The Fallible Study Bible

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Matthew25:1–13

The Parable of the Ten Virgins

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Matthew 25:1–13 — The Parable of the Ten Virgins. Each verse below carries the full apparatus: the Berean Standard Bible, the vocalized original (tap any word), and a parsed breakdown of every term transcribed from the interlinear. Synthesized commentary, canonical threads, and the reading of Christ gather at the end, over the whole unit.

1

“At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Greek — tap a word ↓

Tote hē basileia tōn ouranōn homoiōthēsetai deka parthenois haitines labousai heautōn tas lampadas exēlthon eis hypantēsin tou nymphiou

Word by word18 · parsed
ΤότεToteAt that timeG5119
√ τότε — the when, iAdverb
tote: at that time The hinge back to Matthew 24, not a new subject. Benson reads it of the Lord coming to execute judgment on the Jewish nation or to judge mankind in general; Gill argues at length that the parable must be referred to the second coming, since the lukewarm and sleeping church it describes did not match the state of the Christian church before 70 AD.
ἡhētheG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleNominative Feminine Singular
βασιλείαbasileiakingdomG932
√ βασιλεία — properly, royalty, iNounNominative Feminine Singular
τῶνtōnofG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleGenitive Masculine Plural
οὐρανῶνouranōnheavenG3772
√ οὐρανός — the skyNounGenitive Masculine Plural
ὁμοιωθήσεταιhomoiōthēsetaiwill be likeG3666
√ ὁμοιόω — to assimilate, iVerbFuture Indicative Passive3rd Person Singular
homoioō: to assimilate, to make like (Future Passive) A future passive of comparison: the kingdom will be likened, and the likeness is the parable itself. The passive keeps the initiative with the speaker, which is why Barnes insists that the circumstances of a parable are not to be pressed literally and that the scope is fixed by v. 13.
δέκαdekatenG1176
√ δέκα — tenAdjectiveDative Feminine Plural
παρθένοιςparthenoisvirginsG3933
√ παρθένος — a maidenNounDative Feminine Plural
parthenos: a maiden Dative plural of comparison, ten of them. Barnes takes the virgins for the church, a name given it because it is pure and holy, citing 2 Corinthians 11:2. Ellicott and JFB both insist the bride is the Church in her collective unity and is deliberately left out of the imagery, the virgins standing instead for the contrasted characters of the members; Cambridge adds that the nearer parallel is the children of the bridechamber of Matthew 9:15, since here the maidens, not the bride, are the expectant Church.
αἵτινεςhaitineswhoG3748
√ ὅστις — which some, iPersonal / Relative PronounNominative Feminine Plural
λαβοῦσαιlabousaitookG2983
√ λαμβάνω — while G138 (αἱρέομαι) is more violent, to seize or remove))VerbAorist Participle ActiveNominative Feminine Plural
ἑαυτῶνheautōntheirG1438
√ ἑαυτοῦ — him- (her-, it-, them-, also (in conjunction with the personal pronoun of the other persons) my-, thy-, our-, your-) self (selves), etcReflexive PronounGenitive Feminine 3rd Person Plural
heautou: himself, herself, themselves Reflexive: their own. Light in itself, load-bearing by v. 9.
τὰςtasG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleAccusative Feminine Plural
λαμπάδαςlampadaslampsG2985
√ λαμπάς — a "lamp" or flambeauNounAccusative Feminine Plural
lampas: a lamp or flambeau A rare noun (the Verifier finds the lexeme in nine verses of the Greek New Testament, among them John 18:3, Acts 20:8, Revelation 4:5 and Revelation 8:10). Every occurrence is a fire carried or set in the open, which is why the reserve of oil is not a decorative detail: a torch in the night is a thing that goes out.
ἐξῆλθονexēlthon[and] went outG1831
√ ἐξέρχομαι — to issue (literally or figuratively)VerbAorist Indicative Active3rd Person Plural
εἰςeistoG1519
√ εἰς — to or into (indicating the point reached or entered), of place, time, or (figuratively) purpose (result, etcPreposition
ὑπάντησινhypantēsinmeetG5222
√ ὑπάντησις — an encounter or concurrence (with G1519 (εἰς) for infinitive, in order to fall in with)NounAccusative Feminine Singular
hypantēsis: an encounter, a falling-in-with A noun of three verses only, governed by eis: they went out into the encounter. Matthew will use the twin noun apantēsis (G529) at v. 6. The idiom is one of interception, going out to a person who is already on the road.
τοῦtoutheG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleGenitive Masculine Singular
νυμφίουnymphioubridegroomG3566
√ νυμφίος — a bride-groom (literally or figuratively)NounGenitive Masculine Singular
nymphios: a bridegroom The title Jesus had already taken for himself in Matthew 9:15 (Verifier: shared lexeme G3566, present in twelve verses). Pulpit states the mystical reading plainly: Christ is the Bridegroom who celebrates his nuptials with his bride the Church. In the parable itself he is offstage, and late.
2

Five of them were foolish, and five were wise.

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Greek — tap a word ↓

de pente ex autōn ēsan mōrai kai pente phronimoi

Word by word9 · parsed
δὲdeG1161
√ δέ — but, and, etcConjunction
πέντεpenteFiveG4002
√ πέντε — "five"AdjectiveNominative Feminine Plural
ἐξexofG1537
√ ἐκ — literal or figurativePreposition
αὐτῶνautōnthemG846
√ αὐτός — the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative G1438 (ἑαυτοῦ)) of the third person , and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other personsPersonal / Possessive PronounGenitive Feminine 3rd Person Plural
ἦσανēsanwereG1510
√ εἰμί — I exist (used only when emphatic)VerbImperfect Indicative Active3rd Person Plural
eimi: to be (Imperfect) A continuous past. The two classes did not become different at midnight; they were different while they waited.
μωραὶmōraifoolishG3474
√ μωρός — dull or stupid (as if shut up), iAdjectiveNominative Feminine Plural
mōros: dull, stupid, as if shut up Strong's root sense is bluntness, not wickedness. JFB presses this: they are not distinguished into good and bad but into wise and foolish, because in both cases a certain degree of goodwill towards the truth is assumed. Nothing in the word itself accuses them of hypocrisy; the parable accuses them only of going out with no reserve.
καὶkaiandG2532
√ καί — and, also, even, so then, too, etcConjunction
πέντεpentefive [were]G4002
√ πέντε — "five"AdjectiveNominative Feminine Plural
pente: five Pulpit records that the best uncials invert the two clauses so that the foolish are named first, as in vv. 3 and 4. Barnes warns against making anything of the equal halves: there is no authority for saying that he meant to teach that just half of professing Christians would be deceived.
φρόνιμοιphronimoiwiseG5429
√ φρόνιμος — thoughtful, iAdjectiveNominative Feminine Plural
phronimos: thoughtful, prudent The steward's word from Matthew 24:45, and the builder's word from Matthew 7:24 (Verifier: shared lexeme G5429, present in fourteen verses). Prudence here is entirely forward looking: it consists in provisioning for a delay that has not yet happened.
3

The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take along any extra oil.

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Greek — tap a word ↓

gar hai mōrai labousai autōn tas lampadas elabon meth’ heautōn ouk elaion

Word by word12 · parsed
γὰρgarG1063
√ γάρ — properly, assigning a reason (used in argument, explanation or intensificationConjunction
gar: for, assigning a reason Several good manuscripts open the verse with this for, which, as Pulpit notes, turns the verse into the justification of the two epithets just given.
αἱhaiTheG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleNominative Feminine Plural
μωραὶmōraifoolish [ones]G3474
√ μωρός — dull or stupid (as if shut up), iAdjectiveNominative Feminine Plural
λαβοῦσαιlabousaitookG2983
√ λαμβάνω — while G138 (αἱρέομαι) is more violent, to seize or remove))VerbAorist Participle ActiveNominative Feminine Plural
lambanō: to take, to receive Aorist participle: the taking of the torch is the first act of the story, common to all ten.
αὐτῶνautōntheirG846
√ αὐτός — the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative G1438 (ἑαυτοῦ)) of the third person , and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other personsPersonal / Possessive PronounGenitive Feminine 3rd Person Plural
τὰςtasG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleAccusative Feminine Plural
λαμπάδαςlampadaslampsG2985
√ λαμπάς — a "lamp" or flambeauNounAccusative Feminine Plural
ἔλαβονelabon[but did not] take alongG2983
√ λαμβάνω — while G138 (αἱρέομαι) is more violent, to seize or remove))VerbAorist Indicative Active3rd Person Plural
lambanō: to take, to receive The same verb as the participle four words earlier, now finite and negated. Their folly is defined by a missing repetition of an act they had already performed once.
μεθ’meth’. . .G3326
√ μετά — properly, denoting accompanimentPreposition
ἑαυτῶνheautōn. . .G1438
√ ἑαυτοῦ — him- (her-, it-, them-, also (in conjunction with the personal pronoun of the other persons) my-, thy-, our-, your-) self (selves), etcReflexive PronounGenitive Feminine 3rd Person Plural
οὐκouk[any extra]G3756
√ οὐ — the absolute negative (compare G3361 (μή)) adverbAdverb
ou: the absolute negative The flat objective negative, not the subjective mē. Matthew does not say they thought they had enough; he says they did not take it.
ἔλαιονelaionoilG1637
√ ἔλαιον — olive oilNounAccusative Neuter Singular
elaion: olive oil The interpretive crux of the parable. Ellicott, Pulpit, JFB and Gill all take the oil for the grace or the gift of the Holy Spirit, JFB pointing to the anointing oil of Exodus 30:23 to 25, the oil of gladness of Psalm 45:7, and the golden oil of Zechariah 4; Pulpit records and rejects the older reading, time honoured though it is, which made the lamps faith and the oil good works. Gill keeps closest to the lamp oil of the sanctuary: pure beaten olive oil, which was for light, to cause the lamp to burn always.
4

But the wise ones took oil in flasks along with their lamps.

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Greek — tap a word ↓

de hai phronimoi elabon elaion en tois angeiois meta heautōn tōn lampadōn

Word by word12 · parsed
δὲdeButG1161
√ δέ — but, and, etcConjunction
αἱhaitheG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleNominative Feminine Plural
φρόνιμοιphronimoiwise [ones]G5429
√ φρόνιμος — thoughtful, iAdjectiveNominative Feminine Plural
phronimos: thoughtful, prudent Their prudence is exhausted by the next four words. The parable defines wisdom as one thing only: taking what a delay would require.
ἔλαβονelabontookG2983
√ λαμβάνω — while G138 (αἱρέομαι) is more violent, to seize or remove))VerbAorist Indicative Active3rd Person Plural
ἔλαιονelaionoilG1637
√ ἔλαιον — olive oilNounAccusative Neuter Singular
elaion: olive oil Anarthrous again, and the whole difference between the two companies. Gill locates it precisely: the oil of grace is an internal thing, nothing in the head, in the tongue, or in the hand, but something in the heart.
ἐνeninG1722
√ ἐν — "in," at, (up-)on, by, etcPreposition
τοῖςtoisG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleDative Neuter Plural
ἀγγείοιςangeioisflasksG30
√ ἀγγεῖον — compare the base of G43 (ἀγκάλη))NounDative Neuter Plural
angeion: a vessel Present in only two verses of the Greek New Testament, here and Matthew 13:48. In both, the vessel is what separates those kept from those lost at the end of an age, which makes this one of the tightest verbal links in the unit.
μετὰmetaalong withG3326
√ μετά — properly, denoting accompanimentPreposition
ἑαυτῶνheautōntheirG1438
√ ἑαυτοῦ — him- (her-, it-, them-, also (in conjunction with the personal pronoun of the other persons) my-, thy-, our-, your-) self (selves), etcReflexive PronounGenitive Feminine 3rd Person Plural
heautou: themselves, their own Reflexive once more. Every clause of this parable is possessive about equipment.
τῶνtōnG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleGenitive Feminine Plural
λαμπάδωνlampadōnlampsG2985
√ λαμπάς — a "lamp" or flambeauNounGenitive Feminine Plural
5

When the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep.

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Greek — tap a word ↓

de tou nymphiou chronizontos pasai enystaxan kai ekatheudon

Word by word8 · parsed
δὲde[When]G1161
√ δέ — but, and, etcConjunction
τοῦtoutheG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleGenitive Masculine Singular
νυμφίουnymphioubridegroomG3566
√ νυμφίος — a bride-groom (literally or figuratively)NounGenitive Masculine Singular
χρονίζοντοςchronizontoswas delayedG5549
√ χρονίζω — to take time, iVerbPresent Participle ActiveGenitive Masculine Singular
chronizō: to take time, to linger A genitive absolute setting the whole scene: while the bridegroom was taking his time. This is the single fact that makes provisioning wise, and it is a fact about him, not about them.
πᾶσαιpasaivvvG3956
√ πᾶς — all, any, every, the wholeAdjectiveNominative Feminine Plural
pas: all, every Emphatic. The parable will not let the wise be the ones who stayed awake; whatever distinguishes them, it is not vigilance in this hour.
ἐνύσταξανenystaxanthey all became drowsyG3573
√ νυστάζω — to nod, iVerbAorist Indicative Active3rd Person Plural
nystazō: to nod, to be drowsy Present in only two verses of the Greek New Testament. The other is 2 Peter 2:3, where the destruction of false teachers does not nystazei. The same rare verb that describes the virgins describes the one thing that never does it.
καὶkaiandG2532
√ καί — and, also, even, so then, too, etcConjunction
ἐκάθευδονekatheudonfell asleepG2518
√ καθεύδω — to lie down to rest, iVerbImperfect Indicative Active3rd Person Plural
katheudō: to lie down to rest, to sleep Imperfect: a settled sleep, not a lapse. Cambridge reads it as the ignorance of the time of Christ's coming rather than as a fault; Pulpit notes that the Fathers took the sleep for death and the waking for the resurrection, but objects that this would require all the faithful to be dead when the Lord comes, against 1 Thessalonians 4:17. Benson holds the death reading as the primary sense. ⚙ The text itself says only that a delay puts everyone to sleep and settles nothing about what the sleep means.
6

At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Greek — tap a word ↓

de Mesēs nyktos kraugē gegonen Idou ho nymphios exerchesthe eis apantēsin autou

Word by word12 · parsed
δὲdeG1161
√ δέ — but, and, etcConjunction
ΜέσηςMesēsAt midnightG3319
√ μέσος — middle (as an adjective or (neuter) noun)AdjectiveGenitive Feminine Singular
mesos: middle With nyktos, night, in the genitive: at the middle of the night. Ellicott: the hour was obviously later than the virgins had expected. JFB makes it the time when the Bridegroom will be least expected, since the day of the Lord comes as a thief in the night.
νυκτὸςnyktos. . .G3571
√ νύξ — "night" (literally or figuratively)NounGenitive Feminine Singular
κραυγὴkraugēthe cryG2906
√ κραυγή — an outcry (in notification, tumult or grief)NounNominative Feminine Singular
kraugē: an outcry A shout of alarm, not an announcement read out. Whoever raises it, Ellicott ascribes it to the companions of the bridegroom or the crowd with them, and Pulpit allows either the watchers or the advancing company. Neither the wise nor the foolish generate it: the summons comes from outside the sleeping house.
γέγονενgegonenrang outG1096
√ γίνομαι — to cause to be ("gen"-erate), iVerbPerfect Indicative Active3rd Person Singular
ginomai: to come to be Perfect Indicative inside past narration. The tense holds the cry open, as though it has not stopped sounding, and this is the verse on which the whole unit pivots from waiting to accounting.
ἸδοὺIdouHere isG2400
√ ἰδού — used as imperative lo!VerbAorist Imperative Active2nd Person Singular
ὁhotheG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleNominative Masculine Singular
νυμφίοςnymphiosbridegroomG3566
√ νυμφίος — a bride-groom (literally or figuratively)NounNominative Masculine Singular
ἐξέρχεσθεexerchestheCome outG1831
√ ἐξέρχομαι — to issue (literally or figuratively)VerbPresent Imperative Middle or Passive2nd Person Plural
exerchomai: to issue, to go out Present Imperative, second person plural: keep coming out. The same verb that described the first going out in v. 1 now becomes a command, and it is addressed to all ten.
εἰςeistoG1519
√ εἰς — to or into (indicating the point reached or entered), of place, time, or (figuratively) purpose (result, etcPreposition
ἀπάντησινapantēsinmeetG529
√ ἀπάντησις — a (friendly) encounterNounAccusative Feminine Singular
apantēsis: a friendly encounter The twin of hypantēsis in v. 1, and the noun of 1 Thessalonians 4:17. Both are nouns of interception: the company goes out to a person already on the road, and returns with him.
αὐτοῦautouhimG846
√ αὐτός — the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative G1438 (ἑαυτοῦ)) of the third person , and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other personsPersonal / Possessive PronounGenitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular
7

Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps.

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Greek — tap a word ↓

Tote pasai ekeinai hai parthenoi ēgerthēsan kai ekosmēsan heautōn tas lampadas

Word by word11 · parsed
ΤότεToteThenG5119
√ τότε — the when, iAdverb
πᾶσαιpasaiallG3956
√ πᾶς — all, any, every, the wholeAdjectiveNominative Feminine Plural
ἐκεῖναιekeinaiG1565
√ ἐκεῖνος — that one (or (neuter) thing)Demonstrative PronounNominative Feminine Plural
αἱhaitheG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleNominative Feminine Plural
παρθένοιparthenoivirginsG3933
√ παρθένος — a maidenNounNominative Feminine Plural
ἠγέρθησανēgerthēsanwoke upG1453
√ ἐγείρω — to waken (transitively or intransitively), iVerbAorist Indicative Passive3rd Person Plural
egeirō: to waken, to raise (Aorist Passive) The verb of Matthew's resurrection accounts, in the passive. Read as narrative it is simply being startled awake by a shout; read as figure it is the word the Fathers seized on, and Pulpit records their reading of the sleep as death and this waking as the resurrection. ⚙ The passive voice is the only warrant the figure has in this verse, and it is a slim one.
καὶkaiandG2532
√ καί — and, also, even, so then, too, etcConjunction
ἐκόσμησανekosmēsantrimmedG2885
√ κοσμέω — to put in proper order, iVerbAorist Indicative Active3rd Person Plural
kosmeō: to put in proper order, to adorn Not to refill but to set right: clear the charred wick, raise it, make the flame decent. Pulpit describes the pointed wire on its chain. This is the verse where the two companies are still doing the identical thing, and it is also where the difference becomes visible, since the same act consumes what one has and reveals what the other lacks.
ἑαυτῶνheautōntheirG1438
√ ἑαυτοῦ — him- (her-, it-, them-, also (in conjunction with the personal pronoun of the other persons) my-, thy-, our-, your-) self (selves), etcReflexive PronounGenitive Feminine 3rd Person Plural
heautou: their own Reflexive for the third time in the unit. Every torch in the story belongs to somebody.
τὰςtasG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleAccusative Feminine Plural
λαμπάδαςlampadaslampsG2985
√ λαμπάς — a "lamp" or flambeauNounAccusative Feminine Plural
8

The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Greek — tap a word ↓

de hai mōrai eipan tais phronimois Dote hēmin ek hymōn tou elaiou hoti hēmōn hai lampades sbennyntai

Word by word17 · parsed
δὲdeG1161
√ δέ — but, and, etcConjunction
αἱhaiTheG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleNominative Feminine Plural
μωραὶmōraifoolish onesG3474
√ μωρός — dull or stupid (as if shut up), iAdjectiveNominative Feminine Plural
mōros: dull, stupid They are still called the dull ones at the moment of their sharpest insight. Gill presses the paradox: a graceless person may be able to see the grace of God in others, be convinced of it, and acknowledge it.
εἶπανeipansaidG2036
√ ἔπω — to speak or say (by word or writing)VerbAorist Indicative Active3rd Person Plural
ταῖςtaisto theG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleDative Feminine Plural
φρονίμοιςphronimoiswiseG5429
√ φρόνιμος — thoughtful, iAdjectiveDative Feminine Plural
ΔότεDoteGiveG1325
√ δίδωμι — to give (used in a very wide application, properly, or by implication, literally or figurativelyVerbAorist Imperative Active2nd Person Plural
didōmi: to give Aorist Imperative, plural, addressed not to the bridegroom but to the other maidens. The one request in this parable that is made horizontally is the one request that is refused.
ἡμῖνhēminusG1473
√ ἐγώ — I, mePersonal / Possessive PronounDative 1st Person Plural
ἐκeksome ofG1537
√ ἐκ — literal or figurativePreposition
ὑμῶνhymōnyourG4771
√ σύ — thouPersonal / Possessive PronounGenitive 2nd Person Plural
τοῦtouG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleGenitive Neuter Singular
ἐλαίουelaiouoilG1637
√ ἔλαιον — olive oilNounGenitive Neuter Singular
ὅτιhotiG3754
√ ὅτι — demonstrative, that (sometimes redundant)Conjunction
ἡμῶνhēmōnourG1473
√ ἐγώ — I, mePersonal / Possessive PronounGenitive 1st Person Plural
αἱhaiG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleNominative Feminine Plural
λαμπάδεςlampadeslampsG2985
√ λαμπάς — a "lamp" or flambeauNounNominative Feminine Plural
σβέννυνταιsbennyntaiare going outG4570
√ σβέννυμι — to extinguish (literally or figuratively)VerbPresent Indicative Middle or Passive3rd Person Plural
sbennymi: to extinguish, to quench Present, middle or passive: in the act of going out. The same verb Paul uses of quenching the Spirit in 1 Thessalonians 5:19 and of the shield that quenches the darts in Ephesians 6:16. Cambridge draws the consequence that even the foolish virgins had not been quite unwatchful, and JFB the harder one, that oil will not light an extinguished lamp, though it will keep a burning one from going out.
9

‘No,’ said the wise ones, ‘or there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Greek — tap a word ↓

ou de Apekrithēsan hai phronimoi legousai Mē¦Pote mē arkesē hēmin kai hymin mallon poreuesthe pros tous pōlountas kai agorasate heautais

Word by word20 · parsed
οὐouNoG3756
√ οὐ — the absolute negative (compare G3361 (μή)) adverbAdverb
δὲdeG1161
√ δέ — but, and, etcConjunction
ἈπεκρίθησανApekrithēsansaidG611
√ ἀποκρίνομαι — to conclude for oneself, iVerbAorist Indicative Passive3rd Person Plural
apokrinomai: to answer (Aorist Passive) Formally a passive, used as the ordinary verb of replying. Matthew adds the redundant participle legousai, saying, a Semitic doubling the English rightly drops.
αἱhaitheG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleNominative Feminine Plural
φρόνιμοιphronimoiwise [ones]G5429
√ φρόνιμος — thoughtful, iAdjectiveNominative Feminine Plural
λέγουσαιlegousai. . .G3004
√ λέγω — properly, to "lay" forth, iVerbPresent Participle ActiveNominative Feminine Plural
Μή¦ΠοτεMē¦PoteorG3379
√ μήποτε — not everAdverb
mēpote: not ever, lest ever With mē following, a piled up negation. There is no verb of refusing anywhere in the Greek: the wise never say no, they state a quantity.
μὴmēvvvG3361
√ μή — (adverb) not, (conjunction) lestAdverb
ἀρκέσῃarkesēthere may not be enoughG714
√ ἀρκέω — properly, to ward off, iVerbAorist Subjunctive Active3rd Person Singular
arkeō: to be enough, to suffice The theological centre of the verse, and it is an arithmetic word. Cambridge and Benson both record that this clause has been used against works of supererogation; Benson cites Doddridge to the effect that if the clause bore on that question at all, it would rather expose than encourage such a dependence. ⚙ The parable's own reason is narrower than either polemic: a reserve that is divided is no longer a reserve.
ἡμῖνhēminfor [both] usG1473
√ ἐγώ — I, mePersonal / Possessive PronounDative 1st Person Plural
καὶkaiandG2532
√ καί — and, also, even, so then, too, etcConjunction
ὑμῖνhyminyouG4771
√ σύ — thouPersonal / Possessive PronounDative 2nd Person Plural
μᾶλλονmallonInsteadG3123
√ μᾶλλον — (adverbially) more (in a greater degree)) or ratherAdverb
πορεύεσθεporeuesthegoG4198
√ πορεύομαι — to traverse, iVerbPresent Imperative Middle or Passive2nd Person Plural
πρὸςprostoG4314
√ πρός — a preposition of directionPreposition
τοὺςtousthose whoG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleAccusative Masculine Plural
πωλοῦνταςpōlountassell [oil]G4453
√ πωλέω — to barter (as a pedlar), iVerbPresent Participle ActiveAccusative Masculine Plural
pōleō: to barter, to sell Unspecified in the text, and disputed in the sources. Ellicott and Pulpit make the sellers the pastors and teachers of the Church, the stewards of the mysteries of God through whom God imparts what men need; Gill sends the buyers instead to the Father, the Son and the Spirit, who are said to sell only in the improper sense of giving freely; Pulpit notes that some ancient and modern commentators find here only an ornamental detail without special signification.
καὶkaiandG2532
√ καί — and, also, even, so then, too, etcConjunction
ἀγοράσατεagorasatebuy [some]G59
√ ἀγοράζω — properly, to go to market, iVerbAorist Imperative Active2nd Person Plural
agorazō: to go to market, to buy Aorist Imperative. Ellicott holds the paradox open by quoting the invitation of Isaiah 55:1 to buy without money and without price, and Proverbs 23:23, buy the truth, adding that the price God requires is the consecration of the heart.
ἑαυταῖςheautaisfor yourselvesG1438
√ ἑαυτοῦ — him- (her-, it-, them-, also (in conjunction with the personal pronoun of the other persons) my-, thy-, our-, your-) self (selves), etcReflexive PronounDative Feminine 3rd Person Plural
heautou: for yourselves The last word of the sentence and the point of it. Pulpit: every one must bear his own burden, the grace must be their own.
10

But while they were on their way to buy it, the bridegroom arrived. Those who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet, and the door was shut.

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Greek — tap a word ↓

de autōn Aperchomenōn agorasai ho nymphios ēlthen kai hai hetoimoi eisēlthon met’ autou eis tous gamous kai hē thyra ekleisthē

Word by word20 · parsed
δὲdeButG1161
√ δέ — but, and, etcConjunction
αὐτῶνautōn[while] theyG846
√ αὐτός — the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative G1438 (ἑαυτοῦ)) of the third person , and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other personsPersonal / Possessive PronounGenitive Feminine 3rd Person Plural
ἈπερχομένωνAperchomenōnwere on their wayG565
√ ἀπέρχομαι — to go off (iVerbPresent Participle Middle or PassiveGenitive Feminine Plural
aperchomai: to go off, to depart Genitive absolute. Ellicott's comment turns on the tense: the words imply that had they gone earlier, as the wise virgins by hypothesis had done, all would have been well. The mistake lay in not having gone before.
ἀγοράσαιagorasaito buy [it]G59
√ ἀγοράζω — properly, to go to market, iVerbAorist Infinitive Active
ὁhotheG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleNominative Masculine Singular
νυμφίοςnymphiosbridegroomG3566
√ νυμφίος — a bride-groom (literally or figuratively)NounNominative Masculine Singular
ἦλθενēlthenarrivedG2064
√ ἔρχομαι — to come or go (in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively)VerbAorist Indicative Active3rd Person Singular
erchomai: to come Aorist: one completed arrival. Everything in the parable before this verse is preparation, and everything after it is consequence.
καὶkaiG2532
√ καί — and, also, even, so then, too, etcConjunction
αἱhaiThose whoG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleNominative Feminine Plural
ἕτοιμοιhetoimoiwere readyG2092
√ ἕτοιμος — adjusted, iAdjectiveNominative Feminine Plural
hetoimos: adjusted, ready An adjective of state. Gill unpacks it at length and negatively first: not ready by a mere profession of religion, or submission to ordinances, or an external righteousness, or negative holiness. Barnes lists the positive marks and appeals to 2 Peter 3:11 to 12 and 2 Timothy 4:6 to 8. ⚙ Within the parable itself, readiness means exactly one thing, that the flask was filled before the shout.
εἰσῆλθονeisēlthonwent inG1525
√ εἰσέρχομαι — to enter (literally or figuratively)VerbAorist Indicative Active3rd Person Plural
μετ’met’withG3326
√ μετά — properly, denoting accompanimentPreposition
αὐτοῦautouhimG846
√ αὐτός — the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative G1438 (ἑαυτοῦ)) of the third person , and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other personsPersonal / Possessive PronounGenitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular
εἰςeistoG1519
√ εἰς — to or into (indicating the point reached or entered), of place, time, or (figuratively) purpose (result, etcPreposition
τοὺςtoustheG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleAccusative Masculine Plural
γάμουςgamouswedding banquetG1062
√ γάμος — nuptialsNounAccusative Masculine Plural
gamos: nuptials Plural: the wedding festivities. Cambridge notes that the happiness of the blest is often described by the image of a great supper, and Pulpit cites Revelation 19:9.
καὶkaiandG2532
√ καί — and, also, even, so then, too, etcConjunction
ἡhētheG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleNominative Feminine Singular
θύραthyradoorG2374
√ θύρα — a portal or entrance (the opening or the closure, literally or figuratively)NounNominative Feminine Singular
ἐκλείσθηekleisthēwas shutG2808
√ κλείω — to close (literally or figuratively)VerbAorist Indicative Passive3rd Person Singular
kleiō: to close, to shut Aorist Passive with no agent named, which is why this clause has always been read as an act of God: compare Genesis 7:16, where the LORD shuts Noah in, and Luke 13:25, where the householder rises and shuts the door. Barnes takes it as the end of all further admission and the close of preparation; Benson says flatly that this is always shut at death.
11

Later the other virgins arrived and said, ‘Lord, lord, open the door for us!’

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Greek — tap a word ↓

Hysteron de hai loipai parthenoi erchontai kai legousai Kyrie kyrie anoixon hēmin

Word by word12 · parsed
ὝστερονHysteronLaterG5305
√ ὕστερον — more lately, iAdverb
hysteron: more lately, afterward The adverb that judges them. Ellicott had already fixed the point at v. 10: it is too late, at the moment of the crisis, to have recourse to the ordinary means of grace for the formation of character.
δὲdevvvG1161
√ δέ — but, and, etcConjunction
αἱhaitheG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleNominative Feminine Plural
λοιπαὶloipaiotherG3062
√ λοιποί — remaining onesAdjectiveNominative Feminine Plural
loipoi: the remaining ones A remainder word. The division has already happened at the door; this verse only names the leftover half.
παρθένοιparthenoivirginsG3933
√ παρθένος — a maidenNounNominative Feminine Plural
ἔρχονταιerchontaiarrivedG2064
√ ἔρχομαι — to come or go (in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively)VerbPresent Indicative Middle or Passive3rd Person Plural
καὶkaiandG2532
√ καί — and, also, even, so then, too, etcConjunction
λέγουσαιlegousaisaidG3004
√ λέγω — properly, to "lay" forth, iVerbPresent Participle ActiveNominative Feminine Plural
ΚύριεKyrieLordG2962
√ κύριος — supreme in authority, iNounVocative Masculine Singular
kyrios: supreme in authority, lord Vocative, doubled. Within the story it is the ordinary address to the master of the house; within Matthew it is the formula of Matthew 7:22, and both Cambridge and JFB send the reader there. Gill lists the pleas such petitioners make in Matthew 7, prophesying, casting out devils, mighty works, and calls them all vain.
κύριεkyrielordG2962
√ κύριος — supreme in authority, iNounVocative Masculine Singular
ἄνοιξονanoixonopen [the door]G455
√ ἀνοίγω — to open up (literally or figuratively, in various applications)VerbAorist Imperative Active2nd Person Singular
anoigō: to open up Aorist Imperative, singular, and objectless. Pulpit sets the contrast with the present state of grace, where the word is knock and it shall be opened unto you; in the day of retribution the door is shut, and no knocking will unclose its barred portal.
ἡμῖνhēminfor usG1473
√ ἐγώ — I, mePersonal / Possessive PronounDative 1st Person Plural
12

But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I do not know you.’

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Greek — tap a word ↓

de Ho apokritheis eipen Amēn legō hymin ouk oida hymas

Word by word10 · parsed
δὲdeButG1161
√ δέ — but, and, etcConjunction
ὉHoG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleNominative Masculine Singular
ἀποκριθεὶςapokritheishe repliedG611
√ ἀποκρίνομαι — to conclude for oneself, iVerbAorist Participle PassiveNominative Masculine Singular
apokrinomai: to answer (Aorist Passive Participle) The formulaic Semitic doubling, he answering said. It gives the verdict the weight of a formal reply from inside a closed house.
εἶπενeipen. . .G2036
√ ἔπω — to speak or say (by word or writing)VerbAorist Indicative Active3rd Person Singular
ἈμὴνAmēnTrulyG281
√ ἀμήν — properly, firm, iHebrew Word
amēn: firm, so be it A Hebrew word carried untranslated into the Greek and marked as such in the interlinear. In Matthew it introduces the sayings of Jesus that admit no appeal.
λέγωlegōI tellG3004
√ λέγω — properly, to "lay" forth, iVerbPresent Indicative Active1st Person Singular
ὑμῖνhyminyouG4771
√ σύ — thouPersonal / Possessive PronounDative 2nd Person Plural
οὐκoukvvvG3756
√ οὐ — the absolute negative (compare G3361 (μή)) adverbAdverb
οἶδαoidaI do not knowG1492
√ εἴδω — used only in certain past tenses, the others being borrowed from the equivalent G3700 (ὀπτάνομαι) and G3708 (ὁράω)VerbPerfect Indicative Active1st Person Singular
eidō: to know, to have come to know (Perfect) The whole verdict rests in one perfect tense. No sin is named, no accusation is laid: what is denied is acquaintance. Ellicott reads it with 2 Timothy 2:19 and 1 Corinthians 13:12, Barnes with Psalm 1:6 and Matthew 7:23, Pulpit with John 10:14, Genesis 18:19, Exodus 33:12 and Galatians 4:9, that to be known of God is a higher blessing than to know God. JFB refuses to grade this sentence as milder than the I never knew you of Matthew 7:23; Pulpit answers that the terrible addition depart from me is absent here and that there may be gradation of pains. ⚙ We record both and choose neither.
ὑμᾶςhymasyouG4771
√ σύ — thouPersonal / Possessive PronounAccusative 2nd Person Plural
sy: thou, you Accusative plural, in the emphatic last position of the sentence.
13

Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Greek — tap a word ↓

oun Grēgoreite hoti ouk oidate tēn hēmeran oude tēn hōran

Word by word10 · parsed
οὖνounThereforeG3767
√ οὖν — (adverbially) certainly, or (conjunctionally) accordinglyConjunction
oun: therefore, accordingly The inferential particle that makes this verse the key to the parable rather than an addition to it. Poole builds his whole method on it, that the scope and main end of a parable is the first thing to attend to, and Cambridge calls this verse our Lord's own explanation.
ΓρηγορεῖτεGrēgoreitekeep watchG1127
√ γρηγορεύω — to keep awake, iVerbPresent Imperative Active2nd Person Plural
grēgoreuō: to keep awake, to watch Present Imperative, second person plural, addressed to the hearers and not to the characters. Gill fills it out as watchfulness in ordinances, over the heart, over words and life, and against sin and unbelief and false teaching. Poole gathers what the same command had already meant earlier in this discourse: not having the heart overcharged with the cares of this life (Luke 21:34, 36), not smiting one's fellow servants (Matthew 24:45, 49), being ready (Matthew 24:44), and praying (Luke 21:36); Pulpit adds Luke 12:35 and the apostolic repetition at 1 Thessalonians 5:2 and 6. ⚙ The grammar itself says only this: the command is continuous, it is plural, and the reason given for it in the next clause is not danger but ignorance.
ὅτιhotibecauseG3754
√ ὅτι — demonstrative, that (sometimes redundant)Conjunction
οὐκoukvvvG3756
√ οὐ — the absolute negative (compare G3361 (μή)) adverbAdverb
οἴδατεoidateyou do not knowG1492
√ εἴδω — used only in certain past tenses, the others being borrowed from the equivalent G3700 (ὀπτάνομαι) and G3708 (ὁράω)VerbPerfect Indicative Active2nd Person Plural
eidō: to know (Perfect) The hinge word of the whole unit, used of the bridegroom in v. 12 and of the disciples here. The ground of the command is an ignorance that cannot be removed, which is why the parable answers it with a reserve of oil rather than with a calculation.
τὴνtēntheG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleAccusative Feminine Singular
ἡμέρανhēmerandayG2250
√ ἡμέρα — day, iNounAccusative Feminine Singular
hēmera: day Paired with hōra, the hour. Benson turns the pair into pastoral warning, that the midnight cry shows not only that the day of judgment will take place when by the generality it is not looked for, but how suddenly and unexpectedly some are called away by death.
οὐδὲoude[or]G3761
√ οὐδέ — not however, iConjunction
τὴνtēntheG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleAccusative Feminine Singular
ὥρανhōranhourG5610
√ ὥρα — an "hour" (literally or figuratively)NounAccusative Feminine Singular
hōra: an hour The narrower of the two terms, closing the last loophole. Pulpit quotes Tertullian on the effect of this ignorance, that the anxiety of faith is proved by a suspended expectation, watching every day because it never knows the day, fearing daily what it daily hopes for.

The verse-by-verse work is done. What follows gathers the whole unit. All three layers below are machine-generated (⚙). Weigh them; they have no authority.

⚙

Grand Commentary — the unit, read whole

synthesis · verify

AI synthesis — woven from the public-domain voices above and the original text; generated and fallible.

i. Torches, and what is not in them — 25:1 to 25:4

The unit opens with a passive and a future: ὁμοιωθήσεται, the kingdom of the heavens will be made like ten maidens. Cambridge takes that future strictly, of the condition of the Church at the End of the World. What they carry is not the household lamp but the λαμπάς, and Ellicott insists on the rendering torches, as the same word is rendered in John 18:3, describing them as tow steeped in oil fastened to the end of sticks; Pulpit, following Edersheim, prefers hollow oil saucers on poles and notes they were not torches. The Verifier finds the lexeme in only nine verses of the Greek New Testament, and in every one the fire is carried or set in the open. That single philological fact carries the parable: a torch in a procession is a thing that goes out. Ellicott, Pulpit, JFB and Gill agree that the oil is the grace or the gift of the Spirit, JFB reaching back to the anointing oil of Exodus 30 and the golden oil of Zechariah 4; Pulpit records the older reading, lamps for faith and oil for good works, and rejects it as unable to explain why a believer should fail at the last. The verbal contrast Matthew actually writes is smaller and harder than any of these readings: ἔλαβον in v. 3 negated, ἔλαβον in v. 4 affirmed, the same verb, one act, once taken and once not. And the vessel he names, ἀγγεῖον, occurs in only one other verse of the Greek New Testament, Matthew 13:48, where it holds what is kept when the net is sorted.

ii. The delay, the nodding, and the shout — 25:5 to 25:7

χρονίζοντος is active, not passive: the bridegroom was taking time. JFB sets the participle beside Matthew 24:48 and says that Christ tarries to try the faith and patience of his people; Gill guards the point that he tarries only against our expectation, never beyond the appointed time. Then πᾶσαι, all, nodded. Ellicott separates the two verbs cleanly, the first the nodding that indicates the first approach of drowsiness, the second the continuous sleeping, and the rare ἐνύσταξαν (the Verifier finds the lexeme in two verses only) carries an irony the commentators do not draw: the other verse is 2 Peter 2:3, where the judgment of false teachers does not nod. The commentators divide sharply on the sleep. Cambridge denies it is guilty or imprudent at all and makes it the ignorance of the time; Benson reads it primarily of the sleep of death; Henry treats it as real decay, warning that one degree of carelessness makes way for another. The text settles none of this, and we decline to. What the text does is put the summons outside the house: κραυγὴ γέγονεν, a shout has come to be, a perfect tense inside past narration, and Pulpit is right that the suddenness of the event is indicated by the tense of the verb. All ten are raised (ἠγέρθησαν, passive, the resurrection verb) and all ten put their torches in order. JFB: how very long do both parties seem the same, almost to the moment of decision.

iii. The one thing that cannot be lent — 25:8 to 25:10

Ellicott is exact about v. 8: σβέννυνται is present, better as in the margin, are going out, and they were not quite extinguished, the flax was still smoking. Cambridge draws the consequence that even the foolish virgins had not been quite unwatchful, they were nearly ready for the Lord's appearing. The refusal in v. 9 has no not so in it: Benson points out that the Greek is only lest it should not be sufficient for us and you, and that they begin the sentence abruptly. Ellicott hears in that abruptness a tone of regretful tenderness rather than a refusal. Benson's gloss on the reason is the sharpest line in the unit: it is sure there is not, for no man has more holiness than is sufficient for himself. Cambridge and Benson both record that this clause has been used against works of supererogation, Benson citing Doddridge to say that if it bore on the question at all it would rather expose than encourage such a dependence. Who they that sell are is disputed: Ellicott and Pulpit make them the pastors and stewards of the mysteries of God who dispense the means of grace; Gill sends the buyers instead to the Father, the Son and the Spirit directly; JFB warns against straining the parable to teach that salvation can be got after it is required, and both he and Gill hold the buying to Isaiah 55:1, without money and without price. Then the door: ἐκλείσθη, a divine passive, and Pulpit, reporting Trench, gives Augustine's line on it, Non inimicus intrat, nec amicus exit. Gill notes, from the text itself, that the foolish never reach the seller: they went another way, and missed him.

iv. I do not know you, and therefore keep watching — 25:11 to 25:13

The doubled Κύριε κύριε is the formula of Matthew 7:22, and JFB marks the difference of tone: there an exclamation of surprise, here a piteous cry of urgency bordering on despair. Gill notices what the vocative does not say: they do not call him their Lord, for they had no interest in him, nor could they claim any. The answer is οὐκ οἶδα ὑμᾶς, a perfect with present force, I have not come to know you, and Ellicott, Barnes and Pulpit all set it beside Matthew 7:23 and against 2 Timothy 2:19, the Lord knows those who are his. How severe it is, the commentators dispute openly. JFB resists any attempt to soften I know you not here against I never knew you there, naming Olshausen, Stier and Alford as the softeners. Pulpit takes the other side and argues that there is no depart from me in this verse, that these five had received the grace of God and only failed at the last, and that there may be gradation of pains. ⚙ We record the dispute rather than resolve it; the verb itself claims only the absence of a relationship, and the shut door does the rest. Then v. 13 hands us the key, and Poole is right that the scope and main end of the parable is where interpretation has to start: Γρηγορεῖτε, present imperative, keep awake, because you do not know the day nor the hour. Pulpit and Gill both note that the closing clause naming the Son of man is absent from the earlier uncials and many versions, and Pulpit calls it an exegetical interpolation. The command that survives in every witness is the bare one: keep watching, because you do not know.

Read under Sola Scriptura — this tool’s own fallible reading (⚙)

⚙ Offered to be tested. The parable is usually read as a story about staying awake, and then v. 5 embarrasses the reading, because all ten sleep and the sleep is never blamed. Read instead from the vocabulary up, the parable is about what a person is carrying when a delay runs longer than expected. Three words carry it. χρονίζοντος: the bridegroom is not detained, he is taking time, and the taking of time is his, not a fault in the arrangement. ἀγγεῖον: the reserve is in a vessel of one's own, and the only other verse in the Greek New Testament with that word is Matthew 13:48, where a vessel is what holds what is kept when a net is finally sorted. σβέννυνται: present tense, going out, so the crisis is not that the foolish never burned but that burning is exactly what spends them. Put together, the parable says something narrower and more uncomfortable than watchfulness: whatever it is that keeps a profession alight is consumed by the waiting, must be held personally, and cannot be transferred at the door, not because the wise are ungenerous but because, as Benson says, no man has more holiness than is sufficient for himself. That is why v. 13 does not command wakefulness in place of sleep, which the parable has just shown to be universal, but Γρηγορεῖτε in a clause grounded on ignorance: keep watching because you do not know. Watchfulness here is provisioning for a length of time nobody can measure. The line set beside this reading is ours, a summary and not a verse of Scripture.

Oil is the one thing in this story that cannot be borrowed at the door.

⚙

Canonical Threads — out to the whole of Scripture

cross-refs · verify

AI-generated connections. Each carries a verification badge with a recorded basis; contested links are flagged.

The vessel that holds what the sorting keeps verbal / quotation: confirmed

The flask of v. 4, ἀγγείοις (angeiois, G30), is one of the rarest nouns in the unit. The Verifier finds the lexeme in only two verses of the Greek New Testament: here, and Matthew 13:48, where at the end of the age the good fish are gathered into vessels and the worthless thrown away. Both are Matthew, both are parables of an end, and in both the vessel is what marks the kept from the lost. No commentator in our brief draws the link; the basis is the word itself, and it is a verbal link, not a quotation.

Matthew 13:48

basis: Verifier: shared Greek lexeme G30 ἀγγεῖον (in 2 vv), which is the entire occurrence set of the word in the Greek New Testament. Rare lexeme, both refs in Matthew, Greek to Greek. No quotation is claimed: the link is the word.

They nodded, and the thing that never nods verbal / quotation: confirmed

ἐνύσταξαν (enystaxan, G3573 nystazō, to nod) is the verb of v. 5, and the Verifier finds the lexeme in only two verses of the Greek New Testament. The other is 2 Peter 2:3, where of false teachers it is said that their destruction does not slumber. The same rare verb describes the ten maidens and the one thing that never does it. Ellicott glosses the word here as the nodding which indicates the first approach of drowsiness; Peter uses it of a judgment that has no such approach.

2 Peter 2:3

basis: Verifier: shared Greek lexeme G3573 νυστάζω (in 2 vv), the entire occurrence set in the Greek New Testament. Rare lexeme, Greek to Greek. A verbal link with an antithetical sense, not a quotation.

Torches carried in the dark structural / thematic: confirmed

λαμπάς (G2985) is not the household lamp. The Verifier finds it in nine verses, and the company it keeps is striking: the torches of the detachment that arrests Jesus in John 18:3, the many lamps in the upper room at Troas in Acts 20:8, the seven torches burning before the throne in Revelation 4:5, the great star burning like a torch in Revelation 8:10. Ellicott appeals to John 18:3 explicitly to justify translating torches here. The shared lexeme is real and the motif of a fire carried in the dark is common to all of them, but none of these verses quotes or alludes to another, so we claim a pattern and not a quotation.

John 18:3 · Acts 20:8 · Revelation 4:5

basis: Verifier: shared Greek lexeme G2985 λαμπάς (in 9 vv), Greek to Greek. Downgraded from verbal despite the low frequency because no quotation, citation or allusion runs between these verses: the link is a shared rare word inside a shared motif of fire carried in darkness.

Prudent and dull: the pair Matthew keeps using structural / thematic: confirmed

The two adjectives of v. 2, φρόνιμοι (G5429) and μωραί (G3474), are a fixed Matthean pair. The Verifier confirms the shared lexeme G5429 with Matthew 7:24, where the man who builds on rock is phronimos, and Cambridge notes that the same word describes the faithful steward of Matthew 24:45 just before our parable. JFB draws on Matthew 7:25 to 27 for the same reason, adding that in both places a certain degree of goodwill towards the truth is assumed, so that the division is not into good and bad. Paul inverts the pair ironically at 1 Corinthians 4:10, where the apostles are the fools and the Corinthians the prudent ones (Verifier: shared G3474, in twelve verses).

Matthew 7:24 · Matthew 24:45 · 1 Corinthians 4:10

basis: Verifier: shared Greek lexemes G5429 φρόνιμος (in 14 vv) and G3474 μωρός (in 12 vv), Greek to Greek. Real verbal links, but the frequencies are ordinary and no quotation is involved, so the tier records a shared pattern of contrast rather than a citation.

The bridegroom taken away, and the bridegroom late structural / thematic: confirmed

νυμφίος (G3566) appears in twelve verses, and the Verifier links this unit to four of them. Three are the same saying in the three Synoptics (Matthew 9:15, Mark 2:20, Luke 5:35), where Jesus calls himself the bridegroom who will be taken away from the children of the bridechamber, and each of them shares with our verse the adverb tote as well. Cambridge appeals to exactly that passage, arguing that the thought of the children of the bridechamber is a nearer parallel here than the thought of Christ as the bridegroom of the Church, since in this parable the maidens and not the bride are the expectant Church. The fourth is John 2:9, the bridegroom of Cana. In Matthew 9 the bridegroom is taken away; here he comes back late and at midnight.

Matthew 9:15 · Mark 2:20 · Luke 5:35 · John 2:9

basis: Verifier: shared Greek lexemes G3566 νυμφίος (in 12 vv) and G5119 τότε (in 158 vv), Greek to Greek. Synoptic parallels of one saying plus one narrative use: a shared figure with a real lexical basis, not a quotation of this parable.

Going out to fall in with him on the road structural / thematic: confirmed

Matthew uses two nouns of interception in this unit, ὑπάντησιν in v. 1 (G5222, which the Verifier finds in three verses) and ἀπάντησιν in v. 6 (G529). The first occurs again at John 12:13, where the crowd goes out to meet Jesus entering Jerusalem, and at Matthew 8:34, where a whole town comes out to meet him and asks him to leave. The second is Paul's word at 1 Thessalonians 4:17 for meeting the Lord in the air, which Pulpit and Benson both bring into this parable along with the shout and the voice of the archangel of 1 Thessalonians 4:16. The going out in this unit is not travel to a destination but interception of a person already approaching.

John 12:13 · Matthew 8:34 · 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17

basis: Verifier: shared Greek lexeme G5222 ὑπάντησις (in 3 vv) for John 12:13 and Matthew 8:34, Greek to Greek. The 1 Thessalonians link rests on the cognate noun G529 ἀπάντησις in v. 6 and on the citation of 1 Thessalonians 4:16 to 17 by Pulpit and Benson, not on a Verifier lexeme pair, so no quotation is claimed.

The door that was shut from inside typological

ἐκλείσθη (v. 10, G2808, Aorist Passive) names no agent. Genesis 7:16 does: the LORD shut Noah in, and everything outside the ark stayed outside. Pulpit reaches instead for Luke 13:25, where the householder rises and shuts the door and the answer to those knocking is again that he does not know them; Barnes reads the shut door as the close of all further admission, and Pulpit, reporting Trench, gives Augustine's line, Non inimicus intrat, nec amicus exit. The figural reading of the ark door is ancient and widely held. ⚙ It is a figural reading, not a quotation: Matthew does not cite Genesis here, and no shared lexeme is possible across the languages.

Genesis 7:16 · Luke 13:25

basis: Cross Testament pair, Greek to Hebrew, so no shared Strong's number is possible and a verbal tier is excluded in principle. The link is figural: a door shut by God that divides those inside from those outside. The Luke 13:25 half is a genuine Greek to Greek parallel of shut door plus I do not know you, adduced by Pulpit; it is folded in here rather than tiered verbal because the Verifier returned no shared lexeme for it.

Oil brought so that the lamp may burn always typological

Exodus 27:20 to 21 and Leviticus 24:2 command that pure beaten olive oil be brought so that the lamp burns continually before the LORD, tended from evening to morning. Gill grounds his whole reading of the oil on exactly that legislation, citing the lamp oil of the tabernacle, which was oil olive, pure, beaten, and was for light, to cause the lamp to burn always, as well as the anointing oil of Exodus 30:23 and the oil vessels of Numbers 4:9. JFB adds Zechariah 4, where the bowl of golden oil is fed from two olive trees and the lesson is, not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit. The continual light of the sanctuary depended on oil being brought and kept; so does the light of this procession.

Exodus 27:20-21 · Leviticus 24:2 · Zechariah 4:1-14

basis: Cross Testament, Greek to Hebrew: no shared Strong's number is possible, so a verbal tier is excluded and no quotation is claimed. The basis is the shared institution of oil brought and reserved so that a light may burn continually, and the link is recorded in our sources: Gill cites Exodus 30:23 and Numbers 4:9 with the tabernacle lamp oil, JFB cites Exodus 30:23 to 25, Psalm 45:7 and Zechariah 4:1 to 14.

The bridegroom of Israel typological

The figure of God as the husband who comes for his people is Hebrew before it is a parable: your Maker is your husband (Isaiah 54:5), as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride (Isaiah 62:5), I will betroth you to me for ever (Hosea 2:19 to 20). Barnes reads Matthew's wedding imagery in this line, saying that the coming of Christ to receive his people to himself is often represented under the similitude of a marriage, the church being represented as his spouse or bride, and Pulpit states the same mystically. ⚙ The caution belongs in the badge: Matthew quotes none of these prophets here, and Ellicott, JFB and Cambridge all warn that in this parable the bride is absent and the maidens, not the bride, stand for the waiting Church, so the prophetic marriage figure has to be applied to this unit with that reservation stated.

Isaiah 54:5 · Isaiah 62:5 · Hosea 2:19-20

basis: Cross Testament, Greek to Hebrew: shared Strong's numbers are impossible and no quotation exists in the text, so a verbal tier is excluded. The basis is the prophetic figure of the divine bridegroom, widely held and recorded by Barnes and Pulpit, applied with the reservation that Ellicott, JFB and Cambridge all press: the bride does not appear in this parable at all.

Lord, lord, and the sentence of rejection structural / thematic: confirmed

Κύριε κύριε in v. 11 and οὐκ οἶδα ὑμᾶς in v. 12 reproduce, almost word for word, the exchange of Matthew 7:22 to 23, where those who say Lord, Lord are told I never knew you. Ellicott says the sentence of rejection is clothed in the same language; Cambridge simply cross references the passage; JFB resists reading the two forms as differing in severity, and names Olshausen, Stier and Alford as those who try. Pulpit, on the other side, notes that the terrible addition depart from me is missing here.

Matthew 7:22-23

basis: Greek to Greek, but the Verifier returned no computed lexeme pair for Matthew 7:22 to 23 (only Matthew 7:24, via G5429 φρόνιμος, in 14 vv), so we do not claim a verbal tier. The recorded basis is the parallel formula of address and rejection, adduced independently by Ellicott, Cambridge, JFB, Barnes and Pulpit.

⚙Christ in the Unittypology · verify

AI-generated reading; weigh it against the text.

The Bridegroom who is late, and comes ancient/widely-held

⚙ The parable gives the bridegroom the two properties that the apostolic preaching gives Christ: he is certainly coming, and he is not on our clock. χρονίζοντος is active, he takes time, and JFB reads it with Matthew 24:48 and with Acts 3:21, whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, adding that Christ tarries to try the faith and patience of his people. Barnes states the identification directly: the coming of Christ to receive his people to himself is often represented under the similitude of a marriage, the church being represented as his spouse or bride, and he cites Matthew 9:15, John 3:29, Revelation 19:7, Revelation 21:9 and Ephesians 5:25 to 32. Pulpit closes the unit the same way, mystically Christ is the Bridegroom who celebrates his nuptials with his bride the Church. Ellicott, JFB and Cambridge all insist on one reservation which we keep: in this parable the bride is not in the picture, and the maidens are the waiting members, not the Bride herself.

Matthew 9:15 · John 3:29 · Ephesians 5:25-32 · Revelation 19:7

The oil, and the One who was anointed without measure ancient/widely-held

⚙ If the oil is the Spirit, the parable is Christological before it is ethical, because the Spirit is given in the Anointed and from him. JFB makes the argument from the Hebrew Scriptures: the precious anointing oil of Exodus 30:23 to 25, the oil of gladness above his fellows with which Messiah was anointed in Psalm 45:7 and Hebrews 1:9, and the express word of John 3:34 that God gives not the Spirit by measure unto him, together with the bowl of golden oil fed from two olive trees in Zechariah 4. He then names what the reserve in the flask is: that supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ which, as it is the source of the new spiritual life at the first, is the secret of its enduring character. Gill reaches the same place by another road, saying that the grace comes from Christ, the true olive tree. ⚙ The step we add is only this: what cannot be lent between the maidens in v. 9 is precisely what is held without measure in v. 1, by the one they have gone out to meet.

Psalm 45:7 · Hebrews 1:9 · John 3:34 · Zechariah 4:1-14

I do not know you, and the Lord who knows his own ancient/widely-held

⚙ The verdict of v. 12 is not an accusation, it is a denial of acquaintance: οὐκ οἶδα ὑμᾶς, a perfect with present force. Ellicott sets it against 2 Timothy 2:19, the Lord knows those who are his, and makes their blessedness to know him even as they are known, from 1 Corinthians 13:12. Barnes gathers the idiom: the word know is often used in the sense of approving, loving, acknowledging as real friends and followers, citing Psalm 1:6 and 2 Timothy 2:19. Pulpit adds John 10:14, Genesis 18:19 and Exodus 33:12, and Galatians 4:9, that to be known of God is a higher blessing than to know God. So the parable's last word turns on a relationship the Judge either has or has not, which is the ground the New Testament always gives for final assurance. ⚙ How far the exclusion reaches is disputed in our own sources and we leave it disputed: JFB refuses to soften this sentence against Matthew 7:23, Pulpit notes that depart from me is absent here and allows gradation of penalties. We do not choose between them.

2 Timothy 2:19 · Matthew 7:23 · John 10:14

Apparatus & Provenance

The biblical text is the Berean Standard Bible (BSB), public domain (CC0). Hebrew/Greek text, transliteration, morphology and Strong’s are transcribed from the Berean interlinear (CC0) + Strong’s lexicons (PD); the literal renderings, divergence notes, word notes and all synthesis are this tool’s own work (⚙) — fallible; verify them.

Named voices, quoted verbatim from public-domain works:

  • Albert Barnes, Notes on the Bible (1834)
  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges, — (1880s)
  • Charles Ellicott, Commentary for English Readers (1878)
  • Geneva Study Bible, Marginal Notes (1599)
  • Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory (1871)
  • John Gill, Exposition of the Entire Bible (1746–63)
  • Joseph Benson, Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1810s)
  • Matthew Henry, Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible (1706)
  • Matthew Poole, Annotations upon the Holy Bible (1685)
  • The Pulpit Commentary, Spence & Exell, eds. (1880s)

Text. Four places in this unit carry recorded variants, all of them noted by the commentators we quote. At v. 2 Pulpit reports that the best uncials (א, B, C, D, L) and the Vulgate invert the clauses so that the foolish are named first, agreeing with vv. 3 and 4; Gill notes the same inversion in the Vulgate, Arabic, Ethiopic and Munster's Hebrew Gospel and judges it of no great consequence. At v. 3 some good manuscripts open with for, which our interlinear carries as word 0. At v. 6 the best manuscripts omit the verb after Behold, the bridegroom, and Pulpit judges the omission more graphic; BSB supplies Here is. At v. 9 the words Not so are not in the Greek at all, as Ellicott and Benson both point out, and Cambridge records the variant adopted by Lachmann, Tregelles and Meyer which brings a negation into the text; Pulpit further marks the following but as probably spurious. At v. 13 the closing clause naming the Son of man is absent from the earlier uncials, the Vulgate, Syriac and other versions and from three of Beza's copies; Pulpit calls it an exegetical interpolation, while Gill, finding it in most Greek copies, thinks it necessary. Our interlinear includes it, and our literal follows the shorter text by leaving it out; both readings are reported here so the reader can weigh them.

Sources. Ten commentators are present in this unit: Ellicott, Benson, Henry, Barnes, JFB, Poole, Gill, Geneva, Cambridge and Pulpit. Three cautions. Henry's entry is one continuous block on vv. 1 to 13, so any sentence quoted from him is his reading of the whole parable and not of the verse it is attached to. Poole prints only a cross reference at vv. 1 to 12 and puts his whole exposition at v. 13, where it is capped in our brief; the Gill entries at vv. 1, 2, 5, 6 and 10 and the Barnes entry at v. 1 are also capped, so material we have not seen exists in those entries. Geneva supplies little more than the text at most verses here, and its one substantive note is at v. 1.

What is uncertain. First, the meaning of the oil. Ellicott, JFB, Pulpit and Gill take it for divine grace or the gift of the Spirit; Pulpit records the time honoured patristic and mediaeval reading of lamps as faith and oil as good works and rejects it; Cambridge will say only that it seems to mean generally the perfection of the Christian life or preparedness. Nothing in the Greek decides this, and our reading follows the majority of our own sources while saying so. Second, the sleep of v. 5: Cambridge says it is not guilty, Benson takes it primarily of death, Henry of real spiritual decay, and Pulpit gives reasons from 1 Thessalonians 4:17 against the patristic death reading. We record the dispute and do not settle it. Third, the identity of them that sell in v. 9: Ellicott and Pulpit make them the pastors and stewards of the Church's means of grace, Gill sends the buyer to Father, Son and Spirit directly, and Pulpit notes that some commentators ancient and modern treat the clause as an ornamental detail with no signification. Fourth, the severity of v. 12, where JFB and Pulpit take opposite sides in print. Fifth, our own thread on the vessel of v. 4 and Matthew 13:48, and the antithesis between the nodding of v. 5 and 2 Peter 2:3, rest on Verifier lexeme data alone and are drawn by none of our commentators; they are marked as ⚙ synthesis and should be tested as such. Every cross Testament thread in this unit is tiered typological, never verbal, because shared Strong's numbers cannot span Greek and Hebrew and because this unit contains no formal quotation of the Old Testament.

✦ = human, public-domain source, quoted and named. ⚙ = machine synthesis, to be verified. Flagged cross-references are left visible on purpose — the verifier working in the open. “Search the Scriptures daily, whether those things were so.” (Acts 17:11)