Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

“The world "slumbered" signifies, simply, "nodded," or, "became drowsy"; while the world "slept" is the usual word for lying down to sleep, denoting two stages of spiritual declension--first, that half-involuntary lethargy or drowsiness which is apt to steal ov…”

“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…”

“Are we, then--with some even superior expositors--to conclude that the foolish virgins must represent true Christians as well as do the wise, since only true Christians have the Spirit, and that the difference between the two classes consists only in the one h…”

“And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out--rather, as in the Margin, "are going out"; for oil will not light an extinguished lamp, though it will keep a burning one from going out.”

“Also, when the parable speaks of "selling" and "buying" that valuable article, it means simply, "Go, get it in the only legitimate way." And yet the word "buy" is significant; for we are elsewhere bidden, "buy wine and milk without money and without price," an…”

“But the Bridegroom comes; the ready are admitted; "the door is shut," and they are undone. How graphic and appalling this picture of one almost saved--but lost!”

“Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us--In Mt 7:22 this reiteration of the name was an exclamation rather of surprise; here it is a piteous cry of urgency, bordering on despair. Ah! now at length their eyes are wide open, and t…”

“But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not--The attempt to establish a difference between "I know you not" here, and "I never knew you" in Mt 7:23 --as if this were gentler, and so implied a milder fate, reserved for "the foolish" of thi…”

“Christ's "servants" here mean all who, by their Christian profession, stand in the relation to Him of entire subjection. His "goods" mean all their gifts and endowments, whether original or acquired, natural or spiritual.”

“In both cases, it denotes the leaving of men to the action of all those spiritual laws and influences of Heaven under which they have been graciously placed for their own salvation and the advancement of their Lord's kingdom.”

“His lord said unto him, Well done--a single word, not of bare satisfaction, but of warm and delighted commendation. And from what Lips! thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things, &c.”

“He also that had received two talents came . . . good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things--Both are commended in the same terms, and the reward of both is precisely the same.”

“Thou wicked and slothful servant--"Wicked" or "bad" means "falsehearted," as opposed to the others, who are emphatically styled "good servants." The addition of "slothful" is to mark the precise nature of his wickedness: it consisted, it seems, not in his doin…”

“And cast ye--cast ye out. the unprofitable servant--the useless servant, that does his Master no service. into outer darkness--the darkness which is outside.”

“When the Son of man shall come in his glory--His personal glory. and all the holy angels with him--See De 33:2; 1Pe 3:22. then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory--the glory of His judicial authority.”

“If it be said, But how can this be the general judgment, if only those within the Christian pale be embraced by it?--we answer, What is here described, as it certainly does not meet the case of all the family of Adam, is of course so far not general. But we ha…”

“This is the holy love whose practical manifestations the King is about to recount in detail; and thus we see that their whole life of love to Christ is the fruit of an eternal purpose of love to them in Christ.”

“To us it seems a poor, superficial objection to the Christian view of this scene, that Christians could never be supposed to ask such questions as the "blessed of Christ's Father" are made to ask here. If there were any difficulty in explaining this, the diffi…”

“This is said to be "prepared for the devil and his angels," because they were "first in transgression." But both have one doom, because one unholy character. but the righteous into life eternal--that is, "life everlasting." The word in both clauses, being in …”

“A short time before, the promise of this sordid pelf was temptation enough to his covetous heart to outweigh the most overwhelming obligations of duty and love; now, the possession of it so lashes him that he cannot use it, cannot even keep it!”

“And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that--"Guilty or innocent is nothing to us: We have Him now--begone!" Was ever speech more hellish uttered?”

“How is this to be explained? Perhaps he flung the money in after them. But thus were fulfilled the words of the prophet--"I cast them to the potter in the house of the Lord" (Zec 11:13). and departed, and went and hanged himself--For the details, see on Ac …”

“And the chief priests took the silver pieces, and said, It is not lawful for to put them into the treasury--"the Corban," or chest containing the money dedicated to sacred purposes (see on Mt 15:5). because it is the price of blood--How scrupulous now! But t…”

“Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying-- (Zec 11:12, 13). Never was a complicated prophecy, otherwise hopelessly dark, more marvellously fulfilled. Various conjectures have been formed to account for Matthew's ascribing to Jere…”

“Into this holiest of all none might enter, not even the high priest, save once a year, on the great day of atonement, and then only with the blood of atonement in his hands, which he sprinkled "upon and before the mercy seat seven times" (Le 16:14) --to sign…”