While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.
the.
Matthew 25:19 After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them.
Matthew 24:48 But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming;
Habakkuk 2:3 For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.
they.
Matthew 26:40,43 And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour? …
Song of Solomon 3:1 By night on my bed I sought him whom my soul loveth: I sought him, but I found him not.
Song of Solomon 5:2 I sleep, but my heart waketh: it is the voice of my beloved that knocketh, saying, Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled: for my head is filled with dew, and my locks with the drops of the night.
they all became drowsy
The drowsiness of the virgins represents the natural human tendency to become complacent over time, especially when expectations are not met immediately. This can be seen as a warning against spiritual lethargy and the importance of maintaining a vigilant and active faith. The idea of spiritual sleepiness is addressed in other scriptures, such as Romans 13:11, which calls believers to wake from sleep because salvation is nearer now than when they first believed.
and fell asleep
Falling asleep here is not condemned in the parable, as both the wise and foolish virgins do so. It suggests the inevitability of human weakness and the need for rest. However, the key difference lies in their preparedness for the bridegroom's arrival. This sleep can be seen as a metaphor for death or the end of life, where one's spiritual readiness is crucial. The call to be prepared is echoed in 1 Thessalonians 5:6, urging believers to stay awake and sober, living in anticipation of Christ's return.
• “When the bridegroom was delayed” points to the period between Christ’s ascension and His return.
• The verse assures us that delay is not denial; it echoes 2 Peter 3:9, where the Lord is “not slow in keeping His promise,” and Habakkuk 2:3, “Though it lingers, wait for it; it will surely come.”
• The delay tests faith and readiness, just as Luke 12:35–40 urges servants to keep lamps burning because the Master may come at an unexpected hour.
• It also highlights grace, giving more people time to repent (Romans 2:4).
• Both the wise and the foolish virgins “became drowsy,” showing that even faithful believers can grow tired in a prolonged wait.
• Galatians 6:9 encourages, “Let us not grow weary in doing good,” acknowledging the reality of fatigue yet calling for perseverance.
• Hebrews 10:23–25 urges us to “hold unswervingly to the hope we profess… all the more as you see the Day approaching,” offering practical steps:
– Regular fellowship
– Mutual encouragement
– Consistent worship
• Spiritual drowsiness need not lead to failure; it becomes dangerous only if paired with lack of preparedness (oil).
• Sleep here is physical rest, not moral failure. Even the wise slept; their preparedness made the difference (Proverbs 3:24 shows sleep can be peaceful for the righteous).
• The picture contrasts with spiritual slumber warned against in Romans 13:11: “The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber.”
• 1 Thessalonians 5:6 says, “So then, let us not sleep as the others do, but let us remain awake and sober,” reminding believers that alertness is a heart posture, not continual wakefulness.
• Practical safeguards against spiritual sleep:
– Daily Scripture intake (Psalm 119:105)
– Ongoing prayer (Ephesians 6:18)
– Active service (James 2:17)
Matthew 25:5 reassures us that Christ’s seeming delay is purposeful, warns that every believer can grow weary, and calls us to maintain readiness even while we rest. The wise stay prepared through faith, obedience, and the Spirit’s sustaining oil, confident that the Bridegroom will arrive right on time.
(5) While the bridegroom tarried.--Strictly speaking, the time thus described includes the whole interval between our Lord's Ascension and His final Advent; but looking to the law of "springing and germinant accomplishments," which we have recognised as applicable to the whole subject, we may see in it that which answers to any period in the history of any church, or, indeed, in the life of any member of a church, in which things go smoothly and as after the routine of custom. At such a time even the wise and good are apt to slumber, and the crisis, which is to them, if not to the world at large, as the bridegroom's coming, takes them by surprise; but they have, what the foolish have not, the reserved force of steadfast faith and divine help to fall back upon. We may note that the "delay" in this case is followed by a less glaring form of evil than that in Matthew 24:48. Not reckless and brutal greed, but simple apathy and neglect is the fault noted for condemnation.Slumbered and slept.--The first word implies the "nodding" which indicates the first approach of drowsiness, the second the continuous sleeping.
Verse 5. - While the bridegroom tarried (Matthew 24:48). We may suppose that all had lighted their lamps at first, in expectation of being immediately called to meet the bridegroom. But he came not. The advent of Christ was not to be as speedy as the disciples imagined. No one could divine when it would take place. As St. Augustine says, "Latet ultimus dies, ut observetur omnis dies." See here a figure of each Christian's probation. They all slumbered (ἐνύσταξαν) and slept (ἐκάθευδον) The first verb implies the nodding and napping of persons sitting up at night; the second means "they began to sleep," actually. All, wise and foolish, did this; so in itself it was not sinful, it was only natural. To such drowsiness the best of Christians are liable. The bow cannot be kept always strung; "Neque semper arcum tendit Apollo." Having made all preparations, the virgins ceased for a while to think of the bridegroom's coming. The Fathers take this sleep to be an image of death, the awaking to be the resurrection, when the difference between the two classes is known and displayed. But this would imply that all the faithful will be dead when the Lord comes, which is contrary to 1 Thessalonians 4:17. Nor, on the other hand, is it conceivable that they whose lamps are kept burning till the day of death will be unprovided when the Lord comes.