3163.—"Wash Their Robes;" "Do His Commandments"
By Editor
Please harmonize the King James and A.R.V. of Rev. 22:14. Why does one say "do His commandments," and the other "wash their robes"? Which is correct? This we do not know. The difference is the difference between Greek copies. Some of the very earliest Greek copies have "wash their robes." The difference in the original is between poiountes tas entolas autou, and plunontes tas stolas auton. The first quoted is "do His commandments;" the last, "wash their robes." Our questioner can see that one might be quite easily mistaken for the other. Evidently in the early copying sometime, somewhere, a change was made, and that mistake was perpetuated. There can be no fault found with the truth of either, for we have only to turn back to the seventh chapter and find the great redeemed company characterized as among those who "come out of the great tribulation, and they washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore are they before the throne of God: and they serve Him day and night in His temple." Once again John refers to that same company: "Blessed are they that wash their robes, that they may have the authority over the Tree of Life, and may enter in by the gates into the city." But those whose robes are washed from sin, do not commit sin. "Sin is the transgression of the law;" therefore those who do not commit sin, keep the commandments of God; and so on the other hand we have the remnant church characterized by the expression, "Here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus." Rev. 14:12. The correct reading is probably "wash their robes;" but the meaning of both when carried to the ultimate is the same.