{Are going out} (sbennuntai). Present middle indicative of
linear action, not punctiliar or aoristic. When the five foolish
virgins lit their lamps, they discovered the lack of oil. The
sputtering, flickering, smoking wicks were a sad revelation. "And
_perhaps_ we are to understand that there is something in the
coincidence of the lamps going out just as the Bridegroom
arrived. Mere outward religion is found to have no illuminating
power" (Plummer).