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.
• 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! Strengthen what little remains, for even what is left is almost dead. I find that your actions do not meet the requirements of my God. 3Go back to what you heard and believed at first; hold to it firmly. Repent and turn to me again. If you don’t wake up, I will come to you suddenly, as unexpected as a thief. “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. 5All 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. 6“Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying 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 11:13At the same time there was a terrible earthquake that destroyed a tenth of the city. Seven thousand people died in that earthquake, and everyone else was terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.
• Acts 1:15During this time, when about 120 believers were together in one place, Peter stood up and addressed them.
• 1 Kings 19:18Yet I will preserve 7,000 others in Israel who have never bowed down to Baal or kissed him!”
• Isaiah 1:9If the Lord of Heaven’s Armies had not spared a few of us, we would have been wiped out like Sodom, destroyed like Gomorrah.
• Romans 11:4And do you remember God’s reply? He said, “No, I have 7,000 others who have never bowed down to Baal!”
• Revelation 7:14And I said to him, “Sir, you are the one who knows.” Then he said to me, “These are the ones who died in the great tribulation. They have washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb and made them white.
• Revelation 19:8She has been given the finest of pure white linen to wear.” For the fine linen represents the good deeds of God’s holy people.
• Isaiah 52:1Wake up, wake up, O Zion! Clothe yourself with strength. Put on your beautiful clothes, O holy city of Jerusalem, for unclean and godless people will enter your gates no longer.
• Isaiah 59:6Their webs can’t be made into clothing, and nothing they do is productive. All their activity is filled with sin, and violence is their trademark.
• Isaiah 61:3To all who mourn in Israel, he will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair. In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks that the Lord has planted for his own glory.
• Isaiah 64:6We are all infected and impure with sin. When we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy rags. Like autumn leaves, we wither and fall, and our sins sweep us away like the wind.
• Zechariah 3:3Jeshua’s clothing was filthy as he stood there before the angel.
• Jude 1:23Rescue others by snatching them from the flames of judgment. Show mercy to still others, but do so with great caution, hating the sins that contaminate their lives.
• Revelation 3:5All 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.
• Revelation 4:4Twenty-four thrones surrounded him, and twenty-four elders sat on them. They were all clothed in white and had gold crowns on their heads.
• Revelation 6:11Then a white robe was given to each of them. And they were told to rest a little longer until the full number of their brothers and sisters—their fellow servants of Jesus who were to be martyred—had joined them.

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