Matthew 25 · Verse 6

Matthew 25:6

And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.

Matthew 25:6, King James Version

Matthew 25:6 in other translations

BSB	At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’
WEB	But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Behold! The bridegroom is coming! Come out to meet him!’
ASV	But at midnight there is a cry, Behold, the bridegroom! Come ye forth to meet him.
YLT	and in the middle of the night a cry was made, Lo, the bridegroom doth come; go ye forth to meet him.
DARBY	But in the middle of the night there was a cry, Behold, the bridegroom; go forth to meet him.
BBE	But in the middle of the night there is a cry, The husband comes! Go out to him.
Webster	And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.

What does Matthew 25:6 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

6. And at midnight--that is, the time when the Bridegroom will be least expected; for "the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night" (1Th 5:2). there was a cry made, Behold, the Bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him--that is, Be ready to welcome Him.

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

Barnes' Notes

Verse 6. At midnight. Later than was the usual custom, and hence they had fallen asleep.

A cry made. Of those who were coming with the bridegroom.

(y) "midnight" Rev 16:15 (z) "a cry made" 1Thes 4:16

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 6 At midnight there was a cry - The Jewish weddings were generally celebrated in the night; yet they usually began at the rising of the evening star; but in this case there was a more than ordinary delay. Behold, the bridegroom cometh - What an awful thing to be summoned to appear before the Judge of quick and dead! The following is an affecting relation, and fas est ab hoste doceri. "When Rabbi Jochanan ben Zachai was sick, his disciples came to visit him; and when he saw them he began to weep. They say to him, Rabbi! the light of Israel, the right hand pillar, the strong hammer, wherefore dost thou weep? He answered them, If they were carrying me before a king of flesh and blood, who is here today, and to-morrow in the grave; who, if he were angry with me, his anger would not last for ever: if he put me in prison, his prison would not be everlasting; if he condemned me to death, that death would not be eternal; whom I could soothe with words or bribe with riches; yet even in these circumstances I should weep. But now I am going before the King of kings, the holy and the blessed God, who liveth and endureth for ever and for ever; who, if he be angry with me, his anger will last for ever; if he put me in prison, his bondage will be everlasting; if he condemn me to death, that death will be eternal; whom I cannot soothe with words nor bribe with riches: when, farther, there are before me two ways, the one to hell and the other to paradise, and I know not in which they are carrying me, shall I not weep?" Talmud Beracoth, fol. 29.

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 25:6 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.

ΜέσηςMesēsAt middleG3319

δὲdethenG1161

νυκτὸςnuktosof [the] nightG3571

κραυγὴkraugēa cryG2906

γέγονεν·gegonenthere was:G1096

ἰδοὺidouBeholdG2400

ὁhotheG3588

νυμφίοςnumphiosbridegroomG3566

ἐξέρχεσθεexerchesthedo go forthG1831

εἰςeistoG1519

ἀπάντησινapantēsinmeetG529

αὐτοῦ.autouhim!G846

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

Cross references for Matthew 25:6

2 Peter 3:10
But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
John 5:28-29
Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.
Matthew 24:31
And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
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 24:44
Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.
Isaiah 25:9
And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the Lord; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.
Malachi 3:1-2
Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the Lord of hosts. But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner’s fire, and like fullers’ soap:
Luke 12:20
But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?
2 Thessalonians 1:7-10
And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day.
Amos 4:12
Therefore thus will I do unto thee, O Israel: and because I will do this unto thee, prepare to meet thy God, O Israel.
Revelation 16:15
Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.
Luke 12:38-40
And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants. And this know, that if the goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through. Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

at.
24:44; Mr 13:33-37; Lu 12:20,38-40,46; 1Th 5:1-3; Re 16:15
a cry.
24:31; Joh 5:28,29; 1Th 4:16; 2Pe 3:10
Behold.
31; Ps 50:3-6; 96:13; 98:9; 2Th 1:7-10; Jude 1:14,15
go.
1; Isa 25:9; Am 4:12; Mal 3:1,2; Re 19:7-9

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

Context

Matthew 25:5
While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.
Matthew 25:6
And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.
Matthew 25:7
Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.

Read all of Matthew 25

Matthew 25:6 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Y á la media noche fué oído un clamor: He aquí, el esposo viene; salid á recibirle.
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	Mais au milieu de la nuit il se fit un cri: Voici l’époux; sortez à sa rencontre.
German Elberfelder 1871	Um Mitternacht aber entstand ein Geschrei: Siehe, der Bräutigam! gehet aus, ihm entgegen!
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Media autem nocte clamor factus est: Ecce sponsus venit, exite obviam ei.