Cambridge Greek Testament Commentary

Revelation 3:5

οὕτως. אeB2P … and Text. Rec[123] read οὗτος.

[123] Rec. Textus Receptus as printed by Scrivener.

5. ὁ νικῶν οὕτως περιβαλεῖται. If οὕτως means “like the holy remnant in Sardis,” it is natural to ask with Spitta whether the promises to him that overcometh are to be regarded as part of the messages to the Churches. Possibly though the other sense at first is more natural, the meaning may be “He … shall he clothed then as I am now.” The colour of Christ’s priestly robe (Revelation 1:13) was not stated (and see “Barnabas,” there quoted) but we are probably to understand that it was white, cf. Daniel 7:9.

οὐ μὴ ἐξαλείψω τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ. See Exodus 32:32 sq. (which it seems hard to tone down into meaning no more than 1 Kings 19:4 : compare rather Romans 9:3), Psalms 69:29 (28) (which can more easily be taken in the milder sense), and Daniel 12:1. The image seems to be, that everyone on professing himself Christ’s soldier and servant has his name entered in the Book of Life, as on an army list or censusroll of the kingdom. It remains there during the time of his probation or warfare, even if, while he has thus “a name that he liveth,” he is dead in sin: but if he die the second death it will be blotted out: if he overcome, it will remain for ever. See Revelation 20:12; Revelation 20:15.

ὁμολογήσω τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ ἐνώπιον τοῦ πατρός μου καὶ ἐνώπιον τῶν�. Cf. Matthew 10:32 ὁμολογήσω κἀγὼ έν αὐτῷ ἔμπροσθεν τοῦ πατρός μου τοῦ έν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς: and Luke 12:8 ὁμολογήσει ἐν αὐτῷ ἔμπροσθεν τῶν� … ἀπαρνηθήσεται ἐνώπιον τῶν�. Thus our passage combines elements found in Matt. only (ὁμολογήσω, τοῦ πατρός μου) with elements found in Luc. only (ἐνώπιον, τῶν�). For the negative side of the saying we may also compare Mark 8:38; Luke 9:26.

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Cambridge Greek Testament Commentary

Revelation 3:5

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