatching them out of the fire; have mercy on others, coupled with a fear of God, hating even the clothes stained by the flesh.
- Revelation 3:5The one who conquers will be dressed like them in white clothing, and I will never erase his name from the book of life, but will declare his name before my Father and before his angels.
- Revelation 4:4In a circle around the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on those thrones were twenty-four elders. They were dressed in white clothing and had golden crowns on their heads.
- Revelation 6:11Each of them was given a long white robe and they were told to rest for a little longer, until the full number was reached of both their fellow servants and their brothers who were going to be killed just as they 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
In the dictionaries
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
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