Revelation 3 · Verse 5

Revelation 3:5

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.

Revelation 3:5, King James Version

Revelation 3:5 in other translations

BSB	Like 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.
WEB	He who overcomes will be arrayed in white garments, and I will in no way blot his name out of the book of life, and I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.
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.
YLT	He who is overcoming--this one--shall be arrayed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the scroll of the life, and I will confess his name before my Father, and before His messengers.
DARBY	He that overcomes, he shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot his name out of the book of life, and will confess his name before my Father and before his angels.
BBE	He who overcomes will be dressed in white, and I will not take his name from the book of life, and I will give witness to his name before my Father, and before his angels.
Webster	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.

What does Revelation 3:5 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

5. 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" shall receive the same reward as they who "have not defiled their garments" (Re 3:4); therefore the two are identical. I will not--Greek, "I will not by any means." blot out ... name out of ... book of life--of the heavenly city. A register was kept in ancient cities of their citizens: the names of the dead were of course erased. So those who have a name that they live and are dead (Re 3:1), are blotted out of God's roll of the heavenly citizens and heirs of eternal life; not that in God's electing decree they ever were in His book of life. But, according to human conceptions, those who had a high name for piety would be supposed to be in it, and were, in respect to privileges, actually among those in the way of salvation; but these privileges, and the fact that they once might have been saved, shall be of no avail to them. As to the book of life, compare Re 13:8; 17:8; 20:12, 15; 21:27; Ex 32:32; Psa 69:28; Da 12:1. In the sense of the "call," many are enrolled among the called to salvation, who shall not be found among the chosen at last. The pale of salvation is wider than that of election. Election is fixed. Salvation is open to all and is pending (humanly speaking) in the case of those mentioned here. But Re 20:15; 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; Lu 12:8, 9. He omits "in heaven" after "My Father," because there is, now that He is in heaven, no contrast between the Father in heaven and the Son on earth. He now sets His seal from heaven upon many of His words uttered on earth [Trench]. An undesigned coincidence, proving that these epistles are, as they profess, in their words, as well as substance, Christ's own addresses; not even tinged with the color of John's style, such as it appears in his Gospel and Epistles. The coincidence is mainly with the three other Gospels, and not with John's, which makes the coincidence more markedly undesigned. So also the clause, "He that hath an ear, let him hear," is not repeated from John's Gospel, but from the Lord's own words in the three synoptic Gospels (Mt 11:15; 13:9; Mr 4:9, 23; 7:16; Lu 8:8; 14:35).

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes

Verse 5. He that overcometh. 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.

And I will not blot out his name out of the book of life. The book which contains the names of those who are to live with him for ever. The names of his people are thus represented as enrolled in a book which he keeps--a register of those who are to live for ever. The phrase "book of life" frequently occurs in the Bible, representing this idea. Php 4:3. Compare Rev 15:3, 20:12,15, 21:27 Rev 22:19. The expression "I will not blot out" means, that the names would be found there on the great day of final account, and would be found there for ever. It may be remarked, that as no one can have access to that book but he who keeps it, there is the most positive assurance that it will never be done, and the salvation of the redeemed will be, therefore, secure. And let it be remembered that the period is coming when it will be felt to be a higher honour to have the name enrolled in that book than in the books of heraldry --in the most splendid catalogue of princes, poets, warriors, nobles, or statesmen, that the world has produced. But I will confess his name, etc. I will acknowledge him to be my follower. Mt 10:32.

(b) "book of life" Rev 17:8 (c) "confess" Lk 12:8

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 5 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.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Revelation 3:1-6

Chapter Outline Epistles to the church at Sardis; (1-6) at Philadelphia; (7-13) and Laodicea. (14-22) Verses 1-6 The Lord Jesus is He that hath the Holy Spirit with all his powers, graces, and operations. Hypocrisy, and lamentable decay in religion, are sins charged upon Sardis, by One who knew that church well, and all her works. Outward things appeared well to men, but there was only the form of godliness, not the…

Read the full comment on Revelation 3:1-6 →

Revelation 3:5 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

ὁhoThe [one]G3588

νικῶνnikōnovercomingG3528

οὕτωςhoutōsthusG3779

περιβαλεῖταιperibaleitaiwill be clothedG4016

ἐνeninG1722

ἱματίοιςhimatioisgarmentsG2440

λευκοῖς,leukoiswhite,G3022

καὶkaiAndG2532

οὐoucertainlyG3756

μὴmēnotG3361

ἐξαλείψωexaleipsōwill I blot outG1813

τὸtotheG3588

ὄνομαonomanameG3686

αὐτοῦautouof himG846

ἐκekfromG1537

τῆςtēstheG3588

βίβλουbibloubookG976

τῆςtēs<the>G3588

ζωῆςzōēsof lifeG2222

καὶkaiandG2532

ὁμολογήσωhomologēsōI will acknowledgeG3670

τὸtotheG3588

ὄνομαonomanameG3686

αὐτοῦautouof himG846

ἐνώπιονenōpionbeforeG1799

τοῦtoutheG3588

πατρόςpatrosFatherG3962

μουmouof MineG3165

καὶkaiandG2532

ἐνώπιονenōpionbeforeG1799

τῶνtōntheG3588

ἀγγέλωνangelōnangelsG32

αὐτοῦ.autouof Him.G846

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Revelation 3:5

Matthew 10:32
Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.
Revelation 21:27
And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
Luke 12:8
Also I say unto you, Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God:
Revelation 20:15
And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
Revelation 20:12
And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
Revelation 17:8
The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.
Psalms 69:28
Let them be blotted out of the book of the living, and not be written with the righteous.
Revelation 2:7
He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.
Revelation 13:8
And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
Philippians 4:3
And I intreat thee also, true yokefellow, help those women which laboured with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and with other my fellowlabourers, whose names are in the book of life.
Revelation 22:19
And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
Revelation 19:8
And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

that.
2:7; 1Sa 17:25
the same.
4; 19:8
blot.
Ex 32:32,33; De 9:14; Ps 69:28; 109:13
the book.
13:8; 17:8; 20:12,15; 21:27; 22:19; Php 4:3
confess.
Mal 3:17; Mt 10:32; Lu 12:8; Jude 1:24

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

Revelation 3:4
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.
Revelation 3:5
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.
Revelation 3:6
He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

Read all of Revelation 3

Revelation 3:5 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	El que venciere, será vestido de vestiduras blancas; y no borraré su nombre del libro de la vida, y confesaré su nombre delante de mi Padre, y delante de sus ángeles.
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	Celui qui vaincra, celui-là sera vêtu de vêtements blancs, et je n’effacerai point son nom du livre de vie, et je confesserai son nom devant mon Père et devant ses anges.
German Elberfelder 1871	Wer überwindet, der wird mit weißen Kleidern bekleidet werden, und ich werde seinen Namen nicht auslöschen aus dem Buche des Lebens und werde seinen Namen bekennen vor meinem Vater und vor seinen Engeln.
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Qui vicerit, sic vestietur vestimentis albis, et non delebo nomen ejus de libro vitæ, et confitebor nomen ejus coram Patre meo, et coram angelis ejus.