1The parable of the ten virgins; 14and of the talents, which a king distributed among his servants, to be improved by them. 31A description of the last judgment.
1THEN1 shall the kingdom of heaven be 2likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.
1 Namely, when the Lord Christ shall come to judgment, of which was spoken at the end of the previous chapter.
2 This parable is taken from that which was usual in the wedding of those times, which were kept at night, in which the bridegroom with his company was fetched in by certain virgins and conducted to the bride with burning lamps or torches. See likewise Luke 12:35 of the same custom. And by the arrival of the bridegroom is understood the return of Christ unto judgment, verse 13. By the virgins, all who bear the name of Christians. By the wise, all upright, true believers. By the foolish, all who are Christians from the teeth outwards and hypocrites. By the lamps, the profession of the Christian faith. By the oil and light, the true faith, which is effectual by love. By midnight, the unexpected time of Christ’s coming. And by the wedding, the joys of eternal life.
2And five of them were 3wise, and five were foolish.
3 Gr. prudent.
3They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:
4But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.
5While the bridegroom tarried, they 4all slumbered and slept.
4 Namely, the wise as well as the foolish. For, even true believers do indeed sometimes slumber, but their faith and love is afterwards awake again.
6And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.
7Then all those virgins arose, and 5trimmed their lamps.
5 Gr. adorned.
8And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.
9But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.
10And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.
11Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, 6Lord, Lord, open to us.
6 Seeing it will then be too late, thereby is only given to understand that we must provide ourselves in time, John 9:4.
12But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, 7I knowa you not.
7 Namely, for Mine own. See Mat. 7:23.
a Mat. 7:23; Luke 13:25.
13Watchb therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.
b Mat. 24:42; Mark 13:33, 35.
14¶Forcthe kingdom of heaven is 8as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods.
c Luke 19:12.
8 By this parable we are admonished to take notice of the gifts which God renders us, everyone according to the measure of the same and to bestow them as may be most for the edification of others; with the promise of a gracious reward both here and hereafter, for those who do so, and the threat of heavy punishments against those who omit such. See John 15:2; 1 Cor. 12:5, 6, 7.
15And unto one he gave five talents,d to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several 9ability; and straightway took his journey.
d NT currency (Gr. talanton): 60 of the pounds in Lu. 19:13, $1,200
9 That is, understanding or competence, namely to trade and get gain. From which cannot be concluded that a man has power or competence of himself to use the gifts of God aright. For, in the Scripture throughout, it is witnessed that all our sufficiency is of God. See John 15:5; 1 Cor. 15:10; 2 Cor. 3:5.
16Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and 10made them other five talents.
10 Or, gained.
17And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two.
18But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord's money.
1911After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them.
11 Gr. after much time.
20And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained 12beside them five talents more.
12 Or, with, by.
21His lord said unto him, 13Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful overe a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: 14enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
13 Or, it is well, it goes well, thou hast done well.
e Mat. 24:45; Luke 12:42.
14 That is, enter with thy Lord into the place where he has his joy and glory. See Luke 22:30; John 17:24.
22He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them.
23His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
24Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an 15hard man, 16reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed:
15 Or, a severe.
16 This was a proverb, whereby is described a man who draws most keenly and conscientiously everything to his own advantage.
25And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine.
26His lord answered and said unto him, 17Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed:
17 That is, not the fear for my hardness, but your own malice and slothfulness is the cause thereof.
27Thou oughtest therefore to have 18put my money to the exchangers,f and then at my coming I should have received mine own with 19usury.
18 Gr. cast, or laid, namely, into the exchange bank.
f money-changer or banker
19 Gr. tokos, whereby is signified all manner of fruit or gain by the use of money, which is taken sometimes in a good, sometimes in an ill sense, according as the gain is either reasonable or unreasonable. See further, Luke 19:23.
28Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents.
29Forg unto 20every one 21that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him 22that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.
g Mat. 13:12; Mark 4:25; Luke 8:18; 19:26.
20 Gr. all.
21 That is, who employs and spends well the gift which he has.
22 That is, who does not make use of the gifts, or lets them lie idle, as if he had not had them.
30And cast ye the unprofitable servant into 23outer darkness: thereh shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
23 See Mat. 8:12.
h Mat. 8:12; 13:42; 22:13; 24:51; Luke 13:28.
31¶Wheni the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit 24upon the thronej of his glory:
i Mat. 16:27; 26:64; Mark 14:62; Luke 21:27; Acts 1:11; 1 Thes. 4:16; 2 Thes. 1:10; Rev. 1:7.
24 That is, upon His glorious throne, which shall be set up in the clouds. See Mat. 24:30; Rev. 1:7.
j Mat. 19:28.
32And before him shall be 25gathered all nations: andk he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:
25 Namely, by the ministry of the angels. See Mat. 13:41.
k Ezek. 34:17, 20; Mat. 13:49.
33And he shall set the sheep on his 26right hand, but the goats on the left.
26 Or, the right side; so likewise in the following.
34Then shall 27the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye 28blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom 29preparedl for you from the foundation of the world:
27 Namely, Christ, Who, in verse 31, is called the Son of man, and now here King, because He then shall be in the full dominion of His Kingdom.
28 Of this blessing, see Eph. 1:3, 4, 5.
29 Namely, of God, by and according to His eternal election, Eph. 1:4.
l Mat. 20:23; Mark 10:40.
35Form I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: In was a stranger, and ye 30took me in:
m Isa. 58:7; Ezek. 18:7.
n Heb. 13:2.
30 Gr. led, or took along, namely, to lodge.
36Naked,o and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye 31visited me: 32I was inp prison, and ye came unto me.
o Isa. 58:7; James 2:15, 16.
31 Or, took care of Me.
32 Under these related works of charity, are all other fruits of faith understood, which are here brought forward, not as meritorious causes of salvation, but as evident testimonies and signs of their faith, which for the merits of Christ, of grace, shall be rewarded, thereby to demonstrate the righteousness of His sentence in this judgment before the whole world. As appears out of the 34th verse, where the blessing of the Father is made the first cause of their salvation, and salvation is called an inheritance, and this is said to be prepared or ordained for them, before the foundation of the world was laid, Eph. 1:4.
p 2 Tim. 1:16.
37Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
38When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
39Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
40And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuchq as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, 33ye have done it unto me.
q Prov. 19:17; Mat. 10:42; Mark 9:41; John 13:20; 2 Cor. 9:6.
33 That is, I will esteem it as done to Myself, Acts 9:4.
41Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Departr from me, ye 34cursed, into everlastings fire, prepared for the 35devil and his angels:
r Psalm 6:8; Mat. 7:23; Luke 13:25, 27.
34 Namely, for those your sins, according to God’s righteous judgment, are being subject to the punishment of the everlasting curse.
s Isa. 30:33; Rev. 19:20.
35 So He calls the head of the wicked spirits who are here also called his angels, because the devil uses the same as his messengers, as Christ does His good angels, Rev. 12:7.
42For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:
43I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.
44Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?
45Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmucht as ye did it not to one of 36the least of these, ye did it not to me.
t Prov. 14:31; 17:5; Zech. 2:8.
36 Namely, who stand here at My right hand.
46Andu these shall go away into everlasting 37punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.
u Dan. 12:2; John 5:29.
37 Or, pain, or torment, as 1 John 4:18.