As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept.
English Standard Version (ESV)
It's easy to read this verse and think "oh, they just got sleepy." But notice the two words: "slumbered" and "slept." The original Greek suggests a progression – first a "nodding" or dropping of the head, the initial stage of drowsiness, then a deeper, continuous sleep. This wasn't just a sudden nap; it was a gradual surrender to weariness, impacting every single one of them, wise and foolish alike.
As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus is telling a parable about the Kingdom of Heaven, comparing it to ten virgins preparing to meet a bridegroom at a wedding feast. While all ten initially prepared their lamps, the bridegroom's delay leads both the wise and foolish virgins to become drowsy and fall asleep, showing that even the prepared can become complacent during long waits. This sets the stage for the sudden announcement of the bridegroom's arrival, which will reveal who is truly ready and who is not.
Imagine waiting for someone really important, and they're late. At first, you're alert, maybe pacing. But as the hours stretch on, what happens to your energy? This parable shows us it’s not just about being foolish; it’s about a natural human tendency.
Jesus uses the image of the virgins nodding off to highlight how easy it is for even dedicated followers to become complacent when God's promises seem delayed.
From Alertness to Apathy
Initially, all ten virgins had their lamps lit, ready to meet the bridegroom. But as time passed, this readiness faded. The original Greek words paint a vivid picture: first, a 'nodding' (a transient act of drowsiness), then continuous 'sleeping.' This isn't necessarily about deliberate sin, but about the gradual slide into spiritual apathy when the expected event doesn't happen on schedule.
The Subtle Danger
This drowsiness isn't always a dramatic fall from grace. It's often a subtle loss of vigilance, a quiet neglect that creeps in when life becomes routine. Even those with genuine faith can find their spiritual 'lamps' dimming when the world's distractions and the slow pace of God's timing lull them into a state of less intense watchfulness.
When Jesus speaks of sleep in this parable, what is He really talking about? It’s a powerful metaphor that touches on the ultimate human experience and the waiting we do in faith.
The 'sleep' experienced by the virgins carries multiple layers of meaning, reflecting both the physical reality of death and the extended periods of waiting in God's plan.
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The Sleep of Death
Many ancient interpreters saw this sleep as a clear image of death. While the virgins waited for the bridegroom's physical return, their sleep represented their bodies resting in death before Christ's ultimate coming. It's a reminder that life is finite, and even the faithful will experience the transition of death before Jesus returns in glory.
The Extended Divine Timeline
More broadly, this sleep represents the 'delay' of Christ's return. God's timing isn't our timing. What feels like an incredibly long wait to us is part of His unfolding plan. This parable doesn't condemn all Christians for sleeping; rather, it uses this natural human experience to underscore the importance of readiness throughout that entire waiting period, whatever its length may be.
Understand the original words
chronizo · Greek Verb
The period between the promise of Christ's return and the actual event, serving as a test of the believer's steadfastness, faith, and patience.
nustazo · Greek Verb
Refers to the physical and spiritual weariness that can occur during the long wait for the Lord's return, highlighting the need for vigilance even amidst the passing of time.
The parable of the ten virgins speaks directly to the early Christian experience of waiting for Christ's return. The 'delay' of the bridegroom reflects the period between Jesus' ascension and his anticipated second coming, a time when the church faced both internal challenges of complacency and external pressures of persecution and societal upheaval.
c. AD 30-33— this verse
Jesus' Crucifixion and Resurrection
Jesus' earthly ministry culminates in his death and resurrection, initiating a new era of anticipation for his promised return.
c. AD 33
The Ascension of Jesus
Jesus ascends into heaven, leaving his followers with the promise of his return and the task of spreading the Gospel.
c. AD 40s-50s
Early Church Growth and Persecution
The Christian church expands rapidly but also faces increasing opposition and persecution from both Jewish and Roman authorities.
c. AD 64
Great Fire of Rome
A devastating fire sweeps through Rome, leading Emperor Nero to blame and persecute Christians, intensifying their suffering and uncertainty.
AD 70
Destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple
Roman forces brutally suppress a Jewish revolt, resulting in the destruction of Jerusalem and its sacred Temple, a catastrophic event for Jewish life and a sign many early Christians interpreted as fulfilling prophecy.
This passage echoes the danger of spiritual slumber and complacency, urging believers to 'stay awake and be sober' instead of sleeping like others, directly paralleling the foolish virgins' lapse in vigilance.
Romans 13:11Paul's call to 'wake up from slumber' and let salvation be nearer now than when we first believed highlights the ongoing need for watchfulness that the parable illustrates.
Hebrews 10:25This verse warns against 'neglecting to meet together' and instead encourages one another, which directly speaks to the spiritual apathy and neglect that causes the virgins to fall asleep.
1 Peter 5:8Peter's stark warning to 'be sober-minded; be watchful' because the 'devil prowls around like a roaring lion' directly connects to the peril of falling into spiritual sleep and becoming vulnerable.
vincentMatthew 25:5: "While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept."
Slumbered and slept (ἐνύσταξαν καὶ ἐκάθευδον)Slumbered is, literally, nodded. Note the variation of tense. Nodded is aorist, denoting a transient act, the initial stage of slumber. They dropped their heads. Slept is imperfect, of continuous slumber.
bensonMatthew 25:5: "While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept."
Matthew 25:5 . While the bridegroom tarried — That is, before they were called to attend him; they all slumbered and slept — That is, all Christians, so called, good and bad, sincere and hypocrites, those who really love and wait for the bridegroom, and those who only profess to do so; lie down together in the sleep of death: all, while the bridegroom delays to come, slumber in the grave, with respect to their bodies, a…
It's easy to read this verse and think "oh, they just got sleepy." But notice the two words: "slumbered" and "slept." The original Greek suggests a progression – first a "nodding" or dropping of the head, the initial stage of drowsiness, then a deeper, continuous sleep. This wasn't just a sudden nap; it was a gradual surrender to weariness, impacting every single one of them, wise and foolish alike.
Jesus is telling a parable about the Kingdom of Heaven, comparing it to ten virgins preparing to meet a bridegroom at a wedding feast. While all ten initially prepared their lamps, the bridegroom's delay leads both the wise and foolish virgins to become drowsy and fall asleep, showing that even the prepared can become complacent during long waits. This sets the stage for the sudden announcement of the bridegroom's arrival, which will reveal who is truly ready and who is not.
Jesus is telling a parable about the Kingdom of Heaven, comparing it to ten virgins preparing to meet a bridegroom at a wedding feast. While all ten initially prepared their lamps, the bridegroom's delay leads both the wise and foolish virgins to become drowsy and fall asleep, showing that even the prepared can become complacent during long waits. This sets the stage for the sudden announcement of the bridegroom's arrival, which will reveal who is truly ready and who is not.
"As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept." — It's easy to read this verse and think "oh, they just got sleepy." But notice the two words: "slumbered" and "slept." The original Greek suggests a progression – first a "nodding" or dropping of the…
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Last reviewed October 2026