Matthew 25:1–13
Ten young women wait for the bridegroom: the kingdom calls for staying alert
Study it word by word1“Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who, taking their lamps, went out to meet the bridegroom.
2And five of them were foolish and five wise.
3For the foolish, taking their lamps, did not take oil with them;
4but the wise took oil in flasks with their lamps.
5And as the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and were sleeping.
6But in the middle of the night there was a shout: ‘Look, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’
7Then all those virgins got up and trimmed their lamps.
8And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, because our lamps are going out.’
9But the wise answered, saying, ‘No; otherwise there will certainly not be enough for us and for you; go instead to those who sell and buy for yourselves.’
10And while they were going away to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast, and the door was shut.
11And later the other virgins also come, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us.’
12But he answered, ‘Truly I tell you, I do not know you.’
13So keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.
In its context
…
14For it is just as a man going on a journey called his own slaves and handed over to them his possessions.
15And to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his own ability; and he went on his journey. At once
Its words in the original
- ΤότεTote· then
Then, at that time.
- ὁμοιωθήσεταιhomoiōthēsetai· be like, compare
Make like, become like; compare.
- βασιλείαbasileia· kingdom
Kingdom: the reign of a king and the place where he reigns. "The kingdom of heaven" is the reign of God.
- οὐρανῶνouranōn· heaven, sky
Heaven: the sky and, above all, the place of God. "The heavens" is sometimes a respectful way of saying "God".
- δέκαdeka· ten
Ten.
- παρθένοιςparthenois· virgin
Virgin: a young woman who has not had relations with a man; also, of men, one who has kept himself pure.
- λαβοῦσαιlabousai· take, receive
Take, receive.
- λαμπάδαςlampadas· torch, lamp
Lamp, torch.
- ἐξῆλθονexēlthon· go out
Go out, come out.
- ὑπάντησινhypantēsin· meeting
Meeting; "to meet".
- νυμφίουnymphiou· bridegroom
Bridegroom.
- πέντεpente· five
Five.
- ἦσανēsan· be
Be, exist.
- μωραὶmōrai· foolish, fool
Foolish, stupid; as a noun, a fool.
- φρόνιμοιphronimoi· wise, sensible
Sensible, prudent, practically wise; "wise in your own eyes", self-satisfied.
- ἔλαιονelaion· olive oil
Olive oil.
- ἀγγείοιςangeiois· container, vessel
Container, vessel, basket.
- χρονίζοντοςchronizontos· delay, be long
Delay, be long in coming, take time.
- ἐνύσταξανenystaxan· doze
Nod off, become drowsy, fall asleep.
- ἐκάθευδονekatheudon· sleep
Sleep.
- μέσηςmesēs· middle
Middle, in the midst.
- νυκτὸςnyktos· night
Night. "By night".
- κραυγὴkraugē· shout, outcry
Shout, outcry, loud cry.
- γέγονενgegonen· become, happen
Become, happen, come about; be born.
- ἀπάντησινapantēsin· meeting
Meeting; "to meet", going out to welcome someone.
- ἠγέρθησανēgerthēsan· raise
Raise, wake up; get up; raise from the dead.
- ἐκόσμησανekosmēsan· adorn, put in order
Adorn, decorate; put in order, set in order, trim.
- εἶπανeipan· say
Say, speak; in the passive, "be called".
- ΔότεDote· give
Give.
- σβέννυνταιsbennyntai· quench
Put out, quench.
- ἀπεκρίθησανapekrithēsan· answer
Answer, reply; speak up.
- ΜήποτεMēpote· lest, perhaps
Lest, so that not; perhaps.
- ἀρκέσῃarkesēi· be enough
Be enough, suffice; also be content.
- πορεύεσθεporeuesthe· go
Go, set out; also live, walk in a way of life.
- μᾶλλονmallon· more, rather
More, rather.
- πωλοῦνταςpōlountas· sell
Sell.
- ἀγοράσατεagorasate· buy
Buy.
- ἀπερχομένωνaperchomenōn· go away
Go away, leave.
- ἦλθενēlthen· come, go
Come, arrive; go.
- ἕτοιμοιhetoimoi· ready
Ready, prepared.
- εἰσῆλθονeisēlthon· enter, go in
Enter, go in, come in.
- γάμουςgamous· wedding
Wedding, wedding feast.
- ἐκλείσθηekleisthē· shut, lock
Shut, lock.
- θύραthyra· door
Door, gate.
- ὕστερονhysteron· later, last
Later, last; "afterward", "at last".
- λοιπαὶloipai· the rest, remaining
The rest, the others; as an adverb, "from now on", "finally".
- ΚύριεKyrie· Lord, lord
Lord, master, owner. Said of God, the Lord; in Old Testament quotations it stands for the name YHWH.
- ἄνοιξονanoixon· open
Open.
- ἈμὴνAmēn· truly, amen
Amen: a Hebrew word meaning "so it is", "it is firm". Jesus uses it at the start of a saying to affirm what he is about to say: "truly".
- οἶδαoida· know
Know, understand; also see.
- γρηγορεῖτεgrēgoreite· keep awake, watch
Stay awake; keep watch, be alert.
- ἡμέρανhēmeran· day
Day. "In the days of" someone: in their time.
- ὥρανhōran· hour
Hour; also moment, time.