rwp - Luke:17:20-37

rwp@Luke:17:20 @{With observation} (\meta paratses\). Late Greek word from \paratre\, 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.

rwp@Luke:17:21 @{Within you} (\entos humn\). This is the obvious, and, as I think, the necessary meaning of \entos\. The examples cited of the use of \entos\ in Xenophon and Plato where \entos\ means "among" do not bear that out when investigated. Field (_Ot. Norv_.) "contends that there is no clear instance of \entos\ in the sense of among" (Bruce), and rightly so. What Jesus says to the Pharisees is that they, as others, are to look for the kingdom of God within themselves, not in outward displays and supernatural manifestations. It is not a localized display "Here" or "There." It is in this sense that in strkjv@Luke:11:20| Jesus spoke of the kingdom of God as "come upon you" (\ephthasen eph' hums\), speaking to Pharisees. The only other instance of \entos\ in the N.T. (Matthew:23:26|) necessarily means "within" ("the inside of the cup"). There is, beside, the use of \entos\ meaning "within" in the Oxyrhynchus Papyrus saying of Jesus of the Third Century (Deissmann, _Light from the Ancient East_, p. 426) which is interesting: "The kingdom of heaven is within you" (\entos humn\ as here in strkjv@Luke:17:21|).

rwp@Luke:17:23 @{Go not away nor follow after them} (\m apelthte mde dixte\). Westcott and Hort bracket \apelthte mde\. Note aorist subjunctive with \m\ in prohibition, ingressive aorist. Do not rush after those who set times and places for the second advent. The Messiah was already present in the first advent (verse 21|) though the Pharisees did not know it.

rwp@Luke:17:24 @{Lighteneth} (\astraptousa\). An old and common verb, though only here and strkjv@24:4| in the N.T. The second coming will be sudden and universally visible. There are still some poor souls who are waiting in Jerusalem under the delusion that Jesus will come there and nowhere else.

rwp@Luke:17:25 @{But first} (\prton de\). The second coming will be only after the Cross.

rwp@Luke:17:27 @{They ate, they drank, they married, they were given in marriage} (\sthion, epinon, egamoun, egamizonto\). Imperfects all of them vividly picturing the life of the time of Noah. But the other tenses are aorists (Noah entered \eislthen\, the flood came \lthen\, destroyed \aplesen\).

rwp@Luke:17:28 @Note the same sharp contrast between the imperfects here ({ate} \sthion\, {drank} \epinon\, {bought} \gorazon\, {sold} \eploun\, {planted} \ephuteuon\, {builded} \ikodomoun\) and the aorists in verse 29| ({went out} \exlthen\, {rained} \ebrexen\, {destroyed} \aplesen\).

rwp@Luke:17:30 @{Is revealed} (\apokaluptetai\). Prophetic and futuristic present passive indicative.

rwp@Luke:17:31 @{Let him not go down} (\m katabat\). Second aorist active imperative of \katabain\ with \m\ in a prohibition in the third person singular. The usual idiom here would be \m\ and the aorist subjunctive. See strkjv@Mark:13:15f.; strkjv@Matthew:24:17f.| when these words occur in the great eschatological discussion concerning flight before the destruction of Jerusalem. Here the application is "absolute indifference to all worldly interests as the attitude of readiness for the Son of Man" (Plummer).

rwp@Luke:17:32 @{Remember Lot's wife} (\mnmoneuete ts gunaikos Lt\). Here only in the N.T. A pertinent illustration to warn against looking back with yearning after what has been left behind (Genesis:19:26|).

rwp@Luke:17:33 @{Shall preserve it} (\zogonsei autn\). Or save it alive. Here only in the N.T. except strkjv@1Timothy:6:13; strkjv@Acts:7:19|. It is a late word and common in medical writers, to bring forth alive (\zos, gen\) and here to keep alive.

rwp@Luke:17:34 @{In that night} (\tauti ti nukti\). More vivid still, "on this night," when Christ comes.

rwp@Luke:17:35 @{Shall be grinding} (\esontai althousai\). Periphrastic future active indicative of \alth\, an old verb only in the N.T. here and strkjv@Matthew:24:41|. {Together} (\epi to auto\). In the same place, near together as in strkjv@Acts:2:1|.

rwp@Luke:17:37 @{The eagles} (\hoi aetoi\). Or the vultures attracted by the carcass. This proverb is quoted also in strkjv@Matthew:24:28|. See strkjv@Job:39:27-30; strkjv@Hebrews:1:8; strkjv@Hosea:8:1|. Double compound (\epi-sun-\) in \epi-sun-achthsontai\ completes the picture.