Matthew 25:6
And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.
Original Language Analysis
γέγονεν
made
G1096
γέγονεν
made
Strong's:
G1096
Word #:
5 of 13
to cause to be ("gen"-erate), i.e., (reflexively) to become (come into being), used with great latitude (literal, figurative, intensive, etc.)
ὁ
G3588
ὁ
Strong's:
G3588
Word #:
7 of 13
the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)
ἔρχεται,
cometh
G2064
ἔρχεται,
cometh
Strong's:
G2064
Word #:
9 of 13
to come or go (in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively)
Cross References
2 Peter 3:10But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.Isaiah 25:9And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the LORD; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.Matthew 24:44Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.Matthew 25:1Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.Matthew 24:31And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.Revelation 16:15Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.Psalms 98:9Before the LORD; for he cometh to judge the earth: with righteousness shall he judge the world, and the people with equity.Matthew 25:31When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:1 Thessalonians 4:16For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:Luke 12:20But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?
Historical Context
In Jewish wedding customs, the groom would arrive with an entourage, and the bride's party would join the procession to the wedding feast. The midnight timing was not unusual—weddings were festive, nighttime celebrations. Early Christians adopted 'maranatha' ('Come, Lord') as a watchword (1 Corinthians 16:22, Revelation 22:20), echoing this midnight cry.
Questions for Reflection
- Are you living in readiness for the 'midnight cry'—Christ's sudden, unexpected return?
- How would your priorities change if you knew the bridegroom would come 'at midnight' tonight?
- What does it mean that the cry comes when it's darkest—both in world history and perhaps in personal circumstances?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him (μέσης δὲ νυκτὸς κραυγὴ γέγονεν, Ἰδοὺ ὁ νυμφίος, ἐξέρχεσθε εἰς ἀπάντησιν αὐτοῦ, mesēs de nyktos kraugē gegonen, Idou ho nymphios, exerchesthe eis apantēsin autou). Midnight—the darkest hour, when sleep is deepest and vigilance most difficult. The cry (κραυγή, kraugē) was sudden, loud, unmistakable—like the archangel's shout at the Second Coming (1 Thessalonians 4:16).
Behold, the bridegroom cometh (Ἰδοὺ ὁ νυμφίος, Idou ho nymphios)—the long-awaited moment arrives unexpectedly. The command, go ye out to meet him (ἐξέρχεσθε εἰς ἀπάντησιν, exerchesthe eis apantēsin), uses technical language for welcoming a dignitary (same word in Matthew 25:1). The bridegroom is Christ; the midnight hour symbolizes the unknown timing of His return (Matthew 24:42-44). No one sleeps through this cry—all must respond.