New International Version
Revelation 3:5
5The one who is victorious will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out the name of that person from the book of life, but will acknowledge that name before my Father and his angels.
Revelation 3:5 in other versions
- King James Version (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.
- English Standard Version (ESV)The 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.
- New King James Version (NKJV)He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.
- New Living Translation (NLT)All who are victorious will be clothed in white. I will never erase their names from the Book of Life, but I will announce before my Father and his angels that they are mine.
Context of Revelation 3:5
3Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; hold it fast, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you. 4Yet 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. The one who is victorious will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out the name of that person from the book of life, but will acknowledge that name before my Father and his angels. 6Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. 7“To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open.
Read all of Revelation 3Revelation 3:5 word by word
ὁ νικῶν οὕτως περιβαλεῖται ἐν ἱματίοις λευκοῖς, καὶ οὐ μὴ ἐξαλείψω τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ ἐκ τῆς βίβλου τῆς ζωῆς καὶ ὁμολογήσω τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ ἐνώπιον τοῦ πατρός μου καὶ ἐνώπιον τῶν ἀγγέλων αὐτοῦ.Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- He that overcomethνικάωnikaō · to conquerG3528
- the sameοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
- shall be clothedπεριβάλλωperiballō · to clotheG4016
- inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
- whiteλευκόςleukos · whiteG3022
- raimentἱμάτιονhimation · clothingG2440
- andκαίkai · andG2532
- I willἐξαλείφωexaleiphō · to blot outG1813
- notοὐou · noG3756
- ·μήmē · notG3361
- hisαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
- nameὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- nameὄνομαonoma · nameG3686
- out ofἐκek ex · out fromG1537
- the bookβίβλοςbiblos · bookG976
- of lifeζωήzōē · lifeG2222
- I will confessἐξομολογέομαιexomologeō · to agreeG1843
- beforeἐνώπιονenōpion · beforeG1799
- myἐγώegō · I/weG1473
- Fatherπατήρpatēr · fatherG3962
- angelsἄγγελοςaggelos · angelG32
Cross-references for Revelation 3:5
- Revelation 2:7Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.
- 1 Samuel 17:25Now the Israelites had been saying, “Do you see how this man keeps coming out? He comes out to defy Israel. The king will give great wealth to the man who kills him. He will also give him his daughter in marriage and will exempt his family from taxes in Israel.”
- Revelation 3:4Yet 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.
- Revelation 19:8Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear.” (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of God’s holy people.)
- Exodus 32:32But now, please forgive their sin—but if not, then blot me out of the book you have written.”
- Deuteronomy 9:14Let me alone, so that I may destroy them and blot out their name from under heaven. And I will make you into a nation stronger and more numerous than they.”
- Psalms 69:28May they be blotted out of the book of life and not be listed with the righteous.
- Psalms 109:13May his descendants be cut off, their names blotted out from the next generation.
- Revelation 13:8All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast—all whose names have not been written in the Lamb’s book of life, the Lamb who was slain from the creation of the world.
- Revelation 17:8The beast, which you saw, once was, now is not, and yet will come up out of the Abyss and go to its destruction. The inhabitants of the earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the creation of the world will be astonished when they see the beast, because it once was, now is not, and yet will come.
- Revelation 20:12And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books.
- Revelation 21:27Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
- Revelation 22:19And if anyone takes words away from this scroll of prophecy, God will take away from that person any share in the tree of life and in the Holy City, which are described in this scroll.
- Philippians 4:3Yes, and I ask you, my true companion, help these women since they have contended at my side in the cause of the gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are in the book of life.
- Malachi 3:17“On the day when I act,” says the Lord Almighty, “they will be my treasured possession. I will spare them, just as a father has compassion and spares his son who serves him.
- Matthew 10:32“Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven.
Commentaries on Revelation 3:5
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 5I 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…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 5He that overcometh - See the notes on Revelation 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…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 5Having one's name in the Book of Life (see Revelation 20:12–15; Daniel 7:10) means assurance of God's acceptance and eternal life (see Revelation 17:8; 20:12; Philippians 4:3; see also Luke 10:20). If God erases a name, it implies condemnation and eternal death (see Exodus 32:32–33; Psalm 69:28).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 55. white--not a dull white, but glittering, dazzling white [Grotius]. Compare Mt 13:43. The body transfigured into the likeness of Christ's body, and emitting beams of light reflected from Him, is probably the "white raiment" promised here. the same--Greek, "THIS man"; he and he alone. So one oldest manuscript reads. But two oldest manuscripts, and most of the ancient versions, "shall THUS be clothed," &c. raiment--Greek, "garments." "He that overcometh"…Read the comment
Topics related to Revelation 3:5
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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