Mat 25:2 And five of them were wise, and five [were] foolish.
Mat 25:3 They that [were] foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:
Mat 25:4 But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.

Since Christ specifies that that a marriage consists of one man and one woman, we know that the ten maidens are not the brides but rather the bridesmaids, sent to accompany the bridegroom to the wedding. Christ uses the wedding feast as a symbol for the rewards of the kingdom of heaven.

The dichotomy here between the wise girls and the foolish ones is typical for Christ's analogies, but most of his stories involve just two: a good son and a bad one, the person taken and the person left. Here a whole group of people are split down the middle between wise and foolish. The split is always even because we can all go either way, especially in cases where the choice is not between good and evil as much as wise and foolish. We are all capable of either.

Here, Christ equates intelligence with having foresight, preparing for an eventuality ahead of time. When they set out, none of these girls knew that they would need extra oil. However, some of them were concerned that they might. In Christ's eyes, this made them wise because life is unpredictable, beyond our control. We cannot assume that we know what will happen. Because we can't know what will happen, but we should expect that nothing will go according to plan.

"Foolish" is from môros (moros), which means "dull," "sluggish," and "stupid."

"Wise" is from phronimos, which means "in one's right mind," "showing presence of mind," "sensible," "prudent," and "possessing sagacity or discernment."

"Oil" is from elaion, which means "olive oil," "anointing oil," and "any oily substance."