Matthew 25:2 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Five of them were foolish, and five were wise.

NIV: Five of them were foolish and five were wise.

NASB: Five of them were foolish, and five were prudent.

CSB: Five of them were foolish and five were wise.

NLT: Five of them were foolish, and five were wise.

KJV: And five of them were wise, and five were foolish.

NKJV: Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish.

Another parable from Jesus illustrates how important it is that His followers live in a state of readiness for His return. He has compared the coming kingdom of heaven to ten virgins who had lamps and were waiting to meet a bridegroom for the start of a late-night wedding procession (Matthew 25:1). The word "virgin" was used for young, unmarried women, but the context is not that these women are to marry the expected man. These ten were likely bridal attendants, and they may have been waiting at the bride's home for the groom to arrive, collect his bride, and parade the company back to his home for the wedding feast.

Jesus adds now that five of these young women were wise and five were foolish. He will illustrate in the following verses how they demonstrate this.

Matthew 25:1–13 presents Jesus' parable of the ten virgins. These unmarried young women gather to wait for the groom to arrive during a wedding celebration. They plan to join in a procession to a great feast when he comes after dark. Five of the young women foolishly forgot to bring sufficient oil for their lights. When the groom arrives, they scramble to get more oil but are not admitted to the feast when arriving late. Jesus urges His followers to be prepared and watch for His return.

Jesus uses two additional parables to illustrate a state of constant readiness for His return after He has gone. His followers should be working for Him while they wait. They must not be like the foolish young women who missed a wedding feast because they forgot oil for their lamps. They must be like the servants who doubled their harsh master's investments while He was away. Jesus concludes with a third descriptive passage, showing how He will judge between the righteous and evil when He returns as King.

Matthew 25 concludes the "Olivet Discourse:" Jesus' teaching to the disciples about future things as they sit on the Mount of Olives. This follows His dire predictions about the Temple and Jerusalem in chapter 24. He gives two more parables to emphasize that they must be prepared for His return. Finally, Jesus describes the moment of His return, after a time of tribulation, when He will judge all who live on earth at the beginning of His kingdom. This leads into Matthew's account of Jesus' Last Supper, betrayal, and arrest in chapter 26.

The Gospel of Matthew clearly shows the influence of its writer's background, and his effort to reach a specific audience. Matthew was one of Jesus' twelve disciples, a Jewish man, and a former tax collector. This profession would have required literacy, and Matthew may have transcribed some of Jesus' words as they were spoken. This book is filled with references to the Old Testament, demonstrating to Israel that Jesus is the Promised One. Matthew also includes many references to coins, likely due to his former profession. Matthew records extensive accounts of Jesus' teaching, more than the other three Gospels.

Accessed 4/29/2024 2:26:18 AM