Matthew 25:2 And five of them were wise,

Spoken to: 

Apostles

The parable continues the last topic, which was staying vigilant, in the context of comparing the realm of the skies to going to a party.

KJV: 

Matthew 25:2 And five of them were wise, and five were foolish.​

NIV : 

Matthew 25:2 Five of them were foolish and five were wise.

LISTENERS HEARD: 

Five, however, were stupid. And five, smart.

MY TAKE: 

Teenage morons are less surprising than teenagers with common sense.

GREEK (Each Word Explained Bottom of Page): 

LOST IN TRANSLATION: 

The dichotomy here between the wise girls and the foolish ones is typical for Jesus's analogies, which often use contrasts. The terms he used, however, were funnier. Initially, it may seem like the "morons" is the funnier word, but Jesus ends on the "sensible," so that was the surprise. The idea that teenagers are morons is not a surprise, but some having common sense can be.

The word translated as "foolish" is the source of our word "morons."

The word translated as "wise" means "prudent," that is, having "common sense," or "sensible." It is not the Greek word for "wise."

 

# KJV TRANSLATION ISSUES: 

3
  • WW - Wrong Word -- The word translated as "and" should be something more like "but."
  • CW - Confusing Word -- The "of" does not capture the specific meaning of the word.
  • CW - Confusing Word -- The "wise" is not the common word usually translated as "wise."

# NIV TRANSLATION ISSUES: 

3
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "however" is not shown in the English translation.
  • CW - Confusing Word -- The "of" does not capture the specific meaning of the word.
  • CW - Confusing Word -- The "wise" is not the common word usually translated as "wise."

EACH WORD of KJV : 

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.

five -- This is the Greek word for the number five.

of -- (CW) The Greek preposition translated as "of" means "out of" or "from." In Greek, they use the genitive case instead of a preposition for the types of phrases usually use with "of."

them -- The word translated as "them" is the Greek word commonly translated as third-person pronouns in English.

were -- The verb "is" here is the common form of "to be" in Greek. It means to have a certain characteristic or remain in a certain condition. It also equates terms or assigns characteristics. 

wise, - (CW) The Greek term used for "wise" means "in one's right mind," "showing presence of mind," and "prudent." Again, in referring to teenagers today, we would say "sensible." This is not the common Greek word for "wise." The Greek source puts the "wise" before the "foolish" but the Greek source today puts the "foolish" first.

and -- The Greek word translated as "and" is used as the conjunction "and," but it also is used to add emphasis ("also").

five -- This is the Greek word for the number five.

were -- There is no verb "were" in the Greek source. It is implied by the equating of "workman" with "worthy" both in the Greek form of subjects.

foolish .​--The Greek words translated as "foolish" is the source of our word "moron." It means "slow" and "stupid." However, to describe teenagers today, we would usually say "silly."

EACH WORD of NIV : 

Five -- This is the Greek word for the number five.

missing "however"  -- (MW) The untranslated word 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.

of -- (CW) The Greek preposition translated as "of" means "out of" or "from." In Greek, they use the genitive case instead of a preposition for the types of phrases usually use with "of."

them -- The word translated as "them" is the Greek word commonly translated as third-person pronouns in English.

were -- The verb "is" here is the common form of "to be" in Greek. It means to have a certain characteristic or remain in a certain condition. It also equates terms or assigns characteristics. 

foolish .​--The Greek words translated as "foolish" is the source of our word "moron." It means "slow" and "stupid." However, to describe teenagers today, we would usually say "silly."

and -- The Greek word translated as "and" is used as the conjunction "and," but it also is used to add emphasis ("also").

five -- This is the Greek word for the number five.

were -- There is no verb "were" in the Greek source. It is implied by the equating of "workman" with "worthy" both in the Greek form of subjects.

wise, - The Greek term used for "wise" means "in one's right mind," "showing presence of mind," and "prudent." Again, in referring to teenagers today, we would say "sensible." This is not the common Greek word for "wise."

COMPARISON: GREEK to KJV : 

πέντε [12 verses] (numeral) "Five" is from pente, the number five.

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").

ἐξ [121 verses] (prep) "Of" is from ek, which means 1) [of motion] "out of," "from," "by," "away from;" 2) [of place] "beyond," "outside of," "beyond;" 3) [of succession] "after," "from;" 4) [of rest] "on," "in," 5) [of time] "since," "from," "at," "in;" 5) [of materials] "out of," "made from." -- The Greek preposition translated as "of" means "out of" or "from." In Greek, they use the genitive case instead of a preposition for the types of phrases with usually use with "of."

αὐτῶν [720 verses](adj pl fem gen ) "Them" is from 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." It also means "one's true self," that is, "the soul" as opposed to the body and "of one's own accord."

ἦσαν .[614 verses](verb 3rd pl imperf ind act) "Were" is from eimi, which means "to be," "to exist," "to be the case," and "is possible."

μωραὶ [6 verses](adj pl fem nom) "Foolish" is moros, which means "dull," "sluggish," and "stupid."

καὶ [1089 verses](conj/adv) "And" is from kai, which is the conjunction joining phrases and clauses, "and," or "also." After words implying sameness, "as" (the same opinion as you). Used in series, joins positive with negative "Not only...but also." Also used to give emphasis, "even," "also," and "just."

πέντε [12 verses] (numeral) "Five" is from pente, the number five.

φρόνιμοι: ,[9 verses](adj pl masc nom) "Wise" is from phronimos, which means "in one's right mind," "showing presence of mind," and "prudent." In Hebrew, the source word is arum, which means "crafty," "shrewd," and "sensible." -

Unimportant Opinions and Imaginings: 

"Five," he said, as he pulled the five of his followers who were acting the goofiest apart from the others. "However, were silly!"

The others laughed at the silly girls, and they played along.

"And, five," he continued, pulling out the other five. "Smart."

He touched his head and rubbed his chin thoughtfully, and they took the cue, copying him.

The group laughed again.

Front Page Date: 

Oct 20 2021