§25.1Στίχ. α΄. Τότε ὁμοιωθήσεται ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν· δέκα παρθένοις, αἵτινες, λαβοῦσαι τὰς λαμπάδας αὐτῶν, ἐξῆλθον εἰς ἀπάντησιν τοῦ νυμφίου. Δέκα παρθένοι εἷναί φασι τὰς ἐν ἑκάστῃ ψυχῇ αἰσθήσεις τοῦ ἔνδοθεν καὶ ἔξωθεν ἀνθρώπου, ἀποστάσας εἰδωλολατρείας καὶ τῶν κοσμικῶν ἐπιθυμιῶν, τῷ παραδέξασθαι, εἴτε προφάσει, εἴτε ἀληθείᾳ, τὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ καθαρὸν λόγον, καὶ παρθενοποιηθῆναι (21).
Verse 1: "Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins, who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom." They say that "ten virgins" are the senses of the inner and outer man in each soul, which have withdrawn from idolatry and worldly desires by receiving, whether in pretense or in truth, the pure Word of God, and being made virgins.
Εἰσὶ δὲ αἵ τε κοινῶς νοούμεναι, καὶ αἱ ἐν παροιμίαις κείμεναι, αἱ καὶ ἀνακολουθοῦσαι, ὡς αἱ ἀρεταὶ τῆς ὑποστάσεως Χριστοῦ.
And there are those commonly understood, and those placed in parables, which also follow, like the virtues of the substance of Christ.
Διὸ καὶ ἐντοπειατ΄. (22) οὐχ αἱ μὲν μωραὶ, αἱ δὲ φρόνιμοι.
Therefore, [corrupted text], it is not that some are foolish and others wise.
Ἀλλὰ μία (23) καὶ πᾶσαι ἐξῆλθον εἰς ἀπάντησιν, αἱ παραδεξάμεναι τὸ περὶ Χριστοῦ μυστήριον.
Rather, they are one, and all went out to meet him, having received the mystery concerning Christ.
Ἐξίασι γὰρ ἀπὸ τῆς τοῦ κόσμου πλάνης, σπεύδουσαι πρὸς τὸν ἑτοίμως ὁρμῶντα πρὸς αὐτάς.
For they go out from the error of the world, hastening toward Him who is readily moving toward them.
Ἅλλο Ὠριγένους.
Another of Origen.
Ἕτερον ἡ παρθενία παρὰ τὴν ἐλεημοσύνην, καὶ ἕτερον ὁ νοῦς παρὰ τὸ σῶμα· καὶ τοῦτο λήψει εἰς τὰς δέκα παρθένους.
Virginity is one thing and almsgiving another, and the mind is one thing and the body another; and one will take this for the ten virgins.
Φρόνιμοι μὲν οὖν αἱ τοῦ κατὰ λόγον βιοῦντος αἰσθήσεις· μωραὶ δὲ αἱ τοῦ ἐναντίως καὶ παρὰ τὸν ὀρθὸν λόγον πολιτευομένου.
Wise, then, are the senses of the one who lives according to reason; and foolish are those of the one who conducts himself contrariwise and against right reason.
Λαμπάδες ἡ πανάρετος πρᾶξις· ἔλαιον δὲ ὁ ἐπιχεόμενος λόγος τοῦ ψυχικοῦ, τοῦ τὴν ἀγαθὴν πρᾶξιν ἐργαζομένου.
Lamps are all-virtuous action; and oil is the reason poured over the soulful part of the one who works the good action.
Καθεύδουσιν οἱ ἀπανιστάμενοι τοῦ ζωτικοῦ τόνου.
Those who sleep are those who withdraw from vital tension.
Οὐκ ἀπολλύουσιν οὖν τὰς λαμπάδας αἱ φρόνιμοι, οὐδὲ ἀπροσεκτοῦσι περὶ τὴν τήρησιν τοῦ ἐλαίου.
Therefore, the wise do not lose their lamps, nor are they careless about the preservation of the oil.
Ἐμβοῶσιν οἱ ἄγγελοι ταῖς κοιμωμέναις αἰσθήσεσι, διεγείροντες αὐτάς· τουτέστι τὰ λειτουργικὰ πνεύματα εἰς διακονίαν ἀποστελλόμενα διὰ τοὺς μέλλοντας κληρονομεῖν σωτηρίαν.
The angels cry out to the sleeping senses, awakening them; that is, the ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation.
Κόσμος λαμπάδων ἡ κατὰ τὰς αἰσθήσεις εὐαγγελικὴ χρῆσις· ὀφθαλμῶν ἐπὶ τοῦ θαυμάζειν τὸν πεποιηκότα, καὶ μύειν ἵνα μὴ ἴδωσιν ἀδικίαν· ἀκοῆς (24) καὶ παραδεχομένης μάταιον, μήτε κρίσιν αἵματος, τοῦ δὲ ἴσου λόγου· γεύσεως αἰσθιούσης (25) Χριστὸν τὸν Κύριεν· ὀσφρήσεως Χριστοῦ εὐωδίᾳ ἀπολαυούσης, καὶ τοῦ ἐκκενωθέντος μύρου· ἁρῆς ἁπτομένης τοῦ Λόγου, ὡς Ἰωάννης λέγει· Αἱ χεῖρες ἡμῶν ἐψηλάφησαν περὶ τοῦ Λόγου τῆς ζωῆς. Μεσονύκτιον δὲ γίνεται ἡ φωνή· ἐκείνῃ τῇ ὥρᾳ, ᾗ ἐξῆλθον οἱ υἱοὶ Ἰσραὴλ ἐξ Αἰγύπιου, ἐν ᾗ καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς ἀνέστη ἐκ τῶν νεκρῶν.
The adornment of lamps is the evangelical use of the senses: of the eyes to marvel at the Creator and to close so that they do not see injustice; of the hearing not to receive vanity nor the judgment of blood, but the equal word; of the taste eating the Lord Christ; of the smell enjoying the fragrance of Christ and of the poured-out ointment; of the touch touching the Word, as John says: "Our hands have handled concerning the Word of life." "At midnight a cry was made": at that hour in which the sons of Israel went out of Egypt, in which also Christ rose from the dead.
Φθωνή ἐστιν ἡ σάλπιγξ, ἡ τοὺς νεκροὺς ἐγείρουσα, καὶ ἐξάγουσα ἐκ τῶν τάφων.
The voice is the trumpet, which raises the dead and brings them out of the tombs.
Ἔχει δὲ καὶ μυστικὸν νοῦν τὸ ἐξέλθετε.
And "go out" has also a mystical meaning.
Ἐὰν γὰρ μὴ ἐξέλθωμεν, τὸν νυμφίον ἀπαντῆσαι οὐ δυνάμεθα.
For if we do not go out, we cannot meet the bridegroom.
Λαμπάδα (26) τῆς παρθενίας ὁ τῆς γνώσεως φωτισμός· ἔλαιον δὲ εἰς τὰς λαμπάδας ἡ ἐν ἐπιγνώσει σπουδὴ, καὶ τῶν ἐντολῶν ἐργασία.
The lamp of virginity is the illumination of knowledge; and oil for the lamps is diligence in full knowledge and the working of the commandments.
Αὕτη γὰρ τὸ ἐν ἡμῖν· διαφυλάττει φῶς, ἁπλοῦν τὸν ὀφθαλμὸν διατηροῦσα, ὥστε φωτίζεσθαι ὅλον ἡμῶν τὸ σῶμα, κατὰ τὸν τοῦ Κυρίου λόγον.
For this preserves the light within us, keeping the eye single, so that our whole body may be filled with light, according to the word of the Lord.
Αἱ μὲν οὗν λαβοῦσαι τὴν ἐπιμελῆ σπουδὴν πρὸς τὴν τῶν ἐντολῶν ἐργασίαν φρόιμοι· αἱ δὲ ἀμελεῖς μωραὶ, τὸν προσήκοντα καιρὸν ἀναλώσασαι εἰς τὴν τῶν ματαίων σπουδήν.
Those, therefore, who have received diligent zeal for the working of the commandments are wise; but the careless are foolish, having consumed the proper time in zeal for empty things.
Τὸ δὲ, ἐκάθευδον. τὴν κοίμησιν τοῦ θανάτου λέγει· τὸ μεσονύκτιον δὲ, τὸ αἰφνίδιον δηλοῖ καὶ τὸ ἀπροσδόκητον, ἄμα καὶ τό φοβερόν.
And "they slept" speaks of the sleep of death; and "midnight" signifies the sudden and unexpected, and at the same time the fearful.
Καὶ ταῖς μὲν ἐξαναστάσαις πάρεστιν ἃ ἐπόνεσαν· τὴν δὲ ῥᾳθυμίαν (27) περὶ τὴν εὐσέβειαν μηδὲν ἐπιφερομένων ἄρχεται στυγνάζειν ἡ ψυχὴ, καὶ οἱονεὶ κατασβέννυσθαι, καὶ εἰς παραφροσύνην χωρεῖν, ὥστε οἰηθῆναι αὐτὰς διὰ τῆς ἑτέρων ἀρετῆς.
And for those who have risen, what they labored for is present; but the soul of those who carry nothing due to laziness concerning piety begins to grow dark, and as it were to be extinguished, and to depart into madness, so that they think they can be saved through the virtue of others.
Διὸ ἀποδοκιμάζονται, λεγόντων ἐκείνων, Μήποτε οὐκ ἀρκέσει ἡμῖν καὶ ὑμῖν. Πωλοῦσι δὲ τὸ ἔλαιον οἱ διδάσκοντες μισθοῦ προσεδρείᾳ, προσοχῆς, φιλομαθίας, φιλοπονίας.
Therefore they are rejected, those saying, "Lest there should not be enough for us and you." And those who sell the oil are the teachers in exchange for the reward of constant attendance, attention, love of learning, and love of labor.
Ἤ πωλοῦντές εἰσι προφῆται, ἀπόστολοι, εὐαγγελισταὶ, διʼ ὧν τις μαθητευθεὶς τὴν ἀρετὴν ἐργάζεται.
Or those who sell are prophets, apostles, evangelists, through whom one is discipled and works virtue.