In the New Testament, Matthew contains the parable of the ten virgins awaiting the bridegroom.
The parable appears in Matthew 25:1–13. Five virgins are described as wise because they bring extra oil for their lamps, while five are foolish because they do not. When the bridegroom is delayed, all ten become sleepy, but only the prepared group can join the wedding celebration when he arrives.
The story forms part of Jesus’s extended teaching about the end times on the Mount of Olives. Its central warning is to remain watchful and prepared because the timing of the decisive moment is unknown. The bridegroom is a recurring biblical image associated with marriage and expectation.
Readers sometimes confuse this parable with Luke’s parable of the ten servants, which also involves waiting and accountability. Matthew’s account is distinctive for its ten virgins, lamps, oil, and delayed bridegroom. The Gospel does not identify the bridegroom by name within the parable itself.