Matthew 25:5

25:1-13 The circumstances of the parable of the ten virgins were taken from the marriage customs among the Jews, and explain the great day of Christ's coming. See the nature of Christianity. As Christians we profess to attend upon Christ, to honour him, also to be waiting for his coming. Sincere Christians are the wise virgins, and hypocrites the foolish ones. Those are the truly wise or foolish that are so in the affairs of their souls. Many have a lamp of profession in their hands, but have not, in their hearts, sound knowledge and settled resolution, which are needed to carry them through the services and trials of the present state. Their hearts are not stored with holy dispositions, by the new-creating Spirit of God. Our light must shine before men in good works; but this is not likely to be long done, unless there is a fixed, active principle in the heart, of faith in Christ, and love to God and our brethren. They all slumbered and slept. The delay represents the space between the real or apparent conversion of these professors, and the coming of Christ, to take them away by death, or to judge the world. But though Christ tarry past our time, he will not tarry past the due time. The wise virgins kept their lamps burning, but they did not keep themselves awake. Too many real Christians grow remiss, and one degree of carelessness makes way for another.

5 . the bridegroom ] The thought of Christ as the Bridegroom of the Church is hardly appropriate here, for in the parable the maidens, and not the bride, are the expectant Church. The thought of the “children of the bridechamber,” ch. Matthew 9:15 , is a nearer parallel. they all slumbered and slept ] Sleep represents the ignorance as to the time of Christ’s coming; it is not to be interpreted of unwatchfulness, it is not a guilty or imprudent sleep, as in the parable of the thief coming by night (ch. Matthew 24:43 ). slumbered and slept ] Rather, “ nodded ” from drowsiness, and fell asleep.

Matthew 25:5 . While the bridegroom tarried — That is, before they were called to attend him; they all slumbered and slept — That is, all Christians, so called, good and bad, sincere and hypocrites, those who really love and wait for the bridegroom, and those who only profess to do so; lie down together in the sleep of death: all, while the bridegroom delays to come, slumber in the grave, with respect to their bodies, and sleep till the great call, that shall awake them to different situations. This is undoubtedly the meaning of this clause, if by the coming of the bridegroom we understand Christ’s coming to raise the dead and judge mankind, which seems evidently to be primarily intended thereby. But if we also consider it as referring to calamities coming on the Jews, or to his calling us hence by death, the spiritual slumbering and sleeping of the professors of Christianity must be intended, and the meaning of the clause must be, that while Christ defers to come in these senses, instead of accounting his long-suffering salvation, ( 2 Peter 3:15 ,) and improving it accordingly, they become unwatchful, remiss and careless, lukewarm and indolent. So it was with the professors at Laodicea and Sardis, who are therefore called upon to be zealous and repent, to be watchful, and to strengthen the things which remained, which were ready to die; Christ threatening that if they would not watch, he would come unexpectedly as a thief cometh.

And even the wise, who have oil in their vessels, and their lamps burning; who have saving grace in their hearts, and whose conduct is generally exemplary, while Christ delays to call them hence by death, too often, like the church of Ephesus, leave in some degree their first love, lose their watchful spirit, and abate of their zeal and diligence in doing well, and their patience in suffering ill.

Matthew 25:5 . χρονίζοντος τ . ν .: no reason given for delay, a possibility in natural life, the point on which the spiritual lesson, “be ready,” hinges.— ἐνύσταζαν , they nodded, aorist, because a transient state; ἐκάθευδον , and remained for some time in slumber, imperfect, because the state continuous. Carr (Camb. N. T.) cites Plato, Apol. Socr. , as illustrating the discriminating use of the two verbs in reference to the two stages of sleep.— πᾶσαι , all , sleep in the circumstances perfectly natural and, everything being ready, perfectly harmless.

5. While the bridegroom tarried—So in Mt 24:48, "My Lord delayeth His coming"; and so Peter says sublimely of the ascended Saviour, "Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things" (Ac 3:21, and compare Lu 19:11, 12). Christ "tarries," among other reasons, to try the faith and patience of His people. they all slumbered and slept—the wise as well as the foolish. The world "slumbered" signifies, simply, "nodded," or, "became drowsy"; while the world "slept" is the usual word for lying down to sleep, denoting two stages of spiritual declension—first, that half-involuntary lethargy or drowsiness which is apt to steal over one who falls into inactivity; and then a conscious, deliberate yielding to it, after a little vain resistance. Such was the state alike of the wise and the foolish virgins, even till the cry of the Bridegroom's approach awoke them. So likewise in the parable of the Importunate Widow: "When the Son of man cometh, shall He find faith on the earth?" (Lu 18:8).

(5) While the bridegroom tarried. —Strictly speaking, the time thus described includes the whole interval between our Lord’s Ascension and His final Advent; but looking to the law of “springing and germinant accomplishments,” which we have recognised as applicable to the whole subject, we may see in it that which answers to any period in the history of any church, or, indeed, in the life of any member of a church, in which things go smoothly and as after the routine of custom. At such a time even the wise and good are apt to slumber, and the crisis, which is to them, if not to the world at large, as the bridegroom’s coming, takes them by surprise; but they have, what the foolish have not, the reserved force of steadfast faith and divine help to fall back upon. We may note that the “delay” in this case is followed by a less glaring form of evil than that in Matthew 24:48 . Not reckless and brutal greed, but simple apathy and neglect is the fault noted for condemnation. Slumbered and slept.—The first word implies the “nodding” which indicates the first approach of drowsiness, the second the continuous sleeping.

Matthew 25:5 . Ἐνύσταξαν , dozed ) The Hebrew verb נום , to slumber or doze, is rendered by the LXX., νυστάζειν . Dozing takes place, either after sleep, as in Proverbs 6:10 , or before it, as in Isaiah 5:27 , which is the case in the present passage.—[ πᾶσαι , all) The prudent also fell asleep, and that not without peril; but when they awoke, they had still oil enough. During the sleep of those, who have not previously enough thereof, their oil comes to an end.—B. G. V.]

Matthew 25:5-6 . The virgins, who, Matthew 25:1 , have left the house of the bride (in opposition to Cremer and Lange, who suppose ἐξῆλθον to contain a prolepsis), and therefore are no longer there, have betaken themselves to some house on the way [ ἐξέρχεσθε , observe), in order there to await the passing by of the bridegroom. The coming of the latter was delayed on till midnight; the maids who sat waiting began to get wearied, they nodded (aorist), and slept (imperfect). Comp. Isaiah 5:27 ; Psalm 21:4 . Vulgate: “dormitaverunt mines et dormierunt.” ἰδοὺ ὁ νυμφίος (without ἔρχεται , see critical remarks): behold the bridegroom ! The cry of the people who see him coming a little way off. They are made aware of his approach from seeing the light of the torches or lamps carried by those who accompanied him in the procession.