Luke 17:24

17:24 For just like the lightning flashes ¹  and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be in his day. ² 

Luke 17:37

17:37 Then ³  the disciples ⁴  said ⁵  to him, “Where, ⁶  Lord?” He replied to them, “Where the dead body ⁷  is, there the vultures ⁸  will gather.” ⁹ 

¹ sn The Son of Man’s coming in power will be sudden and obvious like lightning. No one will need to point it out.

² tc Some very important mss (Ì⁷⁵ B D it sa) lack the words ἐν τῇ ἡμέρα αὐτοῦ (en th Jhmera autou, “in his day”), but the words are included in א A L W Θ Ψ Ë^1,13 Ï lat sy bo. On the one hand, the shorter reading is impressive because it has some of the best Alexandrian and Western witnesses in support; on the other hand, the expression ἐν τῇ ἡμέρα αὐτοῦ is unusual (found nowhere else in the NT), and may be considered the harder reading. A decision is difficult, but it is probably best to retain the words. NA²⁷ rightly has the words in brackets, expressing doubt as to their authenticity.

³ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

⁴ tn Grk “they”; the referent (the disciples, v. 22) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

⁵ tn Grk “answering, they said to him.” This is redundant in contemporary English and has been simplified in the translation.

⁶ sn The question “Where, Lord?” means, “Where will the judgment take place?”

⁷ tn Or “corpse.”

⁸ tn The same Greek term can refer to “eagles” or “vultures” (L&N 4.42; BDAG 22 s.v. ἀετός), but in this context it must mean vultures, because the gruesome image is one of dead bodies being consumed by scavengers.

⁹ tn Grk “will be gathered.” The passive construction has been translated as an active one in English.