Matthew 25

Matthew · Chapter 25

Matthew 25:34

1Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.2And five of them were wise, and five were foolish.3They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:4But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.5While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.6And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.7Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.8And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.9But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.10And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.11Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.12But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.13Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.14For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods.15And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey.16Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents.17And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two.18But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord’s money.19After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them.20And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more.21His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.22He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them.23His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.24Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed:25And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine.26His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed:27Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury.28Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents.29For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.30And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.31When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:32And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:33And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.34Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:35For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:36Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.37Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?38When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?39Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?40And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.41Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:42For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:43I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.44Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?45Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.46And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

King James Version (1769)

Other translations

VerseKJVBSBASV
34Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:

In context

Who is speaking and to whom, what is happening, when and where, and why it matters, each with its sources. Coming with the context cards.

Original Greek words

EnglishGreekSay itStrong'sMeaning
ThenΤότεToteG5119
then

τότε (tote) τότε, demonstr. adv. of time, correlat. of ὅτε, then, at that time; (a) of concurrent events: Mat.2:17 3:5 and freq., Rom.6:21; before ptcp., Mat.2:16, Gal.4:8; opposite to νῦν, Gal.4:29, Heb.12:26; ὁ τ. κόσμος, 2Pe.3:6; (b) of consequent events, then, thereupon: Mat.2:7 3:5 4:1 and freq., Luk.11:26; τ. οὖν, Jhn.11:14 19:1, 16 20:8; εὐθέως τ., Act.17:14; ὅτε . . . τ., Mat.13:26 21:1, Jhn.12:16; ἀπὸ τ., Mat.4:17 16:21 26:16, Luk.16:16; …

will sayἐρεῖereiG4483
to say

ἐρέω (rheō, ereō) λέγω, [in LXX very freq., chiefly for אמר; λέγει for נְאֻם, Gen.22:16, al. ;] 1. in Hom., to pick out, gather, reckon, recount. 2. In Hdt. and Att., to say, speak, affirm, declare: absol., Act.13:15, 24:10; before orat. dir., Mat.9:34, Mrk.3:11, Jhn.1:29, al.; before ὅτι recit., Mrk.3:21, Luk.1:24, Jhn.6:14, al.; accusative and inf., Luk.11:18, Jhn.12:29, al.; after another verb of speaking, προσφωνεῖν κ. λέγειν, Mat.11:17, al.; ἀπεκρίθη (ἐλάλησεν) λέγων (καὶ λέγει; Dalman, Words, 24 ff.), Mat.25:9, Mrk.3:33, 7:28, Luk.24:6, 7, al.; of unspoken thought, λ. ἐν ἑαυτῷ, Mat.3:9, Luk.3:8, al.; of …

KingβασιλεὺςbasileusG0935
king

βασιλεύς (basileus) βασιλεύς, -έως, ὁ, [in LXX chiefly for מֶלֶךְ ;] a king: Mat.1:6 2:1; used by courtesy of Herod the Tetrarch, Mat.14:9; of the Roman Emperor, as frequently in κοινή (Deiss., LAE, p. 367), 1Pe.2:13, 17; of the Christ, in the phrase ὁ β. τ. Ἰουδαίων, Mat.2:2, al.; τοῦ Ἰσραήλ, Mrk.15:32, Jhn.1:50 12:13; of God, Mat.5:35, 1Ti.1:17, Rev.15:3; β. βασιλέων, Rev.17:14 19:16; β. τ. βασιλευόντων, 1Ti.6:15 (on the associations of the word to Jewish Hellenists, see Cl. Rev., i, 7).† (AS)

onἐκekG1537
out from

ἐκ (ek) ἐκ (ἐξ), prep. with genitive, from out of, from (see Addendum, p. 492). This entry is included here, but in the print version the entry is found on p. 492. ἐκ, before a vowel ἐξ, prep. with genitive, of motion outwards, separation from (opposite to εἰς; = Lat. e, ex), from out of, from among, from. I. Of Place, …

[the] right handδεξιῶνdexiōnG1188
right

δεξιός (dexios) δεξιός, -ά, -όν [in LXX chiefly for יָמִין ;] the right: Mat.5:29, Jhn.18:10, al.; ὅπλα δ., weapons carried in the right hand, i.e. for offence, 2Co.6:7 ; ἡ δ. χείρ, Mat.5:30, Luk.6:6, al.; ἡ δ. (sc. χείρ), Mat.6:3, al.; ἐπὶ τὴν δ., in the right hand (R, txt., on R, mg.), Rev.5:1; διδόναι τὴν δ., in friend­ship (Deiss., BS, 251), Gal.2:9; metaphorically of power, τῇ δ. αὐτοῦ, Act.2:33 5:31; τὰ δ., the right side, Mrk.16:5; ἐκ δεξιῶν, on the right hand, with genitive, Mat.25:33, 34, Mrk.15:27, Luk.1:11, al.; of a place of honour in the Messianic Kingdom (cf. 3Ki.2:19, Psa.44(45):10), καθίσαι …

of Him;αὐτοῦ·autouG0846
it/s/he

αὐτός (autos) αὐτός, -ή, -ό, determinative pron., in late Gk. much more frequently than in cl. (WM, 178f.; Jannaris, HGG, §1399). 1. Emphatic (so always in nom. exc. when preceded by the art., see infr., iii); (1) self (ipse), expressing opposition, distinction, exclusion, etc., αὐ. ἐκχυθήσεται, Luk.5:37; αὐ. ἐγινώσκεν, Jhn.2:25; αὐ.ὑμεῖς, Jhn.3:28; καὶ αὐ. ἐγώ, Rom.15:14; αὐ. Ἰησοῦς, Jhn.2:24; αὐ. καὶ οἱ μετ᾽ αὐτοῦ, Mrk.2:25; ὑμεῖς αὐ., Mrk.6:31; esp. (as freq in cl.) αὐ. ὁ, Mat.3:4, Mrk.6:17, Jhn.16:27, 1Th.3:11, al.; in late Gk., sometimes weakened, ἐν αὐτῇ τ. ὥρᾳ, in that hour, Luk.10:21 (M, Pr., 91; …

ComeδεῦτεdeuteG1205
come

δεῦτε (deute) δεῦτε adv., as pl. of δεῦρο, 1. (b), which see, [in LXX chiefly for לְכוּ ;] come on! come here! come!: with imperat., Mat.25:34 28:6, Jhn.4:29 21:12, Rev.19:17; with subjc., Mat.21:38, Mrk.12:7; before ὀπίσω, Mat.4:19, Mrk.1:17; πρός, Mat.11:28; εἰς, Mat.22:4, Mrk.6:31.† (AS)

blessedεὐλογημένοιeulogēmenoiG2127
to praise/bless

εὐλογέω (eulogeō) εὐλογέω, -ῶ [in LXX chiefly for בָּרַךְ pi. ;] 1. to speak well of, praise (cl.; LXX Deu.8:10, al.): τ. θεόν, Luk.1:64 2:28 24:51, 53 (αἰνοῦντες, T, WH, mg.), Jas.3:9; absol., to give praise, Mat.14:19 26:26 (see Swete on Mrk.14:22), Mrk.6:41 14:22 (see Swete, in l), Luk.24:30, 1Co.14:16. 2. As in LXX (= בָּרַךְ pi.); …

FatherπατρόςpatrosG3962
father

πατήρ (patēr) πατήρ, πατρός, -τρί, τέρα, [in LXX chiefly and very frequently for אָב ;] a father; 1. prop., (a) of the male parent: Mat.2:22, Luk.1:17, Jhn.4:53; anarth., Heb.12:7 (M, Pr., 82 f.); pl., of both parents (cl.), Heb.11:23; οἱ π. τ. σαρκός, Heb.12:9; (b) of a forefather or ancestor (in cl. usually in pl.; Hom., al.): Mat.3:9, Luk.1:73, Jhn.8:39, al.; pl., Mat.23:30, 32 Luk.6:23, 26 Jhn.4:20, 1Co.10:1, al. 2. Metaphorical, (a) of an author, originator, or archetype (= αἴτιος, ἀρχηγός, etc.; Pind., Plat., al.): Jhn.8:41-44, Rom.4:11, 12 16. …

of mine,μου,mouG3165
me

μέ (me) 1. apostrophe for με. 2. rarely for μοι, (Homer) (ML)

do inheritκληρονομήσατεklēronomēsateG2816
to inherit

κληρονομέω (klēronomeō) κληρονομέω, -ῶ (κληρονόμος) [in LXX chiefly for יָרַשׁ, also for נָחַל, etc. ;] 1. to receive by lot. 2. to inherit (in cl., usually with genitive of thing(s)): absol., Gal.4:30 (LXX); in general, to possess oneself of, receive as one's own, obtain (as Deu.4:5, al., cf. Psa.25:3, Isa.61:7): with accusative of thing(s) (as generally in late Gk., see M, Pr., 65), of the Messianic Kingdom (cf. Psa.37:11, Sir.4:13 37:26, and see Dalman, Words, 125 ff.) and its bless­ings and privileges, τ. γῆν, Mat.5:5 (cf. LXX); τ. βασιλείαν, β. θεοῦ, Mat.25:34, 1Co.6:9-10 15:50, Gal.5:21; ζωὴν αἰώνιον, Mat.19: …

preparedἡτοιμασμένηνhētoimasmenēnG2090
to make ready

ἑτοιμάζω (hetoimazō) ἑτοιμάζω (ἕτοιμος), [in LXX chiefly for כּוּן hi. (Hatch, Essays, 51 a.) ;] to prepare, make ready; (a) absol., of hospitable preparation: Mrk.14:15, Luk.9:52 12:47 22:9, 12; with inf., Mat.26:17; ἵνα, Mrk.14:12; …

for youὑμῖνhuminG4771
you

σέ (se) αὐτός, -ή, -ό, determinative pron., in late Gk. much more frequently than in cl. (WM, 178f.; Jannaris, HGG, §1399). 1. Emphatic (so always in nom. exc. when preceded by the art., see infr., iii); (1) self (ipse), expressing opposition, distinction, exclusion, etc., αὐ. ἐκχυθήσεται, Luk.5:37; αὐ. ἐγινώσκεν, Jhn.2:25; αὐ.ὑμεῖς, Jhn.3:28; καὶ αὐ. ἐγώ, Rom.15:14; αὐ. Ἰησοῦς, Jhn.2:24; αὐ. καὶ οἱ μετ᾽ αὐτοῦ, Mrk.2:25; ὑμεῖς αὐ., Mrk.6:31; esp. (as freq in cl.) αὐ. ὁ, Mat.3:4, Mrk.6:17, Jhn.16:27, 1Th.3:11, al.; in late Gk., sometimes weakened, ἐν αὐτῇ τ. ὥρᾳ, in that hour, Luk.10:21 (M, Pr., 91; …

kingdomβασιλείανbasileianG0932
kingdom

βασιλεία (basileia) βασιλεία, -ας, ἡ (βασιλεύω), [in LXX chiefly for מַמְלָכָה ,מַלְכוּת ;] 1. prop. abstract, sovereignty, royal power, dominion: Luk.1:33 22:29, Jhn.18:36, Act.1:6, Heb.1:8, 1Co.15:24; λαβεῖν β., Luk.19:12, 15 Rev.17:12; δοῦναι τὴν, ib. 17; ἔχειν β., ib. 18; ἔρχεσθαι ἐν τ. (εἰς τὴν) β., Mat.16:28, Luk.23:42; β. τ. θεοῦ, Rev.12:10. 2. By meton., concrete (MM, Exp., x), (a) a kingdom, the territory or people over whom the king rules (Est.5:3, al.): Mat.4:8 12:25, 26 24:7, Mrk.3:24 6:23, Luk.4:5, Heb.11:33, al.; …

from [the]ἀπὸapoG0575
away from

ἀπό (apo) ἀπό (on the frequently neglect of elision bef. vowels, see Tdf., Pr., 94, WH, App., 146), prep. with genitive (WM, 462ff.; on its relation to ἐκ, παρά, ὑπό, ib. 456f.), [in LXX for לְ ,בְּ ,מִן ;] from (i.e. from the exterior). 1. Of separation and cessation; (1) of motion from a place: Mat.5:29, 30 7:23, Luk.5:2 22:41, al.; (2) in partitive sense (M, Pr., 72, 102, 245; MM, see word; Bl., §40, 2), Mat.9:16 27:21, Jhn.21:10, Act.5:2, al.; also after verbs of eating, etc.; …

foundationκαταβολῆςkatabolēsG2602
beginning

καταβολή (katabolē) κατα-βολή, -ῆς, ἡ (καταβάλλω), [in LXX: 2Ma.2:29 * ;] 1. a laying down: εἰς κ. σπέρματος, Heb.11:11 (EV, to conceive seed). 2. a foundation (of a house, ii Mac, l.with): metaphorically, ἀπὸ κ. κόσμου, Mat.13:35 (LXX) (om. ἀπὸ κ. κόσμου, WH, R, mg.), Mat.25:34, Luk.11:50, Heb.4:3 9:26, Rev.13:8 17:8; πρὸ κ. κόσμου, Jhn.17:24, Eph.1:4, 1Pe.1:20.† (AS)

of [the] world.κόσμου.kosmouG2889
world

κόσμος (kosmos) κόσμος, -ου, ὁ [in LXX: Gen.2:1, Deu.4:19 17:3, Isa.24:21 40:26 (צבא), Exo.33:5, 6 Jer.2:32 4:30, Eze.7:20 16:11 23:40 (עֲדִי), Isa.61:10 (כְּלִי), al., Wis.2:24 and freq., Sir.6:30, al ;] 1. order (Hom., Plat., al.). 2. ornament, adornment, esp. of women (Hom., al.): 1Pe.3:3. 3. Later, the world or universe, as an ordered system (Plat., al.): Act.17:24, Rom.4:13, 1Co.3:22, Php.2:15, Heb.4:3, al. 4. In late writers only, the world, i.e. the earth (= ἡ οἰκουμένη, cf. Mat.4:8 with Luk.4:5): Mat.4:8, Mrk.16:[15], Col.2:20, 1Ti.6:7, al.; hence by meton., …

Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.