What Does Luke 17:21 Mean in the King James?
Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
God’s governance is not a place you point to; it is already present within and among you.
THE MEANING
God’s governance is already present, so it cannot be reduced to a spectacle located “here” or “there.” The Greek phrase translated “within you” uses a plural “you” and can also carry the sense “among you,” holding inward and shared presence together. It speaks of a reality active in the reader and the people around them now.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
It undoes the belief that God’s presence is absent until a sign, place, or dramatic event proves it.
THE ROOT
βασιλεία
basileia
GROWS FROM
βασιλεύς
basileus
King or ruler; the word-family carries the sense of kingship and rule.
English “kingdom” can sound like a territory, but βασιλεία names kingship, reign, or rule. Here it reveals God’s governance as present, rather than a place to locate.
ALSO GROWS
basileus: King, ruler
βασιλεύς
The ruler is at the root of the word’s sense of kingship and governance.
basileuō: To reign
βασιλεύω
This verb makes the idea active: governance is something being exercised.
ἐντός
entos
GROWS FROM
ἐν
en
In, within, among; entos carries the sense of being inside.
Though entos means “within,” it is paired with a plural “you,” and the phrase can also be understood as “among you.” The verse holds inward presence and presence in the midst together.
ALSO GROWS
en: In, within, among
ἐν
This preposition carries the basic sense of being in a place or midst.
en mesō: In the midst
ἐν μέσῳ
The phrase shares en and makes the communal sense of presence explicit.
ὑμῶν
hymōn
GROWS FROM
σύ
sy
The second-person pronoun; this form is plural, referring to more than one person.
English “you” hides whether one person or a group is addressed, but the Greek form here is plural. That makes room for the sense “among you” alongside the inward reading.
ALSO GROWS
sy: You, singular
σύ
This is the singular form of the pronoun, unlike the plural form used in the verse.
hymeis: You, plural
ὑμεῖς
This nominative plural form shares the pronoun’s plural sense with ὑμῶν.
THE PATTERN
God’s governance is recognized through its present reach and effects, not confined to a place that can be pointed out.
Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and thy dominion endureth throughout all generations.But if I with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you.For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.THE THREAD
But if I with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you.This verse uses the same Greek word, βασιλεία (basileia), for God’s governance. Here that governance arrives through deliverance, making the “within” or “among” of Luke 17 a lived reality rather than a location.
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