Luke 17 · Verse 21

Luke 17:21

Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.
Luke 17:21, King James Version

Luke 17:21 in other translations

BSBNor will people say, ‘Look, here it is,’ or ‘There it is.’ For you see, the kingdom of God is in your midst.”
WEBneither will they say, ‘Look, here!’ or, ‘Look, there!’ for behold, God’s Kingdom is within you.”
ASVneither shall they say, Lo, here! or, There! for lo, the kingdom of God is within you.
YLTnor shall they say, Lo, here; or lo, there; for lo, the reign of God is within you.'
DARBYnor shall they say, Lo here, or, Lo there; for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.
BBEAnd men will not say, See, it is here! or, There! for the kingdom of God is among you.
WebsterNeither will they say, Lo here! or lo there! for behold, the kingdom of God is within you.

What does Luke 17:21 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Luke 17:20-25

Lu 17:20-37. Coming of the Kingdom of God and of the Son of Man. 20-25. when, &c.--To meet the erroneous views not only of the Pharisees, but of the disciples themselves, our Lord addresses both, announcing the coming of the kingdom under different aspects. It cometh not with observation--with watching or lying in wait, as for something outwardly imposing and at once revealing itself.

Read the full comment on Luke 17:20-25 →

Barnes' Notes
Verse 21. Lo here! or, Lo there! When an earthly prince visits different parts of his territories, he does it with pomp. His movements attract observation, and become the common topic of conversation. The inquiry is, Where is he? which way will he go? and it is a matter of important news to be able to say where he is. Jesus says that the Messiah would not come in that manner. It would not be with such pomp and public attention. It would be silent, obscure, and attracting comparatively little notice. Or the passage may have reference to the custom of the pretended Messiahs, who appeared in this manner. They said that in this place or in that, in this mountain or that desert, they would show signs that would convince the people that they were the Messiah. Comp. Acts 5:36,37.

Is within you. This is capable of two interpretations.

1st. The reign of God is in the heart. It does not come with pomp and splendour, like the reign of temporal kings, merely to control the external actions and strike the senses of men with awe, but it reigns in the heart by the law of God; it sets up its dominion over the passions, and brings every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.

2nd. It may mean the new dispensation is even now among YOU. The Messiah has come. John has ushered in the kingdom of God, and you are not to expect the appearance of the Messiah with great pomp and splendour, for he is now among you. Most critics at present incline to this latter interpretation. The ancient versions chiefly follow the former.

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 21 Lo here! or, lo there! - Perhaps those Pharisees thought that the Messiah was kept secret, in some private place, known only to some of their rulers; and that by and by he should be proclaimed in a similar way to that in which Joash was by Jehoiada the priest. See the account, 2Chr 23:1-11.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Luke 17:20-37

The kingdom of God was among the Jews, or rather within some of them. It was a spiritual kingdom, set up in the heart by the power of Divine grace. Observe how it had been with sinners formerly, and in what state the judgments of God, which they had been warned of, found them. Here is shown what a dreadful surprise this destruction will be to the secure and sensual. Thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is…

Read the full comment on Luke 17:20-37 →

Luke 17:21 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

οὐδὲoudenorG3761
ἐροῦσιν·erousinwill they say;G4483
ἰδοὺidouBeholdG2400
ὧδεhōdehereG5602
ἢēorG2228
ἐκεῖ.ekeiThere.G1563
ἰδοὺidouBeholdG2400
γὰρgarforG1063
ἡhētheG3588
βασιλείαbasileiakingdomG932
τοῦtou<the>G3588
θεοῦtheouof GodG2316
ἐντὸςentosin the midstG1787
ὑμῶνhumōnof youG4771
ἐστιν.¶estinis.G1510

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Luke 17:21

  • Matthew 12:28

    But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you.

  • Romans 14:17

    For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.

  • Mark 13:21

    And then if any man shall say to you, Lo, here is Christ; or, lo, he is there; believe him not:

  • Luke 10:9-11

    And heal the sick that are therein, and say unto them, The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you. But into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you not, go your ways out into the streets of the same, and say, Even the very dust of your city, which cleaveth on us, we do wipe off against you: notwithstanding be ye sure of this, that the kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.

  • Colossians 1:27

    To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

  • Matthew 24:23-28

    Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Behold, I have told you before. Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not. …

  • Luke 17:23

    And they shall say to you, See here; or, see there: go not after them, nor follow them.

  • Luke 21:8

    And he said, Take heed that ye be not deceived: for many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and the time draweth near: go ye not therefore after them.

  • John 1:26

    John answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not;

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Lo here.
21:8; Mt 24:23-28; Mr 13:21
the kingdom.
Ro 14:17; Col 1:27
within you. or, among you.
10:9-11; Mt 12:28; Joh 1:26

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Luke 17:20

    And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation:

  • Luke 17:21

    Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.

  • Luke 17:22

    And he said unto the disciples, The days will come, when ye shall desire to see one of the days of the Son of man, and ye shall not see it.

Read all of Luke 17

Luke 17:21 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Ni dirán: Helo aquí, ó helo allí: porque he aquí el reino de Dios entre vosotros está.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		et on ne dira pas: Voici, il est ici; ou, voilà, il est là. Car voici, le royaume de Dieu est au milieu de vous.
German
Elberfelder 1871		noch wird man sagen: Siehe hier! oder: Siehe dort! denn siehe, das Reich Gottes ist mitten unter euch.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		neque dicent: Ecce hic, aut ecce illic. Ecce enim regnum Dei intra vos est.