Clarke's Bible Commentary - Luke 17:20
Verse 20. Cometh not with observation] With scrupulous observation. That this is the proper meaning of the original, meta parathrhsewv, KYPKE and others have amply proved from the best Greek writers. As if he had said: "The kingdom of God, the glorious religion of the Messiah, does not come in such a way as to be discerned only by sagacious critics, or is only to be seen by those who are scrupulously watching for it; it is not of such a nature as to be confined to one place, so that men might say of it, Behold it is only here, or only there: for this kingdom of God is publicly revealed; and behold it is among you; I proclaim it publicly, and work those miracles which prove the kingdom of God is come; and none of these things are done in a corner." Dr. Lightfoot has well observed that there are two senses especially in which the phrase "kingdom of heaven," is to be understood. 1. The promulgation and establishment of the Christian religion. 2. The total overthrow of the Jewish polity. The Jews imagined that when the Messiah should come he would destroy the Gentiles, and reign gloriously over the Jews: the very reverse of this, our Lord intimates, should be the case. He was about to destroy the whole Jewish polity, and reign gloriously among the Gentiles. Hence he mentions the case of the general deluge, and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. As if he had said: "The coming of this kingdom shall be as fatal to you as the deluge was to the old world, and as the fire and brimstone from heaven were to Sodom and Gomorrah." Our Lord states that this kingdom of heaven was within them, i.e. that they themselves should be the scene of these desolations, as, through their disobedience and rebellion, they possessed the seeds of these judgments. See on Matt. iii. 2.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 20. And when he was demanded of the Pharisees , etc.] Or asked by them; who expected the Messiah, and that when he was come he would set up a temporal kingdom, and deliver them from the Roman yoke; when they should enjoy great liberty, peace, and prosperity; so that they might put the following question to Christ in a serious manner, agreeably to these expectations: or it may be occasioned by the frequent mention that had been made of the kingdom of God by John, and Christ, and his disciples in their ministry, and so be put in a way of derision; or, as most of their questions were, with a view to ensnare or puzzle: when the kingdom of God should come ; either the kingdom that God had promised, or the kingdom of the Messiah, who is truly God, that had been so often spoken of by John the Baptist, Christ, and his apostles. The Ethiopic version reads, the kingdom of heaven, which is the same with the kingdom of God; for these phrases are promiscuously used. This question they need not have asked, had they carefully attended to the writings of the Old Testament they had in their hands; and had they diligently observed the signs of the times, in which they lived; and had they seriously regarded the ministry and miracles of Christ among them; from these things, they might have concluded, not only that the time was at hand, when the kingdom of God should be set up, but that it was already come: they might have observed, that not only the harbinger of the Messiah was come, who was John the Baptist; but that the Messiah himself was among them, by the many wonderful things which he wrought among them, and by the many Scripture prophecies which were fulfilled in him; they might have seen that the sceptre was manifestly departing from Judah; that all power and authority were falling into the hands of the Romans; and that only a mere shadow and appearance of it were among them; they might have known, by calculation, that the time fixed in Daniel's prophecy, for the coming of the Messiah, was now up, and therefore he must be come; and they had very good reason to believe that Jesus was he. He answered them and said, the kingdom of God cometh not with observation ; or so as to be observed by the eye, or to be distinguished when it comes as the kingdoms of this world, by outward pomp and splendour, by temporal riches, external honours, and worldly power and grandeur; though it so far came with observation, that had they had eyes to see, they might have observed that it was come, by what they saw done by Christ, particularly the power that he showed in the dispossessing devils out of the bodies of men; (see Matthew 12:28). The Syriac version reads, with observations; and some understand the words of the observances of the ceremonies of the law, of days, months, and years, and the difference of meats, and the like, which the kingdom of God is not in, and which were to cease upon its coming; but the former sense is best.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 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 Divin grace. Observe how it had been with sinners formerly, and in what stat the judgments of God, which they had been warned of, found them. Her 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 i revealed. When Christ came to destroy the Jewish nation by the Roma armies, that nation was found in such a state of false security as i here spoken of. In like manner, when Jesus Christ shall come to judg the world, sinners will be found altogether regardless; for in lik manner the sinners of every age go on securely in their evil ways, an remember not their latter end. But wherever the wicked are, who ar marked for eternal ruin, they shall be found by the judgments of God __________________________________________________________________
Greek Textus Receptus
επερωτηθεις 1905 5685 V-APP-NSM δε 1161 CONJ υπο 5259 PREP των 3588 T-GPM φαρισαιων 5330 N-GPM ποτε 4219 PRT-I ερχεται 2064 5736 V-PNI-3S η 3588 T-NSF βασιλεια 932 N-NSF του 3588 T-GSM θεου 2316 N-GSM απεκριθη 611 5662 V-ADI-3S αυτοις 846 P-DPM και 2532 CONJ ειπεν 2036 5627 V-2AAI-3S ουκ 3756 PRT-N ερχεται 2064 5736 V-PNI-3S η 3588 T-NSF βασιλεια 932 N-NSF του 3588 T-GSM θεου 2316 N-GSM μετα 3326 PREP παρατηρησεως 3907 N-GSF
Vincent's NT Word Studies
20. With observation (meta parathrhsewv). Only here in New Testament. The progress of the kingdom cannot be defined by visible marks like that of an earthly kingdom. Its growth in the world is a process of pervasion, like the working of the leaven through the lump.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
17:20 {With observation} (meta paratesews). Late Greek word from paraterew, to watch closely. Only here in the N.T. Medical writers use it of watching the symptoms of disease. It is used also of close astronomical observations. But close watching of external phenomena will not reveal the signs of the kingdom of God.
