43. Would come (épyerar). Rev., was coming. But the present is graphically thrown in as in vv, 40, 41: es coming or cometh.
Broken up (Svopvyjva). Rev., broken through. See on Matt. vi. 19. Wye., undermined.
45. In due season (év capo). At the regular hours which his Lord observes when at home; and not delaying because he thinks that his Lord delayeth his coming (ver. 48), but doing his duty in its appointed time.
1. Lamps (Aaurdéas). Lit., torches. Probably a short, wooden stem held in the hand, with a dish at the top, in which was a piece of cloth dipped in oil or pitch.
3. They that were foolish (afrwes papal). Read ai yap popal, forthe foolish. The for justifies the epithet foolish in the preceding verse.
5. Slumbered and slept (évictakav Kai éxdJevoov). Slum- bered is, literally, nodded. Note the variation of tense. Modded is aorist, denoting a transient act, the initial stage of slumber. They dropped their heads. Slept is imperfect, of continuous slumber.
6. There was a cry made (xpavyn yéyover). Rev., there is acry. The verb is in the perfect tense, representing the past _ event as perpetuated in the present result, and hence is rendered by the English present. A great and decisive change was the
132 WORD STUDIES IN THE NEW TESTAMENT. ([Cu. XXV.
result of the cry. No more sleeping, waiting, or silence. There is acry, and behold the awaking, the bustle, the trimming of lamps and the running to the oil-vendors.
To meet him (eis drdvrnow). The translation can hardly convey the meaning of the Greek phrase, which implies a cus- tom or familiar ceremony. Come forth unto meeting.
7. Then all those virgins arose (rote nyépInoav Tacat at / > tal . . mapSévo. éxeivar). The Greek order is expressive. Then arose all the virgins, those former ones. Those (éxetvar) a pronoun of remoter reference, and emphatic by its position at the end of the sentence.
Trimmed (éxoopnoav). From xoopes, order, and meaning to put in order or arrange. Tynd., prepared. Trench (“ Para- bles”) quotes from Ward (‘“ View of the Hindoos”), describing a marriage ceremony in India: “ After waiting two or three hours, at length near midnight it was announced, as in the very words of Scripture, ‘ Behold the bridegroom cometh ; go ye out to meet him.’ All the persons employed now lighted their lamps, and ran with them in their hands to fill up their stations in the procession. Some of them had lost their lights, and were unprepared, but it was then too late to seek them, and the cavalcade moved forward.”
Their lamps (éavra@v). Lit., “ their own lamps ;” emphasiz- ing the personal preparation in contrast with the foolish, who depended for supply on their fellows.
8. Are gone out (cSévvvvta). The A. V. misses the graphic force of the continuous present, denoting something in progress. They see the flame waning and flickering, and ery, Our lamps are going out! So Rev.
9. Not so, lest, ete. (uote ov 7 apxéon). The Greek does not give the blunt negative of the A. V. It is a more courteous form of refusal, making the reason for refusing to supply the
Cu. XXV.] MATTHEW. 183
place of the negative. Give us of your oil, say the foolish. The wise reply, Lest perchance there be not by any means (ov un, the double negative) enough. The Rev. gives it very happily. Peradventure there will not be enough, ete.
10. And while they went (azepyoudvwv). A present parti- ciple, and very graphic: while they are going away.
They that were ready (ai €rouor). Lit., the ready or pre- pared ones.
To the marriage (ydwous). Marriage-feast, as Matt. xxii. 2, 3,4; and so Rev.
11. Lord, lord. Applying directly to the bridegroom, whose will was supreme, now that he had arrived at the bride’s residence. )
14. Travelling (arodypav). The sense is more nearly about to travel, like our gowg abroad.