The story now reaches its climax. The bridegroom arrives, and the girls who had their lamps ready accompany him into the wedding feast. Observe that the theme of readiness ties this parable to the saying of 24.44: “Therefore you also must be ready.”

The text has merely while they went to buy, but in many languages it will be necessary to mention their departure explicitly before using while. See for example Good News Translation, “So the foolish girls went off to buy some oil; and while they were gone….”

Came may be “arrived” or “arrived for the wedding.”

Those who were ready went into the wedding with the bridegroom. Those could seem to refer to all the guests, but in the context of the parable, those clearly refers to the five sensible young women who were ready with enough oil. Good News Translation has “The five girls who were ready,” and others have “the five sensible girls.”

To say went in … to the marriage feast may need to be expanded to “went into the house where the wedding feast was to be held.” Since the wedding was at the bridegroom’s house, far enough away to require lamps to see the way there, then “went to the house” may be better.

The door was shut may be translated “the servants closed the door.”

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Stine, Philip C. A Handbook on the Gospel of Matthew. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1988. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .