Luke 17:23

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

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(23) See here; or, see there.—See Note on Matthew 24:23. The words are all but identical, but the difference in the context and the occasion should be noticed as another illustration of that reproduction of the same forms of thought and language to which attention has so often been called.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

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 revealed. When Christ came to destroy the Jewish nation by the Roman armies, that nation was found in such a state of false security as is here spoken of. In like manner, when Jesus Christ shall come to judge the world, sinners will be found altogether regardless; for in like manner the sinners of every age go on securely in their evil ways, and remember not their latter end. But wherever the wicked are, who are marked for eternal ruin, they shall be found by the judgments of God.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

And they shall say ... - Many false Christs, according to Josephus, appeared about that time, attempting to lead away the people. See the notes at Matthew 24:23-27.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

23. they shall say, See here … go not, &c.—a warning to all so-called expositors of prophecy and their followers, who cry, Lo there and see here, every time that war breaks out or revolutions occur.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

Ver. 23,24. See Poole on "Matthew 24:23", See Poole on "Matthew 24:27". You will (saith our Saviour) have a great many false Christs and false prophets arise, and foolish credulous people will be deceived by them, and come and tell you, Lo, yonder is the Messiah, or, Lo, he is in another place; but believe them not. So it is in Mark 13:21. Follow them not, saith Luke. The Son of man shall have his day, a day when he will come in a glorious manner to judge the quick and the dead; but it will come upon the world like lightning, that suddenly shineth from one part of heaven to another, so as no man can foretell it, or observe the motion of it. Some do think that by

the day of the Son of man here was meant the spreading of his gospel; but certainly it is a strained sense, nor was the spreading of that a thing so sudden, but more gradually and observably accomplished.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And they shall say unto you, see here, or see there,.... That is, there is Christ; and in two of Beza's exemplars, the word Christ is added as in Matthew 24:23 from whence it seems to be transcribed: and the sense is, it shall be said by one or another; Christ is in such a place, or he is in such a place, and he will quickly appear, and deliver the people of the Jews out of all their distresses and calamities by the Romans,

Go not after them nor follow them: the last clause, "nor follow them", is left out in the Syriac and Persic versions; the meaning is, give no credit to them; as if Christ was come again in person, and was in such a place, do not go along with them, where they direct, as into the desert, or into the secret chambers; for to follow them will be very dangerous, of bad consequence, as well as vain and fruitless; see Acts 5:36.

Geneva Study Bible

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

(9) Christ forewarns us that false Christs will come, and that his glory will suddenly be spread far and wide through the world after the shame of the cross is put out and extinguished.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Meyer's NT Commentary

Luke 17:23-24. See on Matthew 24:23-27.

ἐροῦσιν κ.τ.λ.] on the occasion of the appearance of false Messiahs. A locality of fixed limits, moreover (comp. Luke 17:21), does not characterize the solemn appearing of the kingdom.

ἰδοὺ … ὧδε] namely: is the Messiah!

μὴ ἀπέλθ. μηδὲ διώξ.] a climax: Go not forth, nor follow after (sectamini), to wit, those of whom this is asserted.

Luke 17:24. The lightning which lightens; comp. similar expressions in Lobeck, Paral. p. 503.

ἐκ τῆς] Supply χώρας. See Bos, Ellips. ed. Schaefer, pp. 560, 562; Winer, p. 522 [E. T. 740]: flashing out from the one region under the heaven (which expands under the heaven, ὑπό with an accusative) lightens even to the other (opposite one[220]).

οὕτως] in such a manner of appearance as manifests itself in a moment and universally.

[220] What Lange reads into the passage, “from the old world to the new,” is not there at all. Comp. Matthew 24:27.

Expositor's Greek Testament

Luke 17:23. ἐκεῖ, ὧδε: cf. the more graphic version in Matthew 24:26, and notes thereon.—μὴ διώξητε, do not follow them, give no heed to them.

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

23. See here; or, see there] A vivid description of the perpetual Messianic excitements, which finally ceased in the days of Barcochba and the Rabbi Akibha. We find a similar warning in Luke 21:8. See Jos. Antt. Luke 20:8; B. J. 11. 13, Luke 6:5; Tac. Hist. v. 13. With the whole passage compare Matthew 24:23-41.

Bengel's Gnomen

Luke 17:23. Ἐροῦσιν) they shall say [See, or Lo, here, or Lo there], the reverse of what happens in the case of the kingdom of God, Luke 17:21 [in the case of which “they shall not say, Lo here, or Lo there”]. But it is thus that they speak in the papacy, which affixes peculiar grace to particular places. The text is especially treating of the Apostolic age.—ἰδοὺ, Lo [See]) Here He is: viz. the Son of man, i.e. Jesus Christ. It is not the false Christs and their followers who are meant; but those who do not with truth point out the true Messiah.—μὴ ἀπέλθητε, do not go away) in the simple sense.—μηδὲ διώξητε, do not follow) with ardour. Often undue eagerness impels one towards an object, to which true reason does not guide.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 23. - And they shall say to you, See here; or, See there: go not after them, nor follow them. Again addressed to the disciples in the first instance, but with a far more extended reference. In the early days of Christianity such false reports were exceedingly frequent; false Messiahs, too, from time to time sprang up; unhealthy visions of an immediate return disturbed the peace and broke into the quiet, steady work of the Church. Nor have these disturbing visions been unknown in later ages of Christianity. Dean Alford has a curious comment here. He sees in the words of this verse a warning to all so-called expositors and followers of expositors of prophecy who cry, "See here! or, See there! every time that war breaks out or revolutions occur. Luke 17:23