Luke 17:20-21
New English Translation
The Coming of the Kingdom
20 Now at one point[a] the Pharisees[b] asked Jesus[c] when the kingdom of God[d] was coming, so he answered, “The kingdom of God is not coming with signs[e] to be observed, 21 nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ For indeed, the kingdom of God is[f] in your midst.”[g]
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- Luke 17:20 tn The words “at one point” are supplied to indicate that the following incident is not necessarily in chronological sequence with the preceding event.
- Luke 17:20 sn See the note on Pharisees in 5:17.
- Luke 17:20 tn Grk “having been asked by the Pharisees.” The passive construction has been translated as an active one in keeping with contemporary English style, and the direct object, Jesus, has been supplied from the context.
- Luke 17:20 sn The kingdom of God is a major theme of Jesus’ teaching. The nature of the kingdom of God in the NT and in Jesus’ teaching has long been debated by interpreters and scholars, with discussion primarily centering around the nature of the kingdom (earthly, heavenly, or both) and the kingdom’s arrival (present, future, or both). An additional major issue concerns the relationship between the kingdom of God and the person and work of Jesus himself. See Luke 6:20; 11:20; 17:20-21.
- Luke 17:20 tn Or “is not coming in a way that it can be closely watched” (L&N 24.48). Although there are differing interpretations of what this means, it probably refers to the cosmic signs often associated with the kingdom’s coming in the Jewish view (1 En. 91, 93; 2 Bar. 53–74). See D. L. Bock, Luke (BECNT), 2:1412-14, also H. Riesenfeld, TDNT 8:150.
- Luke 17:21 tn This is a present tense in the Greek text. In contrast to waiting and looking for the kingdom, it is now available.
- Luke 17:21 tn This is a far better translation than “in you.” Jesus would never tell the hostile Pharisees that the kingdom was inside them. The reference is to Jesus present in their midst. He brings the kingdom. Another possible translation would be “in your grasp.” For further discussion and options, see D. L. Bock, Luke (BECNT), 2:1414-19.
Luke 17:20-21
Lexham English Bible
The Coming of the Kingdom of God
20 Now when he[a] was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, he answered them and said, “The kingdom of God does not come with things that can be observed,[b] 21 nor will they say, ‘Behold, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ For behold, the kingdom of God is in your midst.”
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- Luke 17:20 Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“was asked”) which is understood as temporal
- Luke 17:20 Literally “observation”
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