Matthew 25:4 BSB — MannaFest

Matthew 25:4

But the wise ones took oil in flasks along with their lamps.

BSB

Parallel translations (2) ▾

ASV

but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.

KJV

But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.

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Commentary

7 voices

Origen of Alexandria

Catena Aurea by Aquinas (253)

Or, The oil is the word of teaching, with which the vessels of souls are filled; for what gives so great content as moral discourse, which is called the oil of light. The wise took with them of this oil, as much as would suffice, though the Word should tarry long, and be slack to come to their consummation. The foolish took lamps, alight indeed at the first, but not supplied with so much oil as should suffice even to the end, being careless respecting the provision of doctrine which comforts faith, and enlightens the lamp of good deeds.

The record, by era

The Medieval Church1 voice

Gregory the Dialogist

Forty Gospel Homilies, Homily 12 (604)

For by oil the splendor of glory is signified; and our vessels are our hearts, in which we carry all that we think. The wise therefore have oil in their vessels, because they retain the splendor of glory within their conscience, as Paul attests when he says: "Our glory is this, the testimony of our conscience." But the foolish virgins do not take oil with them, because they do not have glory within their conscience, since they seek it from the lips of their neighbors.

The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices

John Wesley

1703–1791

Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament (1755)

The wise took oil in their vessels - Love in their hearts. And they daily sought a fresh supply of spiritual strength, till their faith was made perfect.

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

But remember that this oil which keeps the lamps burning, is derived to the candlestick from Jesus Christ, the great and good Olive, by the golden pipes of the ordinances, as it is represented in that vision ( Zech. iv. 2, 3, 12 ), which is explained John i. 16 , Of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.

The Nineteenth Century3 voices

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible (1832)

Took oil in their vessels - They not only had a sufficiency of oil in their lamps, but they carried a vessel with oil to recruit their lamps, when it should be found expedient. This the foolish or improvident neglected to do: hence, when the oil that was in their lamps burned out, they had none to pour into the lamp to maintain the flame.

J.C. Ryle

1816–1900

Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Matthew (1856)

The chapter we have now begun is a continuation of our Lord’s prophetic discourse on the Mount of Olives. The time to which it refers is plain and unmistakable: from first to last, there is a continual reference to the second advent of Christ and the end of the world. The whole chapter contains three great divisions. In the first, our Lord uses his own second coming as an argument for watchfulness and heart-religion: this he does by the parable of the ten virgins.

Voices on this verse

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Original language & word study

12 tagged words

Original	Transliteration	Meaning	Word study
αἱ	hai	<the>	G3588 →
δὲ	de	but	G1161 →
φρόνιμοι	phronimoi	the wise	G5429 →
ἔλαβον	elabon	took	G2983 →
ἔλαιον	elaion	oil	G1637 →
ἐν	en	in	G1722 →
τοῖς	tois	the	G3588 →
ἀγγείοις	angeiois	vessels	G30 →
μετὰ	meta	with	G3326 →
τῶν	tōn	the	G3588 →
λαμπάδων	lampadōn	lamps	G2985 →
ἑαυτῶν.	he'autōn	their own.	G1438 →

Rare words are the text's own signal of a deliberate thread: the fewer the occurrences, the more the places it appears belong together.

The walk

The walk8

Where the connections lead

Follow this verse’s cross-references two steps out. Each card is a verse this one points to, and beneath it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several different paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it. Every stop shows its own words, and every stop is a page.

Through
1 John 2:27
And as for you, the anointing you received from Him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But just as His true and genuine anointing teaches you about all…
leads to
- John 14:26
  But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have told you.
  Reached by 2 independent paths from here.
- 1 John 2:20–21
  You, however, have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth.
- 1 Corinthians 2:13
  And this is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom, but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words.
- John 16:13
  However, when the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth. For He will not speak on His own, but He will speak what He hears, and He will declare to…
- Jeremiah 31:33–34
  “But this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD. I will put My law in their minds and inscribe it on their hearts. And…
Through
Romans 8:9
You, however, are controlled not by the flesh, but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong…
leads to
- Galatians 4:6
  And because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!”
- 1 Corinthians 3:16
  Do you not know that you yourselves are God’s temple, and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?
- 2 Timothy 1:14
  Guard the treasure entrusted to you, with the help of the Holy Spirit who dwells in us.