Luke 17:23
What does Luke 17:23 mean?
A plain-English look at Luke 17:23 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
What Luke 17:23 means
Jesus warns that in the coming days, people will point eagerly and say, “Look here” or “Look there,” claiming sightings or arrivals. His disciples are not to chase such rumors. False alarms prey on longing hearts and create restlessness. Christ’s caution teaches discernment and patience. Genuine fulfillment will not require chasing reports; it will be unmistakable when it happens. This protects the church from being swept into every sensational claim and keeps focus on faithful living rather than speculative pursuits. Waiting well means refusing distractions and anchoring in the sure word of Christ rather than in the shifting excitement of the moment.
Parallel translations
WEB
World English Bible · 2000And they shall say to you, Lo, there! Lo, here! go not away, nor follow after them:
KJV
King James Version · 1611And they shall say to you, See here; or, see there: go not after them, nor follow them.
ASV
American Standard Version · 1901And they shall say to you, Lo, there! Lo, here! go not away, nor follow after them:
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949And if they say to you, See, it is there! or, It is here! do not go away, or go after them.
YLT
Young's Literal Translation · 1862and they shall say to you, Lo, here; or lo, there; ye may not go away, nor follow;
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752And they will say to you: See here, and see there. Go ye not after, nor follow them.
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890And they will say to you, Lo here, or Lo there; go not, nor follow [them].
Context
This warning follows the prediction of longing to see the Son of man’s days (verse 22). It anticipates the temptation to follow deceptive voices. Next, Jesus provides a positive picture of what His day will be like—flashing, universal, like lightning across the sky (verse 24)—and then grounds this future hope in the coming necessity of His suffering and rejection (verse 25). The flow moves from vulnerability (longing), to danger (false claims), to clarity (the nature of His coming), to the required path through the cross.
v.22And he said unto the disciples, The days will come, when ye shall desire to see one of the days of the Son of man, and ye shall not see it.
v.23This passage
v.24for as the lightning, when it lighteneth out of the one part under the heaven, shineth unto the other part under heaven; so shall the Son of man be in his day.
Cross references
Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
- Luke 17:21
neither shall they say, Lo, here! or, There! for lo, the kingdom of God is within you.
- Matthew 24:23
Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is the Christ, or, Here; believe it not.
- Luke 21:8
And he said, Take heed that ye be not led astray: for many shall come in my name, saying, I am he; and, The time is at hand: go ye not after them.
- Mark 13:21
And then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is the Christ; or, Lo, there; believe it not:
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