Matthew Poole and continuators on Luke 17:20

20 And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come; he answered them, and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation.

Whether the Pharisees spake this deriding him, who in his discourses had been often mentioning a Kingdom of God to come, or in simple seriousness, for they generally expected the coming of a Messiah, and a secular Kingdom, which he should exercise in the Earth, particularly over the Jews, (having first destroyed the Gentiles) is very hard to determine; their mean opinion of Christ, inclineth some to think the former; their generally received opinion about the Kingdom of the Messiah, giveth some countenance to the latter. Our Saviour's answer fitteth them, whatsoever they intended by their question. The Kingdom of God, (faith he) cometh not [non-Latin text not transcribed] with Observation. The Word signifies a scrupulous and Superstitious Observation. Thus the verb from whence it cometh signifieth, Gal. 4.10. The verb also signifies a captious Observation, Mark 3.2. Chap. 6.7. & 14.1. & 20.20. Acts 9.24. But that sense cannot agree to the Nown used in this place, the generality of the best Interpreters agree the sense here to be, with external Pomp and Splendour, and therefore Beza expounds the Nown here by a Periphrasis, Ita ut observari poterit, in such a manner, as it can be observed. As if he had said. Men have taken up a false Notion of my Kingdom, as if it were to be a secular Kingdom to be set up in the World, with a great deal of Noise and Pomp and Splendour. So as Men may observe it and gaze upon its coming. But that which I call my Kingdom is not of this Nature. Our Lord expoundeth it in the next verse. The Kingdom of God is within you, it is of a spiritual Nature not obvious to humane senses, but exercised over the hearts of my People, whether our Saviour speaketh this in reply to the Pharisees, or (as some think) beginning a discourse with his Disciples, which he further pursueth I cannot determine.

Marginal references: Or, outward shew.