Church Fathers Commentary Matthew 25:1-13

"Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, who took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were foolish, and five were wise. For the foolish, when they took their lamps, took no oil with them: but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. Now while the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. But at midnight there is a cry, Behold, the bridegroom! Come ye forth to meet him. Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are going out. But the wise answered, saying, Peradventure there will not be enough for us and you: go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. And while they went away to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage feast: and the door was shut. Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. Watch therefore, for ye know not the day nor the hour." — Matthew 25:1-13 (ASV)

St. John Chrysostom: In the previous parable, the Lord described the punishment of the man who was violent, drunk, and wasted his Lord's goods. In this one, He declares the punishment for the one who does not profit and fails to prepare abundantly the things he needs; for the foolish virgins had oil, but not enough. ¹

St. Hilary of Poitiers: He says "Then" because this entire discourse concerns the great day of the Lord, about which He had been speaking previously.

St. Gregory the Great: By "the kingdom of heaven" is meant the present Church, as in the passage, The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all things that offend (Matthew 13:41). ²

St. Jerome: Some interpret this parable of the ten foolish and ten wise virgins literally, referring to actual virgins. According to the Apostle,ⁱ some are virgins in both body and thought. Others have indeed preserved their bodies as virgins but lack the other deeds of virgins, or have only been kept pure by the guardianship of their parents but have married in their hearts.

However, based on what has come before, I think the meaning is different, and that the parable refers not only to virgins but to the entire human race.

St. Gregory the Great: In each of the five bodily senses there is a double instrument, and the number five doubled makes ten. And because the company of the faithful is gathered from both sexes, the Holy Church is described as being like ten virgins. Since the bad are mixed with the good, and the reprobate with the elect, it is like a mixture of wise and foolish virgins.

St. John Chrysostom: And He uses the character of virgins in this parable to show that even though virginity is a great thing, if it is not accompanied by works of mercy, it will be cast out with the adulterers.

Origen of Alexandria: Or, the minds of all who have received the word of God are virgins. For such is the word of God that it imparts its purity to all who, by its teaching, have departed from the worship of idols and have, through Christ, drawn near to the worship of God; who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom and the bride.ⁱ

They take "their lamps"—that is, their natural faculties—and go out from the world and its errors to meet the Savior, who is always ready to enter with those who are worthy into His blessed bride, the Church.

St. Hilary of Poitiers: Or, "The bridegroom and the bride" represent our Lord God in the body, for the flesh is the bride of the spirit. "The lamps" are the light of bright souls, which shine forth in the sacrament of baptism.ⁱ

St. Augustine of Hippo: Or, "The lamps" which they carry in their hands are their works, of which it was said above, Let your light so shine before men (Matthew 5:16). ³

Origen of Alexandria: Those who believe rightly and live righteously are likened to the five wise; those who profess the faith of Jesus but do not prepare for salvation by good works are likened to the five foolish.

St. Jerome: For there are five senses which hasten toward heavenly things and seek what is above. Of sight, hearing, and touch, it is specially said, That which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon and our hands have handled (1 John 1:1). Of taste, Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good! (Psalm 34:8). Of smell, Because of the fragrance of your good ointments (Song of Songs 1:3). There are also five other senses which crave earthly husks.

St. Augustine of Hippo: Or, the five virgins denote a five-fold continence from the allurements of the flesh, for our appetite must be restrained from the gratification of the eyes, ears, smell, taste, and touch. And as this continence can be practiced before God to please Him with the inward joy of a clear conscience, or practiced only before men to gain their applause, five are called wise, and five foolish. Both are virgins, because both groups exercise continence, though from different motives.

Origen of Alexandria: And because the virtues are so linked together that whoever has one has them all, so all the senses follow one another, so that all must be wise, or all foolish.

St. Hilary of Poitiers: Or, the five wise and five foolish represent an absolute distinction between believers and unbelievers.

St. Gregory the Great: It is to be observed that all have lamps, but not all have oil.

St. Hilary of Poitiers: The "oil" is the fruit of good works; the "vessels" are the human bodies, in whose inward parts the treasure of a good conscience is to be stored.

St. Jerome: The virgins that have oil are those who, besides their faith, have the ornament of good works. Those who do not have oil are those who seem to confess with a similar faith but neglect the works of virtue.

St. Augustine of Hippo: Or, the "oil" denotes joy, according to the verse, God has anointed you with the oil of gladness (Psalm 45:7). Therefore, the one whose joy does not spring from being inwardly pleasing to God has no oil, for they find no gladness in their lives of continence except in the praises of men.

"But the wise took oil with their lamps," that is, the gladness of good works, "in their vessels," meaning they stored it in their heart and conscience, as the Apostle says, Let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor (Galatians 6:4).

St. John Chrysostom: Or, the "oil" denotes charity, alms, and all aid given to the needy; the lamps denote the gifts of virginity. He calls them "foolish" because after having gone through the greater toil, they lost everything for the sake of something lesser; for it is a greater labor to overcome the desires of the flesh than those of money.

Origen of Alexandria: Or, the "oil" is the word of teaching, with which the vessels of souls are filled; for what gives such great contentment as moral discourse, which is called the oil of light? The "wise" took with them enough of this oil to suffice, even if the Word should tarry long and be slow to come to their consummation.

The "foolish" took lamps, lit at first, but not supplied with enough oil to last to the end, being careless about the provision of doctrine that comforts faith and enlightens the lamp of good deeds.

St. Augustine of Hippo: For men of both kinds die in this interval of time before the resurrection of the dead and the Lord's coming.

St. Gregory the Great: To sleep is to die; to slumber before sleep is to fall away from salvation before death, because through the burden of sickness we come to the sleep of death.

St. Jerome: Or, "They slumbered," that is, they were dead. And then follows, "And slept," because they were to be awakened afterward. "While the bridegroom tarried" shows that a considerable time intervened between the Lord's first and second coming.

Origen of Alexandria: Or, while the bridegroom "tarried," and the Word does not come quickly to the consummation of this life, the senses suffer, slumbering and moving in the world's night. They sleep, functioning feebly and with no sharp perception. Yet those wise virgins did not abandon their lamps, nor did they despair of hoarding their oil.

St. Jerome: The Jews have a tradition that Christ will come at midnight, in the same way as in that visitation of Egypt, when the Paschal feast is celebrated, the destroyer comes, the Lord passes over our dwellings, and the doorposts of each person's face are hallowed by the blood of the Lamb.

From this, I suppose, the apostolic tradition has continued among us that on the vigil of Easter the people should not be dismissed before midnight, in expectation of Christ's coming. But when that hour has passed, they may celebrate the feast in security. From this the Psalmist also says, At midnight I rise to give you thanks (Psalm 119:62).ⁱ

St. Augustine of Hippo: Or, "At midnight" means when no one knew or was expecting it.

St. Jerome: Thus, suddenly, as on a stormy night and when all think themselves secure, at the hour of deepest sleep, the coming of Christ will be proclaimed by the shout of angels and the trumpets of the Powers that go before Him. This is meant when it says, Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!

St. Hilary of Poitiers: At the trumpet signal they go out to meet the bridegroom alone, for then the two will become one—that is, the flesh and God—when the lowliness of the flesh will be transformed into spiritual glory.

St. Augustine of Hippo: Or, that the virgins go out to meet the bridegroom alone, I think should be understood to mean that the virgins themselves constitute the one who is called the bride. This is similar to how we speak of Christians flocking to the Church as children running to their mother, and yet this same mother consists only of the children who are gathered together. For now the Church is betrothed and is to be led forth as a virgin to the marriage. This takes place when, all her mortal part having passed away, she may be held in an eternal union.

Origen of Alexandria: Or, "At midnight," that is, at the time of their most reckless carelessness, "there was a great cry," of the angels, I suppose, desiring to arouse all people. Those ministering spirits cry out within the senses of all who sleep, Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him. All heard this summons and rose, but not all were able to trim their lamps properly. The lamps of the senses are trimmed by their evangelical and right use, and those who use their senses wrongly have their lamps untrimmed.

St. Gregory the Great: Or, "All the virgins arose," that is, both the elect and the reprobate are roused from the sleep of death. They "trimmed their lamps," that is, they reckon up their works for which they expect to receive eternal blessedness.

St. Augustine of Hippo: They "trimmed their lamps," that is, they prepared to give an account of their deeds.

St. Hilary of Poitiers: Or, the trimming of their lamps is the return of their souls into their bodies, and their light is the shining consciousness of good works, which is contained in the vessels of the body.

St. Gregory the Great: The lamps of the foolish virgins go out because their works, which appeared bright to men outwardly, are dimmed within at the Judge's coming. When they then beg for oil from the wise virgins, what is it but this: that at the Judge's coming, finding themselves empty within, they seek for testimony from without? As though deceived by their own self-confidence, they say to their neighbors, "Since you see us rejected as if we lived without works, bear witness to our works that you have seen."

St. Augustine of Hippo: Out of habit, the mind seeks what usually gives it pleasure. And so these now seek from men, who cannot see the heart, a testimony for God, who does see the heart. But their lamps go out, because when that testimony is withdrawn, the good works of those who rely on it sink into nothing.

St. Jerome: Or, these virgins who complain that their lamps have gone out show that they are partially lit, yet they do not have an unfailing light or enduring works. Whoever, then, has a virgin soul and is a lover of chastity, should not rest content with virtues that fade quickly and are withered away when the heat comes upon them, but should follow after perfect virtues, that he may have an enduring light.

St. John Chrysostom: Or otherwise, these virgins were foolish not only because they departed from this life lacking a store of mercy, but because they thought they could receive it from those from whom they urgently begged it. For although nothing could be more merciful than those wise virgins—who were approved for this very mercy—they would not grant the foolish virgins' prayer. From this we learn that on that day, none of us will be able to stand as a patronⁱ for those who are betrayed by their own works, not because he is unwilling, but because he is unable.

St. Jerome: For these wise virgins do not answer this way out of greed, but out of fear. Therefore, each person will receive the reward for their own works, and the virtues of one cannot atone for the vices of another in the day of judgment. The wise admonish them not to go to meet the bridegroom without oil: Go instead to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.

St. Hilary of Poitiers: Those who sell are the poor, who, needing the alms of the faithful, gave them the recompense they desire, selling, in return for the relief given to their needs, a consciousness of good works. This is the abundant fuel of an undying light which may be bought and stored up for the fruits of mercy.

St. John Chrysostom: You see, then, what great merchants the poor are for us. But the poor are not there; they are here. Therefore, we must store up oil here so that we may have it to use there when the occasion requires.

St. Jerome: And this oil is sold, and at a high cost, nor is it to be gotten without much toil, so that we understand this refers not only to alms but to all virtues and the counsels of teachers.

Origen of Alexandria: Otherwise, notwithstanding that they were foolish, they still understood that they must have light to go and meet the bridegroom, so that all the lights of their senses might be burning. This also they discerned: that because they had little of the spiritual oil, their lamps would burn dimly as darkness drew near. But the wise send the foolish to those that sell, seeing that they had not stored up so much oil—that is, word of doctrine—as would suffice both for themselves to live by and to teach others. Go instead to those who sell, that is, to the teachers, and buy, that is, take from them. The price is perseverance, the love of learning, industry, and the toil of all who are willing to learn.

St. Augustine of Hippo: Or we may suppose this is not meant as advice on what they should do, but as an indirect reference to their fault. For flatterers sell oil; by praising what is false and unknown, they lead souls astray, recommending to them, as foolish, empty joys, and receiving in return some temporal benefit.

Go instead to those who sell, and buy for yourselves—that is, "Let us now see what profit you can get from those who used to sell you their praise." Lest there not be enough for us and you, because no one profits in God's sight by the testimony of others, for God sees the heart, and each person is barely able to give testimony concerning his own conscience.

St. Jerome: But because the time for buying was now past, and the day of judgment was coming on, there was no room for repentance. They could not now store up new works, but had to give an account of the old ones.

St. Hilary of Poitiers: "The marriage" is the putting on of immortality, and the joining of corruption and incorruption in a new union.

St. John Chrysostom: The phrase, While they went to buy, shows that even if we were to become merciful after death, it would do us no good in escaping punishment, just as it was no profit to the rich man that he became merciful and careful about those who belonged to him.

Origen of Alexandria: Or, He says, While they went to buy, because there are people to be found who have neglected to learn anything useful until, at the very end of their lives, when they finally apply themselves to learning, they are overtaken by death.

St. Augustine of Hippo: Or otherwise: "While they went to buy," that is, while they turned to things without and sought to find pleasure in things they had been accustomed to, because they did not know inward joys, the One who judges came. And they "that were ready"—that is, those whose conscience bore witness for them before God—"went in with him to the wedding," that is, to where the pure soul is fruitfully united to the pure and perfect Word of God.

St. Jerome: After the day of judgment, there is no more opportunity for good works or for righteousness, and therefore it follows, And the door was shut.

St. Augustine of Hippo: When those who have been changed into angelic beings have been taken in, all entrance into the kingdom of heaven is closed. After the judgment, there is no longer any place for prayers or merit.ⁱ

St. Hilary of Poitiers: Yet even though the time for repentance is now past, the foolish virgins come and beg that entrance may be granted to them.

St. Jerome: Their worthy confession, calling Him, Lord, Lord, is a mark of faith. But what good is it to confess with your mouth the One whom you deny with your works?

Glossa Ordinaria: Grief at their exclusion extorts from them this repeated title of "Lord;" they do not call Him Father, whose mercy they despised during their lives. ⁴

St. Augustine of Hippo: It is not said that they bought any oil, and therefore we must suppose that with all their delight in human praise gone, they return in distress and affliction to implore God. But His severity after judgment is as great as His mercy was unspeakable before. "But He answered and said, Truly I say to you, I do not know you." This is according to the rule that the art of God—that is, His wisdom—does not permit those to enter His joy who have sought to do anything according to His commandments merely to please men, rather than to please God.

St. Jerome: For the Lord knows those who are his (2 Timothy 2:19), and whoever does not know will not be known. And though they may be virgins in bodily purity or in their confession of the true faith, yet because they have no oil, they are unknown to the bridegroom. When He adds, Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour, He means that everything that has been said points to this: namely, that since we do not know the day of judgment, we should be careful in providing the light of good works.

St. Augustine of Hippo: For indeed, we know neither the day nor the hour of that future time when the Bridegroom will come, nor of our own falling asleep. If we are prepared for the latter, we will also be prepared when that voice sounds which will arouse us all.

There have been some who would refer these ten virgins to the coming of Christ that takes place now in the Church, but this view should not be proposed hastily, lest something contradictory should arise from it. ⁵

1. Hom. lxxviii
2. Hom. in Ev., xii, 1
3. Lib. 83 Quaest, Q59
4. ap. Anselm
5. Ep. 199, 45