the sense of heightening the low flame in their lamps, but in that of hastily drawing up
the wick and lighting it, when, as there was no oil in the vessels, the flame, of course,
immediately died out. 'Then the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our
lamps are going out. But the wise answered, saying: Not at all12 - it will never13 suffice
for us and you! Go ye rather to the sellers, and buy for your own selves.'
12. Μηποτε. See Grimm, ad voc. But it is impossible to give the full force of the word.
13. The better reading is ου µη, which double negation I have rendered, for want of
better, by 'never.'
This advice must not be regarded as given in irony. This trait is i ntroduced to point out
the proper source of supply - to emphasise that the oil must be their own , and also to
prepare for what follows. 'But while they were going to buy, the Bridegroom came; and
the ready ones [they that were ready] went in with Him to the Marriage-Feast, and the
door was shut,' The sudden cry at midnight: 'The Bridegroom cometh!' had come with
startling surprise both to the wise and the foolish Virgins; to the one class it had come
only unexpectedly, but to the other also unpreparedly. Their hope of sharing or
borrowing the oil of the wise Virgins being disappointed, the foolish were, of course,
unable to meet the Bridegroom. And while they hurried to the sellers of oil, those that
had been ready not only met; but entered with the Bridegroom into the bridal house, and
the door was shut. It is of no importance here, whether or not the foolish Virgins finally
succeeded in obtaining oil - although this seems unlikely at that time of night - since it
could no longer be of any possible use, as i ts object was to serve in the festive
procession, which was now past. Nevertheless, and when the door was shut, those
foolish Virgins came, calling on the Bridegroom to open to them. But they had failed in
that which could alone give them a claim to admission. Professing to be bridesmaids,
they had not been in the bridal procession, and so, in truth and righteousness, He could
only answer from within: 'Verily I say unto you, I know you not.' This, not only in
punishment, but in the right order of things.
The personal application of this Parable to the disciples, which the Lord makes, follows
almost of necessity. 'Watch therefore, for ye know not the day, nor the hour.'14 Not
enough to be in waiting with the Church; His Coming will be far on in the night; i t will be
sudden; it will be rapid: be prepared therefore, be ever and personally prepared! Christ
will come when least expected - at midnight - and when the Church, having become
accustomed to His long delay, has gone to sleep. So sudden will be His Coming, that
after the cry of announcement there will not be time for anything but to go forth to meet
Him; and so rapid will be the end, that, ere the foolish Virgins can return, the door has
been for ever closed. To present all this in the most striking manne r, the Parable takes
the form of a dialogue, first between the foolish and the wise Virgins, in which the latter
only state the bare truth when saying, that each has only sufficient oil for what is
superfluous. Lastly, we are to learn from the dialogue between the foolish Virgins and
the Bridegroom, that it is impossible in the day of Christ's Coming to make up for
neglect of previous preparation, and that those who have failed to meet Him, even
though the bridal Virgins, shall be finally excluded as being strangers to the Bridegroom.