The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take along any extra oil.
Parallel translations
- WEB Those who were foolish, when they took their lamps, took no oil with them,
- KJV They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:
- NKJV Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them,
- NASB For when the foolish took their lamps, they did not take extra oil with them;
- NLT The five who were foolish didn’t take enough olive oil for their lamps,
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The foolish took their lamps but no extra oil. They looked prepared but lacked what sustains them.
Overview
The foolish virgins make a show of readiness without the resource needed to endure a delay. The oil, often understood as genuine faith or the Spirit's inward work, is what distinguishes true preparation. Their failure is not lack of profession but lack of substance. Jesus warns against a discipleship that is form without reality.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 8
- Rev 3:15–16I know your deeds; you are neither cold nor hot. How I wish you were one or the other!
- 2 Tim 3:5having a form of godliness but denying its power. Turn away from such as these!
- Isa 48:1–2“Listen to this, O house of Jacob, you who are called by the name of Israel, who have descended from the line of Judah, who swear by the name of the LORD, who invoke the God of Israel—but not in truth or righteousness—
- Isa 58:2For day after day they seek Me and delight to know My ways, like a nation that does what is right and does not forsake the justice of their God. They ask Me for righteous judgments; they delight in the nearness of God.”
- Rev 3:1“To the angel of the church in Sardis write: These are the words of the One who holds the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your deeds; you have a reputation for being alive, yet you are dead.
- Heb 12:15See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God, and that no root of bitterness springs up to cause trouble and defile many.
- Matt 23:25–26Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.
- Ezek 33:3and he sees the sword coming against that land and blows the ram’s horn to warn the people.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
Matthew presents Jesus as the promised King — son of David, son of Abraham — the new Moses and true Israel in whom every prophecy reaches 'that it might be fulfilled.'
How Matthew 25:3 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.