Luke 17:21 · Bible study
Luke 17:21 Commentary: Kingdom Within or Among You?
Greek · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Examine Jesus' puzzling answer to the Pharisees: is the kingdom inside us or standing among us? Commentary and analysis from across traditions.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Jesus tells the Pharisees that God’s kingdom cannot be located or observed from a distance, it is already present either as an inner reign or in his own person among them.
- Key words: ἐντός (entos, “within / in the midst”); ὑμῶν (humōn, “of you”); ἐστιν (estin, “is”, present tense, signalling present reality).
- Main debate: Whether entos humōn means “inside you” (the kingdom as a spiritual principle in the heart) or “among you” (the kingdom present in Jesus and the community).
- Theological theme: The presence of the kingdom in the person of Christ; the interior transformation that makes the kingdom real; the futility of looking for God only in the spectacular or scheduled.
- Best use: A corrective to passive waiting; an invitation to recognize God’s rule in hidden, ordinary places; a call to stop scanning the horizon and start living under Christ’s reign now.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
Nor will people say, ‘Look, here it is,’ or ‘There it is.’ For you see, the kingdom of God is in your midst.”
WEB World English Bible 2000
neither will they say, ‘Look, here!’ or, ‘Look, there!’ for behold, God’s Kingdom is within you.”
KJV King James Version 1769
Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
neither shall they say, Lo, here! or, There! for lo, the kingdom of God is within you.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
nor shall they say, Lo, here; or lo, there; for lo, the reign of God is within you.'
Darby Darby Bible 1890
nor shall they say, Lo here, or, Lo there; for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
Neither shall they say: Behold here, or behold there. For lo, the kingdom of God is within you.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Ni dirán: Helo aquí, ó helo allí: porque he aquí el reino de Dios entre vosotros está.
Nem dirão: Eis aqui, ou Eis ali, porque eis que o Reino de Deus está entre vós.
On ne dira point: Il est ici, ou: Il est là. Car voici, le royaume de Dieu est au milieu de vous.
man wird auch nicht sagen: Siehe hier! oder: da ist es! Denn sehet, das Reich Gottes ist inwendig in euch.
En men zal niet zeggen: Ziet hier, of ziet daar, want, ziet, het Koninkrijk Gods is binnen ulieden.
Eccolo qui, o eccolo là; perché ecco, il regno di Dio è dentro di voi.
Ani rzeką: Oto tu, albo oto tam jest: albowiem oto królestwo Boże wewnątrz was jest.
и не скажут: вот, оно здесь, или: вот, там. Ибо вот, Царствие Божие внутрь вас есть.
人也不 得說：『看哪，在這裡！ 看哪，在那裡！』因為 神 的國 就在 你們 心裡（心裡：或譯中間）。」
And men will not say, See, it is here! or, There! for the kingdom of God is among you.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Koine Greek)
New Testament · Koine Greek · Luke 17:21
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that Jesus redirects the Pharisees from watching for an observable kingdom to recognizing its present reality. The debate focuses on the final phrase, ἐντὸς ὑμῶν (entos humōn). Barnes presents both possibilities: it can mean the reign of God in the heart (a spiritual, internal rule) or it can mean that the kingdom is “even now among you”, already present in Jesus’ person. The Cambridge Bible favours “among you,” citing Xenophon’s use of entos and noting that the context (vv. 22, 24) speaks of the sudden appearing of the Son of Man. Yet Cambridge also concedes that “within you” is defensible (Matthew 23:26) and expresses truth from Romans 14:17. Vincent (after Meyer) argues strongly for “in the midst of you,” because it could not be said that the kingdom reigned in the hearts of Pharisees. Wesley holds both together: “it is now in the midst of you: it is come: it is present in the soul of every true believer: it is a spiritual kingdom.” The tradition thus preserves two readings rather than forcing a single choice.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- The kingdom is within (internal reign): Lexical possibility of ἐντός; support from Matthew 23:26 and Romans 14:17; tradition of Wesley, Gill, Matthew Henry.
- The kingdom is among (Jesus present): Context of Pharisees (unfit for internal kingdom); parallel in Xenophon; link to Matthew 12:28 and Luke 11:20; advocated by Cambridge, Vincent, Meyer.
What is clear: The kingdom of God is already present in the person and work of Jesus, and it does not arrive through human observation or geographical location.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Definition of the kingdom | The kingdom of God is God's rule, not a territorial empire, and it is already present in some sense in Jesus' ministry. | Some traditions emphasize the kingdom as an inward spiritual transformation (e.g., Wesley, Matthew Henry); others stress it as the present reality of Jesus' messianic presence and the new community he establishes (e.g., Vincent, Cambridge). |
| Meaning of 'you' (the Pharisees) | Jesus addresses the Pharisees directly in v.21. | If the kingdom is 'within you,' how can it be present in hostile Pharisees? This pushes many commentators toward 'among you' (Meyer, Vincent). Others argue that 'within you' refers to the elect among the Pharisees, or that it is a general principle of the kingdom's nature (Barnes). |
| Relation to future coming | The kingdom has come in some sense now (v.21), and there is also a future revelation (vv.22-24). | The exact relationship: some see v.21 as referring to the first coming (hidden) and vv.22-24 to the second coming (cataclysmic). Others read v.21 as the inner nature of the kingdom that continues until the final unveiling. |
| How the kingdom comes | It does not come with observable, outward signs (παρατήρησις). | Some conclude that every stage of the kingdom is invisible and inward; others limit the 'not with observation' to the first coming, while the final coming will be unmistakable (lightning, v.24). |
Historical & Cultural Context
The Pharisees who put the question to Jesus (Luke 17:20) belonged to a movement that expected God’s kingdom to arrive with visible, often political, signs. They looked for a messianic deliverer who would restore Israel’s fortunes, something they could point to and say, “Lo here!” or “Lo there!” Adam Clarke compares their expectation to the secret crowning of Joash by Jehoiada the priest (2 Chronicles 23:1, 11), a king hidden until the moment of proclamation. Barnes adds that false messiahs routinely announced their appearance in specific locations, a mountain, a desert, and urged people to come and see.
Jesus’ reply denies that the kingdom comes “with observation” (παρατήρησις, paratērēsis), a word that suggests close watching or guarding. The kingdom does not arrive like a royal procession that can be tracked. Then comes the decisive word ἐντός (entos), a preposition that in Greek can mean either “within” (inside a space) or “among” (in the midst of a group). Thayer’s lexicon gives both options: “within you, i.e. in the midst of you” and “within you, i.e. your soul.” The context of the verse, spoken to Pharisees who are hostile to Jesus, makes the “in your midst” reading more probable to many scholars, since it would be odd to say that the kingdom of God was ruling in their hearts. Yet the same phrase, spoken to disciples (and overheard by them), also carries the promise of an inward transformation. The Greek present tense estin (“is”) drives home the point: the kingdom is not future; it is.
The surrounding passage then shifts focus. In verse 22, Jesus speaks to his disciples about a future day when they will long to see the Son of Man, a coming that will be sudden and unmistakable, unlike the hidden presence he describes to the Pharisees. So the verse stands at a hinge: the kingdom is already present, yet its full revelation is still to come.
Textual Notes
The supplied sources note no significant textual variants for this verse. The Greek text is stable across major manuscripts.
Reception History
The Latin Vulgate’s rendering intra vos est (within you) shaped the Western tradition for a millennium, supporting a mystical or interior reading. Early church fathers such as Origen and Augustine read the kingdom as present in the soul. The Reformers, Luther, Calvin, likewise understood it of the inner reign of righteousness, peace and joy in the Spirit (Romans 14:17). In the nineteenth century, Meyer and then Vincent argued decisively for “in your midst,” pointing to the historical context and the implausibility of a kingdom in the Pharisees’ hearts. Many modern versions (BSB, Darby, NRSV margin) now offer “among you” as the primary reading. Meanwhile, devotional and homiletical traditions continue to find “within you” a rich description of the Spirit’s work in the believer. The verse thus has a rare capacity to speak both to personal piety and to the community’s experience of Christ’s presence.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The kingdom is not a location. Jesus tells the Pharisees to stop looking for it in places, “Lo here!” “Lo there!”, because it cannot be mapped or tracked.
- The kingdom is already present. The verb “is” (estin) in Greek is present tense. It is not delayed; it stands in front of them in Jesus himself and begins to take root in those who believe.
- The kingdom changes what we see. Whether “within you” or “among you,” the kingdom reorients our attention away from spectacular signs and toward the quiet, subversive ways God rules.
Five-point outline
- Wrong expectation: The Pharisees want a kingdom that can be observed and dated. We share this temptation, we look for God in the dramatic, the predicted, the controlled.
- Right location: Jesus says “ἐντὸς ὑμῶν.” The double meaning, within the heart / in the midst of the community, is not a weakness; it captures the full range of the kingdom’s presence.
- Wrong leaders: “Lo here, lo there” echoes the cries of false messiahs (Matthew 24:23, 26). Any kingdom that must be advertised is not the one Jesus brings.
- Right now: The kingdom is not on hold. It broke into history with Jesus; it continues wherever the Spirit rules.
- Wrong posture: The Pharisees stand watch; Jesus calls them to stand in humility. The kingdom is not something you can corner, it corners you.
Illustration hooks
- Lost keys. You turn the house upside down looking for keys that are already in your coat pocket. The Pharisees are searching for what is already in their midst.
- A child expecting a package. A child keeps asking “When will it arrive?” while the gift is already sitting on the table, wrapped. The kingdom is already here, but they are so focused on the arrival process that they miss the gift itself.
- Reading a map upside down. You cannot find your destination because you are holding the map wrong. The Pharisees are holding the wrong expectations; they cannot see the kingdom because they expect it somewhere else.
Questions your congregation is asking
- If the kingdom is already here, why does the world still look so broken?
- How do I experience the kingdom “within me” when my own heart feels far from God?
- What does it mean practically to live “in the kingdom” while we wait for its final coming?
Leading a Discussion
This passage challenges our assumptions about how God works. The Pharisees expected a kingdom they could see, schedule and point to. Jesus says no, it stands already among them in a way that demands not observation but recognition. For small groups, this verse invites us to name the ways we still want a kingdom we can control or predict, and to open ourselves to the quiet reign of God already present.
Discussion questions
- Read Luke 17:20, 21. Why do you think the Pharisees asked when the kingdom would come? What kind of answer were they expecting?
- The Greek word paratērēsis (“observation”) suggests watching something closely. When have you looked for God in ways that were too narrowly focused on a particular outcome or sign?
- Jesus says the kingdom “is”, present tense, not future. How does this affect your picture of God’s rule today?
- The phrase “within you / among you” has been debated for centuries. Which reading makes more sense in light of Jesus’ audience (the Pharisees)? Which reading speaks more to your own experience?
- Verses 22, 24 describe a future coming of the Son of Man that will be sudden and unmistakable. How do you hold together the “already” (v.21) and the “not yet” (vv.22, 24) of God’s kingdom?
- If the kingdom is already present, what difference should it make in how you treat a difficult neighbour? In how you pray?
- In what area of your life have you been saying “Lo here” or “Lo there”, waiting for God to show up, when maybe God is already there?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Matthew 12:28 | But if I by the Spirit of God cast out demons, then God’s Kingdom has come upon you. |
| Matthew 24:23 | “Then if any man tells you, ‘Behold, here is the Christ!’ or, ‘There!’ don’t believe it. |
| Matthew 24:28 | For wherever the carcass is, that is where the vultures gather together. |
| Mark 13:21 | Then if anyone tells you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or, ‘Look, there!’ don’t believe it. |
| Luke 10:9 | Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘God’s Kingdom has come near to you.’ |
| Luke 10:11 | ‘Even the dust from your city that clings to us, we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that God’s Kingdom has come near to you.’ |
| Luke 17:23 | They will tell you, ‘Look, here!’ or ‘Look, there!’ Don’t go away or follow after them, |
| Luke 21:8 | He said, “Watch out that you don’t get led astray, for many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he,’ and, ‘The time is at hand.’ Therefore don’t follow them. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
9 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke connects the Pharisees' dismissive "Lo here" or "Lo there" to a specific Jewish expectation—that the Messiah was hidden away secretly, known only to a few leaders, and would be proclaimed suddenly like Joash was by the priest Jehoiada.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes notes that the kingdom's coming is entirely unlike an earthly prince's public tour. He presents two readings: either God's reign rules inwardly in the heart, or the kingdom was already among them in Christ's person. Modern critics, he observes, tend toward the latter view.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentator notes that the Greek phrase can mean either "within you" or "among you." He favors the latter because Jesus was speaking to Pharisees, who clearly did not have the Kingdom in their hearts, and because the context points to the Kingdom's sudden coming.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note stresses that Christ's kingdom cannot be pinpointed to any physical place or visible display. It exists inwardly, within the hearts of believers, not in outward observances or earthly locations that people can point to.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill stresses that the kingdom of God is an internal, spiritual reality within believers' hearts, not an external kingdom that can be pointed to or observed. He argues that looking for visible signs or locations misrepresents its nature, since it consists of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB distinguishes the kingdom from anything found within visible geographical or ecclesiastical limits. It is internal and spiritual in character, not located by outward searches. Yet he adds that this kingdom also has an external side.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange argues strongly that "the kingdom of God is within you" should be translated "in the midst of you." He contends this keeps the sharp contrast with an external, observable arrival, and notes that Meyer calls the "within you" interpretation a modern idea that does not match the biblical context.
Vincent's Word Studies Evangelical 1887
Vincent argues that the popular modern idea of the kingdom of God being "within" each person is a misreading. The Greek means "in the midst of," and Jesus was speaking to Pharisees who had no inward love for God's rule. The kingdom was present among them in Jesus himself, not inside their hostile hearts.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley stresses that the kingdom of God is not a future event or a distant place but an inward reality already present in the heart of every true believer. It is a spiritual kingdom, an internal principle, not something to be sought by outward signs or remote locations.