Word Pictures in the New Testament - David Cox

Word Pictures in the NT [Matthew: Chapter 25].
25:7 {Trimmed} (\ekosm•san\). Put in order, made ready. The wicks
were trimmed, the lights being out while they slept, fresh oil
put in the dish, and lit again. A marriage ceremony in India is
described by Ward (_View of the Hindoos_) in Trench's _Parables_:
"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.'"
25:8 {Are going out} (\sbennuntai\). Present middle indicative of
linear action, not punctiliar or aoristic. When the five foolish
virgins lit their lamps, they discovered the lack of oil. The
sputtering, flickering, smoking wicks were a sad revelation. "And
_perhaps_ we are to understand that there is something in the
coincidence of the lamps going out just as the Bridegroom
arrived. Mere outward religion is found to have no illuminating
power" (Plummer).
25:9 {Peradventure there will not be enough for us and you}
(\m•pote ou m• arkesei h•mŒn kai humŒn\). There is an elliptical
construction here that is not easy of explanation. Some MSS.
Aleph A L Z have \ouk\ instead of \ou m•\. But even so \m• pote\
has to be explained either by supplying an imperative like
\ginesth•\ or by a verb of fearing like \phoboumetha\ (this most
likely). Either \ouk\ or \ou m•\ would be proper with the
futuristic subjunctive \arkesei\ (Moulton, _Prolegomena_, p. 192;
Robertson, _Grammar_, pp. 1161,1174). "We are afraid that there
is no possibility of there being enough for us both." This is a
denial of oil by the wise virgins because there was not enough
for both. "It was necessary to show that the foolish virgins
could not have the consequences of their folly averted at the
last moment" (Plummer). It is a courteous reply, but it is
decisive. The compound Greek negatives are very expressive,
\m•pote--ou m•\.
25:10 {And while they went away} (\aperchomen•n de aut•n\).
Present middle participle, genitive absolute, while they were
going away, descriptive linear action. Picture of their
inevitable folly. {Was shut} (\ekleisth•\). Effective aorist
passive indicative, shut to stay shut.
25:11 {Afterward} (\husteron\). And find the door shut in their
faces. {Lord, Lord, open to us} (\Kurie, Kurie, anoixon h•min\).
They appeal to the bridegroom who is now master whether he is at
the bride's house or his own.
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