The Wise and Foolish Virgins Commented [MOU1]: Notice title page matches title page in Turabian book page 381. Title is in boldface. A.1.5 Commented [MOU2R1]: Susie Student ENG1323 College Research and Writing January 1, 2019
Text and Historical Background Commented [MOU3]: Heading level 1 A2.2.4 Text: Mt. 25:1-13 (KJV) Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. 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. And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh. 1 Commented [MOU4]: Heading level 2 A.2.2.3 Commented [MOU5]: Block quotation 25.2.2. Block quotes are only used when five lines or more of a direct quote are included in paper. A block quote is used here at the specific request of a professor not every paper must list all of a set of Bible verses as shown here. This is simply an example of a block quote. Students who write papers should be very selective in their use of block quotes. Students should quote, paraphrase, and a summarize appropriately because most of a student s paper should be constructed using the student s own words. 7.4 Commented [MOU6R5]: Introduction The purpose of this essay is to provide information regarding the parable Jesus told of the need for believers to be prepared for his return. In this parable, Jesus used the illustration of wise and foolish virgins who were invited to attend a wedding. Half of the virgins were prepared for the arrival of the bridegroom and half of the virgins were not prepared for the arrival of the bridegroom. In order to explore this parable, a word study of the word virgin will be presented. A historical background concerning wedding customs will also be explored to provide details regarding wedding traditions of the New Testament culture. Information concerning the historical background of the book of Matthew will be offered as well to provide a framework upon which the parable may be viewed by contemporary readers. 1 Unless otherwise noted all verse are from King James Version. 1
Word Study Summary The word for virgin in the Greek is parthenos. The origin of parthenos is uncertain. The most original meaning of parthenos seems to be one who has as yet not been touched by a man. 2 The meaning of parthenos as used in Matthew 25 may be defined as one who has never had sexual relations. 3 Almah and betulah are the two Hebrew words for maiden. Narah is used for a young girl. When parthenos is used in the Septuagint, these three words are used. Betulah is used to describe an untouched maiden and almah is used to describe a young woman at the age of puberty until she has her first child. However, betulah may not be limited to one who is a virgin in the strictest technical sense. 4 The Semitic root from which the Hebrew word betulah is derived appears in other Hebrew words in a plural form in which the meaning is virginity. The Commented [MOU7]: Heading level 2 Commented [MOU8]: Foreign language words in italics. 22.2.1. Commented [MOU9]: Superscript number refers the reader to a properly formatted footnote beneath the text. Each footnote is indented like the first line of a paragraph. Each footnote includes author information (First name and last name), title of the book in italics, publication information in parenthesis, followed by page number and a period. Footnotes are in Times New Roman 10- point font.16.3.4.1 In footnote 2, the source is a volume of a book and is indicated by vol. 3 in Times New Roman font no italics added. 17.1.4. Commented [MOU10]: Footnote 4 include page numbers 1071-72 which are inclusive numbers of one hundred or greater and are written as shown. 23.2.4. word most closely related in origin is the Hebrew word, batultu, normally meaning young (unmarried) girl. 5 Although betulah is typically translated as virgin, betulah may be more accurately understood as a female who has reached sexual maturity and is therefore potentially fertile. Because of this condition she is thus suitable for marriage. However, betulot is the word used in reference to young women with whom King Ahasuerus engaged in sexual activity while searching for his new wife in Esther 2. This text shows that betulah and virgin are not interchangeable terms. The related term, betulim, may have had the more technically and legally specialized meaning of virginity. 6 The root meaning of the Hebrew word betulah means to 2 Collin Brown, The New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology, vol. 3 (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1986), 1071. Commented [MOU11]: Footnote 6 shows the use of Ibid., an abbreviation short for ibidem, which is Latin for, in the same place. This indicates the writer used the same source from footnote 5 for footnote 6, but used page 1358 from the source for footnote 6. 16.4.2 3James Strong, The Strongest Strong s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2001), 1522. 4Strong, The Strongest Strong s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, 1071-72. 5 David Noel Freedman, Anchor Bible Dictionary, vol. 6 (New York: Double Day, 1992), 853. 6 Ibid., 1358. 2
separate. Betulah is commonly used to describe a woman who has not had sexual intercourse. The Hebrew word almah comes from a root word meaning to be sexually mature and it refers to a woman who has not yet given birth to children, though she may be married. The Greek equivalent is usually neanis meaning young woman. 7 The author of Mt. 25:1-13 seems to have used parthenos in this instance to describe young, unmarried, female friends of the bride, while at other places within the book of Matthew, parthenos is used to describe a woman who is sexually pure. One must take the context in which the word is used into account when translating the meaning of the word. Historical Background Weddings were a part of life in first-century Galilee. Jesus may have used a wedding as the setting for this parable because it was part of the world of experience for his listeners. In this sense, the parable was a record of common life. 8 The idea of marriage and childbearing within the Jewish tradition was universal and binding, perhaps in part due to the high infant mortality rate and short life span of adults. 9 Jewish weddings were elaborate affairs that included ceremony, celebration, special clothing for the bride, decorations, music, and many guests. Once the actual wedding day arrived, a bride prepared for her wedding in several ways. Just before the Commented [MOU12]: Footnote 8 show how to cite a complex footnote (16.3.5) in which elements are separated by semicolons. This footnote also shows how to cite an ATLA online journal article (17.2.4.1) found with SUM ATLA resource. This footnote also shows how to cite a personal interview (17.6.3.) Commented [MOU13]: Footnote 9 contains a source that is a revised edition and is indicated as rev. ed. In Times New Roman no italics added. wedding, the bride had a bath, she was anointed, and she was dressed in special clothing 7 James Dixon Douglas, The Illustrated Bible Dictionary (Leicester, England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1980), 1625. 8 Charles Harold Dodd, The Authority of the Bible (London, England: Nisbet and Company, 1938), 133; John F. Walvoord, Christ's Olivet Discourse on the End of the Age: the Parable of the Ten Virgins," Bibliotheca Sacra 129, no. 514 (April 1972): 99. ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials, EBSCOhost (accessed March 15, 2018); and Giovanni Bazzana, Professor of New Testament, Harvard University, interviewed by author, Cambridge, MA, 2016. 9 Calvin J. Roetzel, The World That Shaped the New Testament, rev. ed. (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2002), 100. 3
including a veil. Later, wreaths were placed on the couple s heads, and they had a lighted procession to the bridegroom s house. At the groom s house, a canopy was set up for the ceremony. Seven days of festivity followed the wedding. 10 Being a bride s maid was a great honor. The idea of being shut out of the wedding feast was an idea that would inspire nightmares in the minds of young women. Jesus listeners must have comprehended the horror of the five foolish virgins finding the door bolted. 11 The parable of the wise and foolish virgins is found in Matthew only. The authorship of the book is much discussed. Scholars cannot agree exactly who wrote the book. One hundred years after Matthew was written, Irenaeus refers to the book as the Gospel according to Matthew. 12 Irenaeus seems to have obtained this view from Papias, which was recorded by Eusebius, the Bishop of Caesarea. 13 Based upon the views of these church fathers, subsequent scholars attributed the writing of the book to Matthew, while contemporary scholars admit that the authorship is unknown. The heading According to Matthew was probably first added to the Gospel some time in first half of the second century AD. 14 The structure of Matthew is one upon which scholars find agreement. The narrative of Matthew follows a rough chronological order concerning Jesus. Jesus is born, he is baptized, he has a ministry in Galilee, he travels to Jerusalem, he is crucified, and he is resurrected. The book 10 Everett Ferguson, Backgrounds of Early Christianity (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans, 2003), 72-74. 116. 11 Craig S. Keener, The IVP Bible Background Commentary (Downer s Grove: Inter-Varsity Press, 1993), Press, 2000), 14. 12 Warren Carter, Matthew and the Margins: A Socio-Political and Religious Reading (Sheffield: Academic 13 William David Davies and Dale Allison, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on The Gospel According to Saint Matthew, vol. 1 (Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1988), 8. 14 Richard Thomas France, The Gospel According to Matthew: An Introduction and Commentary (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans, 1985), 32. 4
may be divided into sections that may be compared to the Torah. These sections include: The Prologue which includes chapters 1 and 2, Book I which includes chapters 3 through 7, Book II which includes chapters 8 through 10, Book III which includes chapters 11 through 13, Book IV which includes chapters 13 through 17, Book V which includes chapters 19 through 22, and the Epilogue which includes chapters 26-28. 15 The genre of Matthew is at a first glance narrative. However, as one reads, one sees many Commented [MOU14]: Footnote 15 shows a source that was used in footnote 13 and therefor the information in the footnote is shortened. 16.4.1. variations of literature presented. The genre of Matthew is a genre that is unique to Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. These four books are so unique that it was not possible to assign them under a particular genre, so a new genre was created to help classify them. This new genre is called the Gospel Genre. Several points should be kept in mind when considering this new genre. First, Jesus did not record anything he said. The writer of Matthew wrote under the prompting of the Holy Spirit. Second, the book of Matthew is one of four Gospel books that each seem to have a common view. Yet, there are four Gospel books, and while they are not biographies, they are of equal value. When reading Matthew, the reader must think of both the historical setting of Jesus, the main character, and the historical setting of the author. 16 By thinking in this manner, the reader will be more fully able to comprehend not only the historical setting in which the story took place, but the reader will be more fully able to comprehend how the main point of the story may be applied to the reader. Because the book of Matthew is categorized as Gospel Genre and not simply as a narrative, the reader is provided with a better understand of how to read the book of Matthew and understand the main themes of the book more clearly 15 Davies and Allison, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on The Gospel According to Saint Matthew, vol. 1, 59. 16 Gordon D. Fee and Douglas Stuart, How to Read the Bible for All It s Worth (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2003), 127-130. 5
Bibliography Aland, Kurt ed. Synopsis of the Four Gospels: Greek-English Edition of the Synopsis Quattuor Evangeliorum, with the Text of the Revised Standard Version. London: United Bible Societies, 1982. Beitzel, Barry J. The Moody Atlas of Bible Lands. Chicago: Moody Press, 1985. Commented [MOU15]: Each entry is in alphabetical order by author s last name. Titles of books and journals are in italics. Book chapters and journal articles in are quotation marks. Publication information does not include page numbers. Bromiley, Geoffrey W. ed. The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, vol. 3. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans, 1988. Brown, Collin, ed. The New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology, vol. 3. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1986. Carter, Warren. Matthew and the Margins: A Socio-Political and Religious Reading. Sheffield: Academic Press, 2000. Crossan, John, Dominic. In Parables: The Challenge of the Historical Jesus. Sonoma: Polebridge Press, 1992. Davies, William David and Dale Allison. A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on The Gospel According to Saint Matthew, vol. 1. Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1988. Dodd, Charles Harold. The Apostolic Preaching and Its Development. London: Hodder and Stroughton, 1944.. The Authority of the Bible. London: Nisbet and Company, 1938. Douglas, James Dixon. The Illustrated Bible Dictionary. Leicester, England: Inter- Varsity Press, 1980. Commented [MOU16]: Charles Harold Dodd wrote this source and therefore a 3- em dash created by typing 6 hyphens is used to represent a repeated author s name. 16.2.2.1and 21.7.3. Ferguson, Everett. Backgrounds of Early Christianity. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans, 2003. Fee, Gordon D. and Douglas Stuart. How to Read the Bible for All It s Worth. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2003. Fenton, John C. Saint Matthew. Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1978. France, Richard Thomas. The Gospel According to Matthew: An Introduction and Commentary. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans, 1985. 6
Freedman, David Noel. Anchor Bible Dictionary, vol. 6 New York: Double Day, 1992. Jeremias, Joachim. Rediscovering the Parables. New York: Charles Scribner s Sons, 1966. Kee, Howard Clark. Understanding the New Testament, 5 th ed. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 1993. Keener, Craig. A Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans, 1999.. The IVP Bible Background Commentary. Downer s Grove: Inter- Varsity Press, 1993. Klein, William W. Craig L. Blomberg, and Robert L. Hubbard. Introduction to Biblical Interpretation. Dallas: Word Publishing, 1993. Malina, Bruce J. The New Testament World: Insights from Cultural Anthropology, rev. ed. Louisville: Westminster/John Knox Press, 1993. Mickelsen, Berkeley. Interpreting the Bible. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans, 1963. Nolland, John. The Gospel of Matthew: A Commentary on the Greek Text. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans, 2005. Peterson, Eugene. The Message: The New Testament, Psalms, and Proverbs. Colorado Springs: Navpress, 1995. Roetzel, Calvin J. The World That Shaped the New Testament, rev. ed. Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2002. Schaff, Philip. The Gospel According to Matthew. Chicago: American Theological Library Association, 1986. ALTA Monograph Preservation Program. Microfiche. Strong, James. The Strongest Strong s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2001. Tate, W Randolph. Biblical Interpretation: An Integrated Approach, rev. ed. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1997. Wailes, Stephen L. Medieval Allegories of Jesus Parables. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1987. 7
Walvoord, John F. "Christ's Olivet Discourse on the End of the Age: the Parable of the Ten Virgins." Bibliotheca Sacra 129, no. 514 (April 1972): 99-105. ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials, EBSCOhost (accessed March 15, 2018). Commented [MOU17]: The pages in the body of the text are numbered. The first page after the title page is 1. A.1.4 Page numbers are set at ½ inch. A1.4.2. The text in the body of the paper is double spaced between sentences and paragraphs. The font used in the paper is Times New Roman for all letters and numbers. A.1.2. Text is set at 12 points, footnotes is set at 10 points. A.1.2. The margins of the paper are set a 1 inch. A.1.1. 8