Matthew 25:1-13

The Parable of the Ten Virgins

25:1 “At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 25:2 Five ¹  of the virgins ²  were foolish, and five were wise. 25:3 When ³  the foolish ones took their lamps, they did not take extra ⁴  olive oil ⁵  with them. 25:4 But the wise ones took flasks of olive oil with their lamps. 25:5 When ⁶  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.’ ⁷  25:7 Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. 25:8 The ⁸  foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, because our lamps are going out.’ 25:9 ‘No,’ they replied. ⁹  ‘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 ¹⁰  the door was shut. 25:11 Later, ¹¹  the other virgins came too, saying, ‘Lord, lord! Let us in!’ ¹²  25:12 But he replied, ¹³  ‘I tell you the truth, ¹⁴  I do not know you!’ 25:13 Therefore stay alert, because you do not know the day or the hour. ¹⁵ 

[25:2]  ¹ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[25:2]  ² tn Grk “Five of them.”

[25:3]  ³ tn Grk “For when.” Here γάρ (gar) has not been translated.

[25:3]  ⁴ 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.

[25:3]  ⁵ tn On the use of olive oil in lamps, see L&N 6.202.

[25:5]  ⁶ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[25:6]  ⁷ 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.

[25:8]  ⁸ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[25:9]  ⁹ tn Grk “The wise answered, saying, ‘No.’”

[25:10]  ¹⁰ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[25:11]  ¹¹ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[25:11]  ¹² tn Grk “Open to us.”

[25:12]  ¹³ tn Grk “But answering, he said.” This is somewhat redundant and has been simplified in the translation.

[25:12]  ¹⁴ tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”

[25:13]  ¹⁵ 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.