The different Hebrew, Ge’ez, and Greek terms that are translated as “(olive) oil” and “(animal) fat” in English are translated in Kwere with only one term: mavuta. (Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
virgin
The Hebrew and Greek that is mostly translated as “virgin” in English can be translated as “woman that is untouched” in Batak Toba or “a woman with a whole (i.e. unopened) body” in Uab Meto.
“Similar words for ‘girl,’unmarried young woman,’ suggesting virginity without explicitly stating it, are found in Marathi, Apache, or Kituba. Cultural features naturally influence connotations of possible renderings, for instance, the child marriage customs in some Tboli areas, where the boy and girl are made to sleep together at the initial marriage, but after that do not live together and may not see each other again for years. Hence, the closest attainable equivalent, ‘female adolescent,’ does not imply that a young girl is not living with her husband, and that she never had a child, but leaves uncertain whether she has ever slept with a male person or not. Accordingly, in Luke one has to depend on Luke 1:34 to make clear that Mary and Joseph had not had sexual intercourse. A different problem is encountered in Pampanga, where birhen (an adaptation of Spanish virgen — ‘virgin’), when standing alone, is a name of the ‘Virgin Mary.’ To exclude this meaning the version uses “marriageable birhen,” thus at the same time indicating that Mary was relatively young.” (Source: Reiling / Swellengrebel, see here)
In Navajo (Dinė), the term that is used is “no husband yet” (Source: Wallis, p. 106) and in Gola the expression “trouser girl.” “In the distant past young women who were virgins wore trousers. Those who were not virgins wore dresses. That doesn’t hold true anymore, but the expression is still there in the language.” (Source: Don Slager)
The term in Djimini Senoufo is katogo jo — “village-dance-woman” (women who have been promised but who are still allowed to go to dances with unmarried women). (Source: Übersetzung heute 3/1995)
In Igbo translations, typically a newly-created, multi-word phrase is used that very explicitly states that there has not been any sexual relations and that translates as “a woman (or: maiden) who does not know a man.” This is in spite of the fact that there is a term (agb͕ọghọ) that means “young woman” and has the connotation of her not having had sexual relations (this is for instance used by the Standard Igbo Bible of the Bible Society of Nigeria for Isaiah 7:14). Incidentally, the euphemistic expression “know” (ma in Igbo) for “having sex” has become a well-known euphemism outside of Bible translation. (Source: Uchenna Oyali in Sociolinguistic Studies Vol. 17 No. 1-3 (2023): Special Issue: Gender and sexuality in African discourses )
In Chichewa, it is translated as namwali which is used to refer to a girl who has reached puberty stage and is ready to get married. Apart from the physical aspect, the word also has social implications in the sense that it is used to recognize the fact that the girl has become responsible enough to make informed decisions and take care of herself and others. (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)
See also virgins (Revelation 14:4) and complete verse (Matthew 1:23).
complete verse (Matthew 25:10)
Following are a number of back-translations of Matthew 25:10:
- Uma: “So the stupid young-women did go to buy oil. While they were gone, the bridegroom arrived. The five young women who were wise, since their torches were already ready, they right away went into the feasting/partying house with the bridegroom, and they closed the door.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
- Yakan: “Na, the stupid ones went to buy. While they were gone the bridegroom arrived. The five girls who were ready went with him into the house of the wedding, then the door was closed.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
- Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And when they were gone, the bridegroom arrived. And these five virgins who were wise, they went with him into the house where the wedding was. And after they had gone inside, the house was shut up.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
- Kankanaey: “‘So then, they went to buy. But when they had gone, the man-getting-married arrived. The young-ladies who were waiting already-prepared, they went-with (him) to the house where they were going. They joined-in-entering to join-in-eating and join-in-celebrating with the other invited ones, and then it was closed (door).” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
- Tagbanwa: “Without anything further, those five simple-minded ones set out. After they had left, that man arrived who was being married. Well, as for those five who were prepared, they went into the marriage-feast-place along with that man. After they had entered, the door was closed.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
- Tenango Otomi: “The foolish girls went out to buy oil. But the bridegroom arrived. Those girls who were prepared entered with him into the house. The door was then closed.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
The wise and the foolish virgins

Hand colored stencil print on momigami by Sadao Watanabe (1979).
Image taken with permission from the SadaoHanga Catalogue where you can find many more images and information about Sadao Watanabe. For other images of Sadao Watanabe art works in TIPs, see here.
The following artwork “Ten Virgins” is by Nyoman Darsane (1939-2024):

Nyoman Darsane was born and raised as a Hindu. Like many Balinese rice farmers, his father was also a musician who played in the orchestra of the local ruler. Darsane was brought up together with one of the princes and educated in the palace. That provided him with a deep knowledge of Hindu-Balinese religion and culture. It paved the way for him to become not only a painter but also a musician, dancer, and puppet player. An academic training at the college in Semarang, Java, finally made him familiar with the Western tradition as well. His early paintings are reminiscent of Gauguin, van Gogh, and Nolde. Darsane thus belongs to the heterogeneous group of the so-called academicians, those artists who have studied at one of the country’s art colleges. Although they are experimenting with Western influences in style, they have continuously been searching for their own Balinese identity. In Darsane’s case a special emphasis adds to this search: since he converted to Christianity he has been trying to mold this religion into a Balinese form.
Darsane was supported by the Bishop Wayan Mastra (b. 1931), who theologically comes from a more evangelical background. As a tiny minority among the Hindu-Balinese people, the Bali Church embraced inculturation. Churches are built in traditional Balinese temple style and local artists have been asked to design the decoration of the buildings. Balinese music and dance are used in the liturgy and the impact of these cultural traditionscan be seen in Darsane’s paintings.
As a result of his conversion at the age of seventeen, Darsane had been excluded from his family and ostracized by his village community. The Hindu-Balinese religion originated from the encounter between Hinduism and Balinese tribal religions, and it still has many features of this primal religion. Religion and community are closely intertwined; whoever turns away from the common religion also renounces the solidarity of the community. Darsane’s constant effort to give Christianity a Balinese shape finally convinced his family and the community that he stilt is one of them. Today he is again well respected and his advice even in religious matters is highly appreciated. (Source: Volker Küster in Pongracz / Küster / Cook 2007, p. 34; image: p. 113)
Translation commentary on Matthew 25:10
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 .

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