What Does Matthew 25:1 Mean in the King James?
Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
The governance of the heavens is pictured as a company moving outward to meet the bridegroom.
THE MEANING
The governance of the heavens takes shape here in ten virgins carrying their lamps as they go out to meet the bridegroom. Their movement gives the scene its direction: they are oriented toward an encounter.
THE ROOT
βασιλεία
basileia
GROWS FROM
βασιλ-
basil-
royal rule, reign
“kingdom” in this verse is basileia. βασιλεία (basileia, royal rule) carries the sense of reigning and the realm ordered by that reign. The scene that follows lets this governance take shape through people moving toward an encounter.
ALSO GROWS
basileus: king
βασιλεύς
The king names the one whose rule gives the word its royal character.
basileuō: to reign, to rule
βασιλεύω
This verb makes the rule active: the kingdom is also the act of reigning.
ἐξῆλθον
exēlthon
GROWS FROM
ἔρχομαι / ἐρχ- (erchomai / erch-)
come, go, move
Beneath “went forth” is ἔρχομαι (erchomai, come or go), the same movement found in words for entering and passing through. Here it is directed outward, toward the meeting.
ALSO GROWS
eiserchomai: to enter, to go in
εἰσέρχομαι
The same movement-root takes an inward direction, showing how the prefix shapes the path.
dierchomai: to pass through, to go through
διέρχομαι
The shared root carries movement through a space, while this verse gives it an outward direction.
THE PATTERN
The divine encounter takes shape as people move toward God or stay ready for the one who comes.
And Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to meet with God; and they stood at the nether part of the mount.And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately.THE THREAD
And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.The women first go out with their lamps toward the bridegroom; when the cry sounds, the same Greek movement-root returns in the command “go ye out.” The opening movement becomes the parable’s decisive threshold.
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