Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them,
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:
- BSB The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take along any extra oil.
- 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 3:15–16“I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were cold or hot.
- 2 Tim 3:5holding a form of godliness, but having denied its power. Turn away from these, also.
- Isa 48:1–2“Hear this, house of Jacob, you who are called by the name of Israel, and have come out of the waters of Judah. You swear by Yahweh’s name, and make mention of the God of Israel, but not in truth, nor in righteousness
- Isa 58:2Yet they seek me daily, and delight to know my ways. As a nation that did righteousness, and didn’t forsake the ordinance of their God, they ask of me righteous judgments. They delight to draw near to God.
- Rev 3:1“And to the angel of the assembly in Sardis write: “He who has the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars says these things: “I know your works, that you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead.
- Heb 12:15looking carefully lest there be any man who falls short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and many be defiled by it;
- Matt 23:25–26“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and unrighteousness.
- Ezek 33:3if, when he sees the sword come on the land, he blow the trumpet, and warn the people;
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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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.