Text -- Matthew 25:3-46 (NET)

25:3 When the foolish ones took their lamps, they did not take extra olive oil with them. 25:4 But the wise ones took flasks of olive oil with their lamps. 25:5 When the bridegroom was delayed a long time, they all became drowsy and fell asleep. 25:6 But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Look, the bridegroom is here! Come out to meet him.’ 25:7 Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. 25:8 The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, because our lamps are going out.’ 25:9 ‘No,’ they replied. ‘There won’t be enough for you and for us. Go instead to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’ 25:10 But while they had gone to buy it, the bridegroom arrived, and those who were ready went inside with him to the wedding banquet. Then the door was shut. 25:11 Later, the other virgins came too, saying, ‘Lord, lord! Let us in!’ 25:12 But he replied, replied, ‘I tell you the truth, I do not know you!’ 25:13 Therefore stay alert, because you do not know the day or the hour.

The Parable of the Talents

25:14 “For it is like a man going on a journey, who summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them. 25:15 To one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. 25:16 The one who had received five talents went off right away and put his money to work and gained five more. 25:17 In the same way, the one who had two gained two more. 25:18 But the one who had received one talent went out and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money in it. 25:19 After a long time, the master of those slaves came and settled his accounts with them. 25:20 The one who had received the five talents came and brought five more, saying, ‘Sir, you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.’ 25:21 His master answered, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave! You have been faithful in a few things. I will put you in charge of many things. Enter into the joy of your master.’ 25:22 The one with the two talents also came and said, ‘Sir, you entrusted two talents to me. See, I have gained two more.’ 25:23 His master answered, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave! You have been faithful with a few things. I will put you in charge of many things. Enter into the joy of your master.’ 25:24 Then the one who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Sir, I knew that you were a hard man, harvesting where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed, 25:25 so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.’ 25:26 But his master answered, ‘Evil and lazy slave! So you knew that I harvest where I didn’t sow and gather where I didn’t scatter? 25:27 Then you should have deposited my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received my money back with interest! 25:28 Therefore take the talent from him and give it to the one who has ten. 25:29 For the one who has will be given more, and he will have more than enough. But the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. 25:30 And throw that worthless slave into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

The Judgment

25:31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. 25:32 All the nations will be assembled before him, and he will separate people one from another like a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 25:33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. 25:34 Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 25:35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 25:36 I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’ 25:37 Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 25:38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or naked and clothe you? 25:39 When did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ 25:40 And the king will answer them, ‘I tell you the truth, just as you did it for one of the least of these brothers or sisters of mine, you did it for me.’ 25:41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire that has been prepared for the devil and his angels! 25:42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink. 25:43 I was a stranger and you did not receive me as a guest, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ 25:44 Then they too will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not give you whatever you needed?’ 25:45 Then he will answer them, ‘I tell you the truth, just as you did not do it for one of the least of these, you did not do it for me.’ 25:46 And these will depart into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

Commentary -- Verse Notes / Footnotes

NET Notes: Mat 25:3

¹ tn Grk “For when.” Here γάρ (gar) has not been translated.

² tn The word “extra” is not in the Greek text but is implied. The point is that the five foolish virgins had only the oil in their lamps, but took along no extra supply from which to replenish them. This is clear from v. 8, where the lamps of the foolish virgins are going out because they are running out of oil.

³ tn On the use of olive oil in lamps, see L&N 6.202.

NET Notes: Mat 25:5

¹ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

NET Notes: Mat 25:6

¹ tc ‡ Most witnesses have αὐτοῦ (autou, “[with] him”) after ἀπάντησιν (apanthsin, “meeting”), a reading which makes explicit what is already implied in the shorter text (as found in א B 700). The translation likewise adds “him” for clarity’s sake even though the word is not considered part of the original text. NA²⁷ has αὐτοῦ in brackets, indicating doubts as to its authenticity.

NET Notes: Mat 25:8

¹ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

NET Notes: Mat 25:9

¹ tn Grk “The wise answered, saying, ‘No.’”

NET Notes: Mat 25:10

¹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

NET Notes: Mat 25:11

¹ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

² tn Grk “Open to us.”

NET Notes: Mat 25:12

¹ tn Grk “But answering, he said.” This is somewhat redundant and has been simplified in the translation.

² tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”

NET Notes: Mat 25:13

¹ tc Most later mss (C³ ˹³ 1424^c Ï) also read here “in which the Son of Man is coming” (ἐν ᾗ ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἔρχεται, en |h Jo Juio" tou anqrwpou ercetai), reproducing almost verbatim the last line of Matt 24:44. The longer reading thus appears to be an explanatory expansion and should not be considered authentic. The earlier and better witnesses ({̳⁵ א A B C* D L W Δ Θ Ë¹ 33 565 892 1424* lat co}) lack this phrase.

NET Notes: Mat 25:14

¹ tn See the note on the word “slave” in 8:9.

NET Notes: Mat 25:15

¹ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.

² sn A talent was equal to 6000 denarii. See the note on this term in 18:24.

NET Notes: Mat 25:16

¹ tn Grk “traded with them.”

NET Notes: Mat 25:19

¹ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

NET Notes: Mat 25:20

¹ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.

² tn Grk Or “Lord; or “Master” (and so throughout this paragraph).

NET Notes: Mat 25:21

¹ tn Grk “His master said to him.”

NET Notes: Mat 25:22

¹ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

NET Notes: Mat 25:25

¹ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.

NET Notes: Mat 25:26

¹ tn Grk “But answering, his master said to him.” This is somewhat redundant and has been simplified in the translation.

NET Notes: Mat 25:27

¹ tn For the translation “deposited my money with the bankers,” see L&N 57.216.

² sn That is, “If you really feared me you should have done a minimum to get what I asked for.”

NET Notes: Mat 25:28

¹ tn Grk “the ten talents.”

NET Notes: Mat 25:29

¹ tn Grk “to everyone who has, he will be given more.”

sn The one who has will be given more. Faithfulness yields great reward (see Matt 13:12; also Mark 4:25; Luke 8:18, 19:26).

² sn The one who has nothing has even what he seems to have taken from him, ending up with no reward at all (see also Luke 8:18). The exact force of this is left ambiguous, but there is no comfort here for those who are pictured by the third slave as being totally unmoved by the master. Though not an outright enemy, there is no relationship to the master either.

NET Notes: Mat 25:31

¹ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

NET Notes: Mat 25:32

¹ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.

NET Notes: Mat 25:33

¹ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.

NET Notes: Mat 25:37

¹ tn Grk “answer him, saying.” The participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.

NET Notes: Mat 25:38

¹ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

NET Notes: Mat 25:39

¹ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

NET Notes: Mat 25:40

¹ tn Grk “answering, the king will say to them.” This is somewhat redundant and has been simplified in the translation.

² tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”

³ tn Grk “brothers,” but the Greek word may be used for “brothers and sisters” (cf. BDAG 18 s.v. ἀδελφός 1, where considerable nonbiblical evidence for the plural ἀδελφοί [adelfoi] meaning “brothers and sisters” is cited). In this context Jesus is ultimately speaking of his “followers” (whether men or women, adults or children), but the familial connotation of “brothers and sisters” is also important to retain here.

NET Notes: Mat 25:41

¹ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.

NET Notes: Mat 25:44

¹ tn Grk “Then they will answer, saying.” The participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.

NET Notes: Mat 25:45

¹ tn Grk “answer them, saying.” The participle λέγων (legwn) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.

² tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”