Matthew 25:5 Meaning and Explanation
“While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →The bridegroom delays, and all ten bridesmaids, wise and foolish alike, grow drowsy and sleep.
What Does Matthew 25:5 Mean?
Weddings in that world moved at the pace of ceremony and negotiation, and grooms often arrived later than expected. The delay is deliberate in the telling, for Jesus has just said that no one knows the day or hour (Matthew 24:36). Notably, all ten sleep; sleep itself is not the failure.
The Lord does not fault the maidens for resting; the unprepared are faulted for being unsupplied. Waiting for Christ does not mean perpetual strain. It means being ready whenever the cry comes, even out of a sound sleep. The verse also steadies us for the actual experience of faith: the bridegroom sometimes tarries, and his timing, not ours, governs the night (2 Peter 3:9).
Matthew 25:5 in the Original Language
nystazo (νυστάζω), 'slumbered' -- to nod, to grow drowsy.
Frequently Asked Questions About Matthew 25:5
What does Matthew 25:5 mean?
The bridegroom delays, and all ten bridesmaids, wise and foolish alike, grow drowsy and sleep.