The parable continues the topic, staying vigilant, in the context of comparing the realm of the skies to dumb kids and sensible kids going to a party.
Matthew 25:6 And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.
Matthew 25:6 “At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’
At middle of night, a call was produced: "See, the bridegroom! Come out as an escort [for him]."
What kind of wild party begins at midnight? One that teenagers want to go to.
As in all of Jesus's humorous stories, two more uncommon words are introduced and used only in this one verse. The Greek words translated as "cry" and "meet" only appear here.
The word translated as "cry" is the noun form of a verb meaning the croak or cry of a raven. We might say "squawk." Jesus only used the verb form once as well.
The word translated as "meet" is also the noun form of a verb, this one meaning "to meet." Jesus only uses this verb twice.
- WW - Wrong Word -- The word translated as "and" should be something more like "but."
- IW - Inserted Word -- The word "there" doesn't exist in the source.
- OS -- Outdated Source -- The Greek word translated as "cometh" existed in the KJV Greek source but not the source we use today.
- WW - Wrong Word -- The word translated as "to" should be something more like "for."
- WF - Wrong Form - The "meet" is not an active verb but a noun, "an escort."
- WF - Wrong Form - The "him" is not an object by a genitive, "of his."
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "however" is not shown in the English translation.
- IW - Inserted Word -- The word "the" doesn't exist in the source.
- WW - Wrong Word -- The word translated as "to" should be something more like "for."
- WF - Wrong Form - The "meet" is not an active verb but a noun, "an escort."
- WF - Wrong Form - The "him" is not an object by a genitive, "of his."
And - (WW) The Greek word translated as "and" is usually translated as "but" because it joins phrases in an adversarial way. Since it always falls in the second position, translating it as "however" often captures its feeling better.
at -- This word "at" comes from the genitive case of the following word that requires the addition of a preposition in English. The most common is the "of" of possession. However, in references to time, it could instead be translated ‘during’, ‘at’, or ‘within’.
mid- "Mid" if from a word that means "middle."
night - "Night" is from a word that means "night" and, itself, "midnight."
there -- (IW) There is nothing in the Greek that can be translated as "there" in the Greek source.
was - -- -- This helping verb "was" indicates that the verb is the tense indicating an action completed in the past.
a -- There is no indefinite article in Greek, but when a word doesn't have a definite article, the indefinite article can be added in English translation.
cry - The Greek word translated as "cry" means "cry," "scream," and "shout."
made, - The word translated as "made" means "to become," that is, to enter into a new state. For things, it means "be produced" and for events, "happen." Either works here.
Behold, - "Behold" is from an adverb meaning "Lo! Behold!" and "See there!" In a humorous vein, this about how Christ uses this like we use the phrase "ta-da" in a magic show, or "see!" in French.
the -- The word translated as "the" is the Greek definite article, without a noun, it has the sense of "the one." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," "those") than the English "the." See this article for more.
bridegroom - The word translated as "the bridegroom" is a male form of the adjective meaning "bridal," hence, "groom" but weddings were only common "celebrations" to which the girls could get invited, so he plays a more general role, that of "a celebrity." The point is that he is the one who can get the girls into the party.
cometh; - (OS) The verb in the KJV source has the word meaning "comes," but in the source we used today that word is not there.
go - The word translated as "go...out" means literally "to go or come out," but it has a secondary meaning of "making something come true." Jesus uses it in situations like this where both meanings work. It is in a form indicating a command to act on yourself, so "Go out yourselves ."
ye -- This is from the second-person, plural form of the verb.
out -- This is from the prefix of the previous verb that means "out."
to -- (WW) The word translated as "to" means "into" a place, "towards" as a direction, "in regards to" a subject, and "up to" limits in time and measure. Here, the sense is "for" a purpose. Translating it as "to" means the following word look like an infinitive verb, which it isn't.
meet - (WF) The Greek translated as "to meet" isn't from a verb but from a noun meaning "escort."
him. - (WF) In some sources a pronoun appears here, but it doesn't in the one I use. However, where it appears it is a genitive of possession not an object of the verb. -This pronoun follows the noun so "of his" or "for him."
missing "however" -- (MW) The untranslated word "however" is usually translated as "but" because it joins phrases in an adversarial way. Since it always falls in the second position, translating it as "however" often captures its feeling better.
At -- This word "at" comes from the genitive case of the following word that requires the addition of a preposition in English. The most common is the "of" of possession. However, in references to time, it could instead be translated ‘during’, ‘at’, or ‘within’.
mid- "Mid" if from a word that means "middle."
night - "Night" is from a word that means "night" and, itself, "midnight."
the -- (IW) There is nothing in the Greek that can be translated as "the" in the Greek source.
cry - The Greek word translated as "cry" means "cry," "scream," and "shout."
rang out - (CW) The word translated as "made" means "to become," that is, to enter into a new state. For things, it means "be produced" and for events, "happen." Either works here. It has nothing to do with "ring" or "out,"
Here’s, - "Here’s" is from an adverb meaning "Lo! Behold!" and "See there!" In a humorous vein, this about how Christ uses this like we use the phrase "ta-da" in a magic show, or "see!" in French.
the -- The word translated as "the" is the Greek definite article, without a noun, it has the sense of "the one." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," "those") than the English "the." See this article for more.
bridegroom - The word translated as "the bridegroom" is a male form of the adjective meaning "bridal," hence, "groom" but weddings were only common "celebrations" to which the girls could get invited, so he plays a more general role, that of "a celebrity." The point is that he is the one who can get the girls into the party.
Come ’- The word translated as "come" means literally "to go or come out," but it has a secondary meaning of "making something come true." Jesus uses it in situations like this where both meanings work. It is in a form indicating a command to act on yourself, so "Go out yourselves ."
out -- This is from the prefix of the previous verb that means "out."
to -- (WW) The word translated as "to" means "into" a place, "towards" as a direction, "in regards to" a subject, and "up to" limits in time and measure. Here, the sense is "for" a purpose. Translating it as "to" means the following word look like an infinitive verb, which it isn't.
meet - (WF) The Greek translated as "to meet" isn't from a verb but from a noun meaning "escort."
him. - (WF) In some sources a pronoun appears here, but it doesn't in the one I use. However, where it appears it is a genitive of possession not an object of the verb. -This pronoun follows the noun so "of his" or "for him."
μέσης [11 verses](adj sg fem gen) "At mid-" is from mesos, which means "middle," "middle point." and "midway between."
δὲ [446 verses](conj) "And" is from de which means "but" and "on the other hand." It is the particle that joins sentences in an adversarial way but can also be an explanation of cause ("so").
νυκτὸς [11 verses](noun sg fem gen) "Night" is from nyx, (with mesos above) which means "night," "midnight," and is a metaphor for darkness.
κραυγὴ [1 verse] (noun sg fem nom) "Cry" is from krauge, which means "cry," "scream," and "shout."
γέγονεν [117 verses](verb 3rd sg perf ind) "Made" is ginomai, which means "to become," "to come into being," "to happen," and "to be produced." It means changing into a new state of being. It is the complementary opposite of the verb "to be" (eimi)which indicates existence in the same state.
Ἰδοὺ [52 verses](adv) "Behold is from idou, which means "to behold," "to see," and "to perceive." It acts as an adverbial phrase in this form meaning "Lo! Behold!" and "See there!' It is a form of the verb eido, which means "to see."
ὁ [821 verses](article sg masc nom) "The" is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the").
νυμφίος, [9 verses](noun sg masc nom) "Bridegroom" is from nymphios, which means "bridal," "bridegroom" and "son-in-law."
ἐξέρχεσθε [54 verses](verb 2nd pl pres imperat mp) "Go ye out" is from exerchomai, which means "to come or go out of " "to march forth," "go out on," "to stand forth," "to exceed all bounds," "to come to an end," "to go out of office," and [of dreams or prophecies] "to come true."
εἰς [325 verses](prep) "To" is from eis, which means "into (of place)," "up to (of time)," "until (of time)," "as much as (of measure or limit)," "as far as (of measure or limit)," "towards (to express relation)," "in regard to (to express relation)," "of an end or limit," and "for (of purpose or object)."
ἀπάντησιν. [1 verse] (noun sg fem acc) "To meet" is from apantesis, which means "escort," "reply," "conversation," and "steadfastness in opposition."
[αὐτοῦ] - [720 verses](adj sg masc gen) "His" (adj sg masc acc) "Him" is autos, which means "the same," and the reflexive pronouns, "myself," "yourself," "himself," "herself," "itself," or the oblique case of the pronouns, "him," "her," and "it."
"At midnight," he said softly. "A shout came. He then continued as if the voice was far away, "There, the celebrity! Come out in escort."