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Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Matthew 25:1-13

Here, I. That in general which is to be illustrated is, the kingdom of heaven, the state of things under the gospel, the external kingdom of Christ, and the administration and success of it. Some of Christ's parables had shown us what it is like now in the present reception of it, as Matt. 13:1-52 This tells us what it shall be like, when the mystery of God shall be finished, and that kingdom delivered up to the Father. The administration of Christ's government, towards the ready and the... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Matthew 25:1-13

25:1-13 "What will happen in the Kingdom of Heaven is like the situation which arose when ten virgins took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish took their lamps, but did not take oil with them; but the wise took oil in their vessels together with their lamps. When the bridegroom was long in coming, all of them settled down to rest and slept. In the middle of the night the cry went up, 'Look you, the bridegroom! Go out to... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 25:1

Then shall the kingdom of heaven ,.... The Gospel church state; See Gill on Matthew 13:24 either as it would be a little before the coming of the son of man to take vengeance on the Jews; or as it will be a little before his second coming to judgment: for the parable is manifestly connected with, and refers to the preceding chapter, which chiefly treats of Jerusalem's destruction: but though the Jews were in great security before their utter ruin, yet it does not appear that the Christian... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 25:2

And five of them were wise ,.... The order of these words is inverted in some versions, as in the Vulgate Latin, Arabic, and Ethiopic, and in Munster's Hebrew Gospel, which read, "and five of them were foolish, and five of them were wise"; but this is of no great consequence. There is a parable of R. Jochanan ben Zaccai F13 T. Bab. Sabbat, fol. 153. 1. Vid. R. David Kimchi in Isa. lxv. 13. , who lived before, and after the destruction of the second temple, which bears some likeness to... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 25:3

They that were foolish took their lamps ,.... The Vulgate Latin, and Munster's Hebrew Gospel, read, "the five foolish", whose folly is here exposed; and which lay not merely, or only in taking up the lamps of a profession in a wrong way, and upon a wrong bottom, but chiefly in what follows; and took no oil with them : by oil is meant, not temporal blessings, nor spiritual ones, nor the Gospel, nor the gifts of the Spirit, all which are sometimes signified by oil; but either the Spirit of... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 25:4

But the wise took oil ,.... They were concerned for the true grace of God, being enlightened by the Spirit of God; they saw their need of the grace of God, and being directed by him where it was to be had, went to Christ for it; and having received it from him, through the power of the Holy Ghost, exercised it on him; and herein lay their wisdom: for a stock of this in the heart, daily renewed by Christ, will supply the lamp of a profession well. This they had in their vessels , their... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 25:5

While the bridegroom tarried ,.... The space of time here referred to, is either from the ascension of Christ, to his coming to take vengeance on the Jews; or from thence to his second coming; or rather from the time of some general expectation by the saints, of the near approach of Christ, till such time he does come: for as there was a general expectation of the coming of Christ before he came in the flesh, so there will be a general expectation of Christ being near at hand some time... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 25:6

And at midnight there was a cry made ;.... Which is no other than the following notice of the bridegroom's coming, expressed in these words: behold the bridegroom cometh, go ye out to meet him : which supposes that then all things will be ready for his coming: all things respecting this world; all the strange and surprising events that were to come to pass, before the coming of Christ, will now be accomplished; an end put to all the monarchies of the earth; and all the preparations in... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Matthew 25:1

Then shall the kingdom of heaven - The state of Jews and professing Christians - the state of the visible Church at the time of the destruction of Jerusalem, and in the day of judgment: for the parable appears to relate to both those periods. And particularly at the time in which Christ shall come to judge the world, it shall appear what kind of reception his Gospel has met with. This parable, or something very like it, is found in the Jewish records: so in a treatise entitled Reshith... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Matthew 25:2

Five of them were wise - Or, provident, φρονιμοι - they took care to make a proper provision beforehand, and left nothing to be done in the last moment. Five were foolish - Μωροι , which might be translated careless, is generally rendered foolish; but this does not agree so well with φρονιμοι , provident, or prudent, in the first clause, which is the proper meaning of the word. Μωρος in the Etymologicon, is thus defined, μη ὁρᾶ το δεον , he who sees not what is proper or... read more

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