Matthew 25 · Verse 2

Matthew 25:2

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

Matthew 25:2, King James Version

Matthew 25:2 in other translations

BSB	Five of them were foolish, and five were wise.
WEB	Five of them were foolish, and five were wise.
ASV	And five of them were foolish, and five were wise.
YLT	and five of them were prudent, and five foolish;
DARBY	And five of them were prudent and five foolish.
BBE	And five of them were foolish, and five were wise.
Webster	And five of them were wise, and five were foolish.

What does Matthew 25:2 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

2. And five of them were wise, and five were foolish--They are not distinguished into good and bad, as Trench observes, but into "wise" and "foolish"--just as in Mt 7:25-27 those who reared their house for eternity are distinguished into "wise" and "foolish builders"; because in both cases a certain degree of goodwill towards the truth is assumed. To make anything of the equal number of both classes would, we think, be precarious, save to warn us how large a portion of those who, up to the last, so nearly resemble those that love Christ's appearing will be disowned by Him when He comes.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes

Verses 2-4. And five of them were wise. The words wise and foolish, here, refer only to their conduct in regard to the oil. The one part was wise in taking oil, the other foolish in neglecting it. The conduct of those who were wise refers to those who are prepared for the coming of Christ--prepared by possessing real piety, and not merely profession. The conduct of those without oil expresses the conduct of those who profess to love him, but are destitute of true grace, and are unprepared to meet him. Nothing can be argued from the number here, in regard to the proportion of sincere Christians among professors. Circumstances in parables are not to be pressed literally. They are necessary to keep up the story, and we must look chiefly or entirely to the scope or design of the parable to understand its meaning. In this parable the scope is to teach us to watch or be ready, Mt 25:13. It is not to teach us the number of those who shall be saved, and those who shall not. In teaching us to watch and be ready, our Lord gives great additional interest by the circumstances of this narrative; but there is no authority for saying that he meant to teach that just half of professing Christians would be deceived. The probability is, that nothing like that number will be found to have been hypocrites.

Oil in their vessels. The five foolish virgins probably expected that the bridegroom would come immediately. They therefore provided for no delay, and no uncertainty. The wise virgins knew that the time of his coming was uncertain, and they therefore furnished themselves with oil. This was carried in vessels, so that it could be poured on the torch or flambeaux when it was necessary.

Vessels. Cups, cans, or anything to hold oil.

(u) "And five" Jer 24:2-9, Mt 22:10

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 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 necessary. These did not see that it was necessary to have oil in their vessels, (the salvation of God in their souls), as well as a burning lamp of religious profession, Mat 25:3, Mat 25:4.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Matthew 25:1-13

The circumstances of the parable of the ten virgins were taken from the marriage customs among the Jews, and explain the great day of Christ's coming. See the nature of Christianity. As Christians we profess to attend upon Christ, to honour him, also to be waiting for his coming. Sincere Christians are the wise virgins, and hypocrites the foolish ones. Those are the truly wise or foolish that are so in the affairs…

Read the full comment on Matthew 25:1-13 →

Matthew 25:2 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

πέντεpenteFiveG4002

δὲdenowG1161

ἐξexofG1537

αὐτῶνautōnthemG846

ἦσανēsanwereG1510

μωραὶmōraifoolishG3474

καὶkaiandG2532

πέντεpentefiveG4002

φρόνιμοι·phronimoiwise;G5429

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Matthew 25:2

Jeremiah 24:2
One basket had very good figs, even like the figs that are first ripe: and the other basket had very naughty figs, which could not be eaten, they were so bad.
1 Corinthians 10:1-5
Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; And did all eat the same spiritual meat; And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. …
Matthew 13:47-48
Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind: Which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away.
Matthew 13:19-23
When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side. But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it; Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended. He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful. …
1 John 2:19
They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.
Jude 1:5
I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not.
Matthew 13:38-43
The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; …
Matthew 24:45
Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season?
Matthew 22:10-11
So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests. And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment:
Matthew 7:24-27
Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

7:24-27; 13:19-23,38-43,47,48; 22:10,11; Jer 24:2; 1Co 10:1-5
1Jo 2:19; Jude 1:5

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

Matthew 25:1
Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.
Matthew 25:2
And five of them were wise, and five were foolish.
Matthew 25:3
They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:

Read all of Matthew 25

Matthew 25:2 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Y las cinco de ellas eran prudentes, y las cinco fatuas.
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	Et cinq d’entre elles étaient prudentes, et cinq folles.
German Elberfelder 1871	Fünf aber von ihnen waren klug und fünf töricht.
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Quinque autem ex eis erant fatuæ, et quinque prudentes: