Matthew 25:7

Mat 25:7. Ἠγέρθησαν, were aroused) sc. from sleep.—πᾶσαι, all) Then will the evil and the careless also[1082] awake. All things will be awakened. By how very little the foolish missed of entering in, and yet they are shut out.[1083]

[1082] Sc. As well as the good and the prudent.—(I. B.)

[1083] In the original, “et tamen excidunt,” corresponding with the “durchfallen” above.—(I. B.)

Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament — English translation (T&T Clark, Edinburgh, 1860) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Mat_25:7 f. Ἐκόσμησαν] they put in proper order, namely, by trimming the wick and such like, they dressed them.

ἑαυτῶν (see critical remarks): each one her own; betokening the individual preparation that was now going on.

σβέννυνται] are just on the point of going out.

Meyer — Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament — English translation by Peter Christie, edited by Frederick Crombie (T&T Clark, 1880) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Mat 25:7 . ἐκόσμησαν , trimmed, or proceeded to trim, for which the imperfect would have been more suitable. In the case of the five foolish it was an action attempted rather than performed, begun rather than completed.

The Expositor's Greek Testament, edited by W. Robertson Nicoll (1897–1910) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Verse 7. Trimmed their lamps.] εκοσμησαν, adorned them. I have seen some of the eastern lamps or lanthorns, the body of which was a skeleton of wood and threads, covered with a very thin transparent membrane, or very fine gauze, and decorated with flowers painted on it. It is probable that the nuptial 1amps were highly decorated in this way; though the act mentioned here may mean no more than preparing the lamps for burning.

The following account of the celebration of a wedding in Persia, taken from the Zend Avesta, vol. ii. p. 558, c., may cast some light on this place.

"The day appointed for the marriage, about five o'clock in the evening, the bridegroom comes to the house of the bride, where the mobed, or priest, pronounces for the first time the nuptial benediction. He then brings her to his own house, gives her some refreshment, and afterwards the assembly of her relatives and friends reconduct her to her father's house. When she arrives, the mobed repeats the nuptial benediction, which is generally done about MIDNIGHT immediately after, the bride, accompanied with a part of her attending troop, (the rest having returned to their own homes,) is reconducted to the house of her husband, where she generally arrives about three o'clock in the morning. Nothing can be more brilliant than these nuptial solemnities in India. Sometimes the assembly consists of not less than two thousand persons, all richly dressed in gold and silver tissue; the friends and relatives of the bride, encompassed with their domestics, are all mounted on horses richly harnessed. The goods, wardrobe, and even the bed of the bride, are carried in triumph. The husband, richly mounted and magnificently dressed, is accompanied by his friends and relatives, the friends of the bride following him in covered carriages. At intervals, during the procession, guns and rockets are fired, and the spectacle is rendered grand beyond description, by a prodigious number of LIGHTED TORCHES, and by the SOUND of a multitude of musical instruments."

There are certain preparations which most persons believe they must make at the approach of death; but, alas! it is often too late. The lamp is defiled, the light almost out, and the oil expended; and what adorning is a wretched sinner, struggling in the agonies of death, capable of preparing for his guilty soul!

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

7. trimmed their lamps] By addition of oil, and by clearing the fibres with a needle.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Then all these virgins arose,.... Not out of their graves; for the righteous and wicked will not rise together; the dead in Christ will rise first, and this first resurrection will not be till Christ is come; nor will grace be to be had, or be thought to be had after the resurrection; nor will there be any trimming of lamps then, in order to meet the bridegroom, for he will be come: nor out of the graves of sin; for the wise virgins were not in such a state, and the foolish virgins were never brought out of it: but the meaning is, that they arose out of their sleepy and slumbering frame. True believers may fall into a very low condition, with respect to the exercise of grace, and discharge of duty; but they shall arise again, for they are held and upheld by the right hand of God: it is sometimes midnight with them, and they are fallen fast asleep, but they shall be awaked, and arise; which arising here, as it respects them, signifies, that they were thoroughly awaked, that they quitted their former place and posture, were upon their feet, and ready to meet the bridegroom. The foolish virgins also arose; which may intend some awakenings of conscience, and reformation of life, and a more diligent attendance on duties and ordinances; all which they did to make them meet for Christ, and to obtain salvation; but after all it appears, they were destitute of the oil of grace:

and trimmed their lamps: both wise and foolish: the former by removing what hindered the clear burning of them; by casting off the works of darkness, and causing the light of good works to shine before men, in the discharge of them, from a principle of grace; and chiefly by applying to Christ for fresh supplies of the oil of grace, to fill their lamps, revive their light and heat, and keep them burning: and the latter, only by a few outward decorations, and external performances; to make their outward profession of religion look as bright as possibly they could.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

7 Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.

Ver. 7. And trimmed their lamps] The foolish also made a fair flourish, and held themselves, haply, in case good enough for heaven; deceiving their own hearts, or rather deceived by them, while they use fallacious and specious sophisms, Jas 1:26, to make themselves believe their penny to be good silver, when as it is nothing better than a slip.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Trimmed their lamps - Burning until midnight, the oil was exhausted: they gave a dim and obscure light. They trimmed them by removing the burnt parts of the linen or the torch, so that they would burn clear. It was needful, also, to dip them again in oil, or to pour oil upon them. This strikingly represents the conduct of most people at the approach of death. They then begin to make ready. They are alarmed, anxious, and trembling, and then they ask the aid of others, but often when it is forever too late.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

7. Virgins arose — The generations of the dead wake at the resurrection. Trimmed their lamps — For now the time hath come for them to shine in eternal glory.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Trimmed their lamps. The trimming consisted in removing the charred portion of the wick, and raising the wick itself by means of a pointed wire which was fastened by a chain to each lamp. These operations would be followed by the replenishment of the vase with oil from the vessel carried for what purpose. In a spiritual sense the dormant grace has to be revived at the awful summons. It had, indeed, come upon all unexpectedly at the moment; but while one party was ready to meet the emergency, the other was wholly unprepared. The foolish, indeed, got their wicks ready to light, when they suddenly discovered that they had no oil in their lamps, and remembered that they had brought no further supply with them.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

They trimmed their lamps - They examined themselves and prepared to meet their God.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

The virgins’ arising and trimming their lamps, doth denote, their actual preparation for Christ’s coming and appearance, and their putting themselves into a posture of readiness to receive him.

Thence learn, That a believing apprehension of the certainty and suddenness of our Lord’s coming and approach will rouse us out of our spiritual slumber, and prepare us to meet him with joy and assurance. Then they arose, and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, Give us of your oil, for our lamps are gone out.

Observe here, 1. A request made, Give us of your oil. There is a time when the neglecters of grace will be made sensible of the worth of grace by the want of it. Such as now undervalue, yea, vilify the grace of God, will be heard to say, O give us of your oil.

Observe, 2. The reason of the request, For our lamps are gone out.

Thence learn, That the lamp of profession will certainly go out, which has not a stock of grace to feed and maintain it.

William Burkitt's Expository Notes on the New Testament (1700–1703) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

7. All … arose, and trimmed their lamps. The object of trimming would be to secure a brighter light. It would involve the trimming of the wick and replenishing the oil if needed. When the cry does arise there will be a wonderful lamp-trimming.

B. W. Johnson's The People's New Testament with Notes (1889–1891) — public domain. Electronic text from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL) ThML edition.

Connecting Statement:

Jesus continues telling a parable. (See: Parables)

trimmed their lamps

"adjusted their lamps so they would burn brightly"

The foolish said to the wise

These nominal adjectives can be stated as adjectives. AT: "The foolish virgins said to the wise virgins" (See: Nominal Adjectives)

our lamps are going out

This is an idiom. AT: "the fire in our lamps is about to burn out" (See: Idiom)

translationWords

virgin

fool

wise

oil

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

7. ἐκόσμησαν. ‘Trimmed,’ by addition of oil, and by clearing the fibres with a needle.

Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges (Cambridge University Press, 1896; 21 vols, various authors incl. Carr, Maclear, Plummer, Farrar, Lumby, Moule, M. R. James, Simcox) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

7. Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.]

(L)

International Critical Commentary — older volumes (1896–1929), various authors — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Then all those virgins arose [τοτε ηγερθησαν πασαι αι παρθενοι εκειναι] . The Greek order is expressive. Then arose all the virgins, those former ones. Those [εκειναι] a pronoun of remoter reference, and emphatic by its position at the end of the sentence.

Trimmed [εκοσμησαν] . From kosmov, order, and meaning to put in order or arrange. Tynd., prepared. Trench (" Parables ") quotes from Ward (" View of the Hindoos "), describing a marriage ceremony in India :

"After waiting two or three hours, at length near midnight it was announced, was in the very words of Scripture, 'Behold the bridegroom cometh; go yet out to meet him. ' All the person employed now lighted their lamps, and ran with them in their hands to fill up their stations in the procession. Some of them had lost their lights, and were unprepared, but it was then too late to seek them, and the cavalcade moved forward."

Their lamps [εαυτων] . Lit., "their own lamps;" emphasizing the personal preparation in contrast with the foolish, who depended for supply on their fellows.

Marvin R. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament (1887–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.