Pastors Jim and Marie Watt
(From: MATTHEW #41 - 25:1-30)
3. 25:1-13 PARABLE OF TEN VIRGINS
a. 25:1 KINGDOM OF HEAVEN: LIKE TEN VIRGINS
TOte ho-moi-oTHEse-tai [3666]he ba-siLEIa [932]ton ou-raNON DEka parTHEnois [3933],
Then shall the kingdom of the heavens be likened to ten virgins,
HAIti-nes laBOUsai tas lamPAdas [2985] he-auTON, eXELthon eis huPANte-sin [5221]tou numPHIou [3566].
who took their own :lamps, andwent forth to meet the bridegroom.
b. 25:2 And five of them were foolish, and five wise.
PENte de ex auTON Esan moRAI [3474], kai PENte PHROni-moi [5429].
c. 25:3-4 THE CAUSE OF FOOLISHNESS AND WISDOM IN THE VIRGINS
hai gar moRAI, laBOUsai tas lamPAdas auTON, ouk Ela-bon meth' he-auTON Elai-on [1637]:
For the foolish, when they took their :lamps, took no oil with them:
hai de PHROni-moi Ela-bon Elai-on en tois agGEIois [30] meTA ton lamPAdon he-auTON.
4but the wise took oil in their vessels with their own :lamps.
d. 25:5 Now while the bridegroom tarried, all were asleep.
chroNIzon-tos [5549] de tou numPHIou, eNUsta-xan [3573] PAsai kai eKAtheu-don [2518].
e. 25:6a But at midnight therewas a cry, Lo, the bridegroom!
MEses de nukTOS krauGE[2906] GEgo-nen, I-DOU, ho numPHIos!
f. 25:6b Come forth to meet him. eXERches-the eis aPANte-sin [529].
g. 25:7 Then all those :virgins arose, and trimmed their own :lamps.
TOte eGERthe-san PAsai hai parTHEnoi eKEInai, meTA ton lamPAdon he-auTON.
h. 25:8 THE REQUEST OF THE FOOLISH VIRGINS
hai de moRAI tais phroNImois EIpan, DOte heMIN ek tou eLAIou huMON;
And the foolish said to the wise, Give us of your :oil;
HOti hai lamPAdes heMON SBENnun-tai [4570].
because our :lamps are going out.
i. 25:9 THE SUGGESTION OF THE WISE VIRGINS
a-peKRIthe-san de hai PHROni-moi, LEgou-sai, ME po-te ou me arKEse [714] heMIN kai huMIN:
But the wise answered, saying, Perhaps there will not be enough for us and you:
poREUes-the MALlon pros tous poLOUNtas [4453], kai a-goRAsa-te [59] he-auTAIS.
go rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.
j. 25:10 THE COMING OF THE BRIDEGROOM
a-per-choMEnon de auTON a-goRAsai, ELthen ho numPHIos;
And while they went away to buy, the bridegroom came;
kai hai HEtoi-moi [2092] eiSELthon met' auTOU eis tous GAmous [1062]: kai eKLEISthe he THUra [2374].
and those ready went in with him to the marriage feast: and the door was shut.
k. 25:11 And afterward come also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.
HUste-ron de ERchon-tai kai hai loiPAI parTHEnoi, LEgou-sai, KUri-e, KUri-e, Anoi-xon [455] heMIN.
l. 25:12 But he answered and said, Amen I say unto you, I know you not.
ho de a-po-kriTHEIS EIpen, A-MEN LEgo huMIN, ouk OIda [1492] huMAS.
m. 25:13 Watch therefore, for you know not the day nor the hour.
gre-goREIte [1127] oun, HOti ouk OIda-te ten heMEran ouDE ten HOran [4610].
4. 25:14-30 PARABLE OF TALENTS: OCCUPY AND INCREASE
a. 25:14 SERVANTS SENT TO TRADE
HOSper gar ANthro-pos, a-po-deMON [589],
For it is just as when a man, going into another country,
eKAle-sen tous iDIous DOUlous [1401], kai paREdo-ken [3860] auTOIS ta huPARchon-ta [5224] auTOU.
called his own :bondmen, and delivered to them his :goods.
b. 25:15 TALENTS - BASIS FOR TRADE
kai ho men Edo-ken PENte TAlan-ta [5007], ho de DUo,
And to one he gave five talents, to another two,
ho de hen; heKAsto kaTA ten iDIan DUna-min [1411]; kai a-peDEme-sen [589].
to another one; to each according to his several :ability; and he went into another country.
c. 25:16 RESULTS FROM THE ONE WITH FIVE TALENTS
euTHEos po-reuTHEIS ho ta PENte TAlan-ta laBON erGAsa-to [2038] en auTOIS,
Straightway who received the five talents went and traded with them,
kai eKERde-sen [2770] ALla PENte.
and gained other five talents.
d. 25:17 Likewise he of the two gained other two.
hoSAUtos [5615]ho ta DUo eKERde-sen ALlo DUo.
e. 25:18 But who received the one went away anddug in theearth, and hid the money of his :lord.
ho de to hen laBON a-pelTHON Oru-xen [3736] gen, kai Ekru-psen to arGUri-on [694] tou kuRIou auTOU.
f. 25:19 RECKONING WITH THE TRADERS
meTA de poLUN CHROnon ERche-tai ho KUri-os ton DOUlon eKEInon.
Now after a long time the lord of those :bondmen comes,
kai suNAIrei [4868] LOgon met' auTON.
and makes a reckoning with them.
g. 25:20 REPORT OF THE FIVE TALENT SERVANT
kai pro-selTHON ho ta PENte TAlan-ta laBON proSEneg-ken [4374] ALla PENte TAlan-ta,
And who received the five talents came andbrought other five talents,
LEgon, KUri-e, PENte TAlanTA moi paREdo-kas [3860]: Ide, ALla PENte TAlan-ta eKERde-sa.
saying, Lord, you delivered to me five talents: see, I have gained other five talents.
h. 25:21 HIS LORD'S COMMENDATION
Ephe auTO ho KUri-os auTOU, Eu [2095], DOUle a-gaTHE kai piSTE [4103]:
His :lord said to him, Well done, good and faithful bondman:
ePI oLIga [3641] es piSTOS,
you have been faithful over few things,
ePI polLON se ka-taSTEso [2525]; EIsel-the eis ten chaRAN [5479] tou kuRIou sou.
I will set you over many; enter into the joy of your :lord.
i. 25:22 REPORT OF THE TWO TALENT SERVANT
pro-selTHON kai ho ta DUo TAlan-ta EIpen, KUri-e, DUo TAlanTA moi paREdo-kas:
And he also of the two talents came and said, Lord, you delivered to me two talents:
Ide, ALla DUo TAlan-ta eKERde-sa.
see, I have gained other two talents.
j. 25:23 HIS LORD'S COMMENDATION
Ephe auTO ho KUri-os auTOU, Eu, DOUle a-gaTHE kai piSTE:
His :lord said to him, Well done, good and faithful bondman:
ePI OliGA es piSTOS, ePI polLON se ka-taSTEso [2525]; EIsel-the eis ten chaRAN tou kuRIou sou.
you have been faithful over few, I will set you over many; enter into the joy of your :lord.
k. 23:24-25 REPORT OF THE ONE TALENT SERVANT
pro-selTHON de kai ho to hen TAlan-ton ei-lePHOS EIpen,
And he also that had received the one talent came andsaid,
KUri-e, EGnon [1097] se HOti skleROS [4642] ei ANthro-pos, theRIzon [2325] HOpou ouk Espei-ras [4687],
Lord, I knew you that you are a hard man, reaping where you did not sow,
kai suNAgon [4863] HOthen ou di-eSKORpi-sas [1287]; kai pho-beTHEIS [5399],
and gathering where you did not scatter; 25and I was afraid,
a-pelTHON Ekru-psa [2928] to TAlanTON sou en te ge: Ide, Echeis to son.
andwent away and hid your :talent in the earth: see, you have :your own.
l. 25:26-27 REBUKE OF HIS LORD
a-po-kriTHEIS de ho KUri-os auTOU EIpen auTO: Po-neRE DOUle kai ok-neRE,
But his :lord answered and said to him: Wicked and slothful bondman,
Edeis HOti theRIzo HOpou ouk Espei-ra, kai suNAgo HOthen ou di-eSKORpi-sa;
you knew that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I scattered not;
Edei se oun baLEIN ta arGUriA mou tois tra-peZEItais [5133],
27you ought therefore to have put my :moneys to the bankers,
kai elTHON eGO e-ko-miSAmen [2864] an to eMON sun TOko [5110] .
and at mycoming I should have received back :mine with interest.
m. 25:28 Take away therefore the talent from him, and give to him that has the ten talents.
Ara-te oun ap' auTOU to TAlan-ton, kai DOte to Echon-ti ta DEka TAlan-ta.
n. 25:29 EXPLANATION FOR HIS JUDGMENT
to gar Echon-ti panTI doTHEse-tai, kai pe-ris-seuTHEse-tai [4052]:
For unto every one that has shall be given, and he shall abound:
tou de me Echon-tos, kai ho Echei arTHEse-tai [142] ap' auTOU.
but from him that has not, even what he has shall be taken away.
o. 25:30 FINAL STATE OF THE UNPROFITABLE SERVANT
kai ton arCHEIon [888] DOUlon ekBALle-te eis to SKOtos to eXOte-ron [1857]:
And cast out the unprofitable bondman into the outer :darkness:
eKEI EStai ho klauthMOS [2805] kai ho brugMOS [1030] ton oDONton [3599].
there shall be the weeping and the gnashing of the teeth.
NOTE: In 1947 I roomed at the University of Saskatchewan with a former naval veteran officer from Prince Edward Island. He told me of a time when he attended a meeting at Massey Hall, Toronto, conducted by Oswald J. Smith of “Peoples Church” of that city. The pastor dramatized the parable of the Ten Virgins. At the point when the five foolish virgins returned too late, and were refused entrance by the bridegroom - the Hall was turned into total darkness. Thunder and lightning effects were produced, and came thundering in. Screams not only from the five foolish virgins as they were thrown into outer darkness occurred, but screams from the audience in fear. The message came across! When Dr. Smith gave the invitation, over 1000 responded!
But let us notmiss the main lesson. Be like the 5 wise virgins. Have an extra container of oil. Oil symbolizes the Holy Spirit. It is not enoughto be born from above through conversion. We must be discipleswith abundanceof Holy Spirit oil. Jesus in the Great Commission at the close of this Gospel, commissions the apostles notto make converts - but to discipleall nations! Immediately baptize all making this full claim - and then teachthem to keep allthings whatever I have commanded you! Theseare the wise virgins. The foolish make a preliminary step and become converts, but not disciples. Could some of us be in this same category of the five foolish virgins?
Jesus immediately follows the above parable up with the parable of the talents. The man with the one talent is in the same category as the five foolish virgins, and receives the same ultimate fate! Jesus said to the 5 foolish virgins - “I know you not.” The Greek word “OIda” signifies to know intimately, as a man and wife. It is only discipleswho get promises for Christ's Bride, the Church, the One New Man. There will be a shock to those who are like the 5 foolish virgins, and the man who buried his talent in the ground. The above 2 parables by Jesus are extremely serious and important. May we not pass lightly over the truths and lessons they contain. J.A.W.