But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’
English Standard Version (ESV)
The wise virgins' reply isn't a harsh refusal, but a gentle, truthful explanation: they don't have enough to share because their own preparations are just barely sufficient for themselves. This highlights that personal preparation for Christ's return is a solitary responsibility; there are no "works of supererogation" or surplus grace one can pass on to another in that moment.
But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’
English Standard Version (ESV)
This parable is about preparing for the Bridegroom's arrival, which represents Christ's return. The ten virgins, five wise and five foolish, all set out with lamps, but only the wise have extra oil. When the Bridegroom is delayed, everyone falls asleep, but at midnight, a cry announces his coming, jolting them awake. This verse occurs as the foolish virgins, realizing their lamps are going out, desperately ask the wise for some of their oil, only to be told there isn't enough to share.
When the foolish virgins pleaded for oil, the wise ones refused, not out of malice, but necessity. Why couldn't they share their precious oil?
The wise virgins' response, 'lest there be not enough for us and you,' highlights a crucial truth: God's grace and preparedness for His return are deeply personal. We cannot 'loan' our spiritual readiness or salvation to someone else. Each person must cultivate their own relationship with God and ensure their lamp of faith is fueled by their own devotion and obedience.
This isn't about God being stingy; it's about the nature of faith and salvation. It requires individual commitment, a personal 'buying' of spiritual truth, not through money, but through dedicating one's heart and life to God. The oil represents the Holy Spirit, spiritual wisdom, and a life lived in readiness for Christ's return – things that must be personally cultivated and maintained.
The wise virgins didn't just say 'no.' Their response was carefully worded. What does their phrasing reveal about their character and the situation?
The Greek phrasing for the wise virgins' response, 'lest perchance there be not by any means enough,' is a more gentle and indirect way of stating refusal. Instead of a blunt 'No,' they explain the reason why they cannot share – the potential lack of supply for everyone. This shows a graciousness even in necessary refusal.
This approach highlights that even in moments of stark spiritual reckoning, there's a place for sensitivity. However, the underlying message is firm: the time for sharing and preparing has passed. The opportunity to 'buy' spiritual readiness was available, but it has now been missed by the foolish virgins. Their polite refusal underscores the urgency of personal preparation.
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The wise virgins direct the foolish ones to 'go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.' What does this instruction signify in the spiritual realm?
While the literal act of 'buying' oil isn't possible with money (as Acts 8:20 warns against trying to buy the gift of God), in the context of the parable, 'going to the dealers and buying' represents actively seeking God's provision and wisdom. The 'dealers' can be understood as those channels God has appointed for spiritual supply – His Word, prayer, fellowship, and the ministry He has established.
This directive is a final, albeit unheeded, call to action. It's an encouragement to seek diligently where spiritual nourishment is truly found. The opportunity to 'buy' – to earnestly pursue God's grace and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit through faith and repentance – was missed. Now, the 'market' is closed, and the crucial preparation must be undertaken by each individual through the means God provides.
Understand the original words
phronimos · Greek Adjective
Describes those who possess both the outward appearance and the inward reality of saving faith, characterized by foresight, spiritual alertness, and obedience.
This passage echoes the 'buying' mentioned in Matthew 25:9, but with a crucial difference: it's an invitation to receive God's spiritual gifts freely, highlighting that true spiritual readiness can't be purchased with earthly effort or last-minute attempts.
Proverbs 23:23This verse encourages us to 'buy the truth' and not sell it, which resonates with the parable's theme of actively seeking and securing what is essential for spiritual preparedness, rather than neglecting it.
Revelation 3:18Jesus tells the Laodicean church to 'buy from me gold refined by fire,' directly connecting the idea of 'buying' with seeking spiritual wealth and readiness from Christ Himself, not from external sources or at the last minute.
Matthew 24:42Preceding this parable, Jesus directly states, 'Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming.' This verse sets the stage for the parable by emphasizing the need for constant vigilance, which the foolish virgins lacked.
1 Peter 4:7This verse calls for 'self-control and alertness for the purpose of prayer,' which mirrors the preparedness and watchfulness of the wise virgins, contrasting sharply with the complacency of the foolish.
vincentMatthew 25:9: "But 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."
Not so, lest, etc. (μήποτε οὐ μὴ ἀρκέσῃ)The Greek does not give the blunt negative of the A.V. It is a more courteous form of refusal, making the reason for refusing to supply the place of the negative. Give us of your oil, say the foolish. The wise reply, Lest perchance there be not by any means (οὐ μὴ, the double negative) enough.…
calvinMatthew 25:1-13: "Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom."
- Then shall the kingdom of heaven be like ten virgins, who took their lamps, and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2. And five of them were foolish, and five were wise. 3. They that were foolish, while they took their lamps, took no oil with them: 4. But the wise took oil in their vessels along with their lamps. 5. And while the bridegroom tarried, the…
The wise virgins' reply isn't a harsh refusal, but a gentle, truthful explanation: they don't have enough to share because their own preparations are just barely sufficient for themselves. This highlights that personal preparation for Christ's return is a solitary responsibility; there are no "works of supererogation" or surplus grace one can pass on to another in that moment.
This parable is about preparing for the Bridegroom's arrival, which represents Christ's return. The ten virgins, five wise and five foolish, all set out with lamps, but only the wise have extra oil. When the Bridegroom is delayed, everyone falls asleep, but at midnight, a cry announces his coming, jolting them awake. This verse occurs as the foolish virgins, realizing their lamps are going out, desperately ask the wise for some of their oil, only to be told there isn't enough to share.
This parable is about preparing for the Bridegroom's arrival, which represents Christ's return. The ten virgins, five wise and five foolish, all set out with lamps, but only the wise have extra oil. When the Bridegroom is delayed, everyone falls asleep, but at midnight, a cry announces his coming, jolting them awake. This verse occurs as the foolish virgins, realizing their lamps are going out, desperately ask the wise for some of their oil, only to be told there isn't enough to share.
"But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’" — The wise virgins' reply isn't a harsh refusal, but a gentle, truthful explanation: they don't have enough to share because their own preparations are just barely sufficient for themselves. This highl…
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Last reviewed October 2026