Psalm 111: 2 is one of my favorite verses:
The works of the Lord are great,
sought out of all them that have pleasure therein
That last bit, taken from the King James Version, which seems to be the last English translation to value the vigor of concrete action, is translated in at least one modern translation (NASV, I think) “studied by all who delight in them.”
I don’t mind the word studied, and I think people should study things. But it’s an abstract word, and for most people today it calls up connotations of school work and boring books. In Latin, studium means “zeal or eagerness” and the verb (studio) means, among other things, “to pursue eagerly.”
Something of that eagerness is lost when the works of the Lord are rendered academic.
So I like to go back to that idea of “sought out by those who delight in them.” Seeking is vigorous, involving a resolute will, an attentive mind, and active senses.
When we teach our students to study, we mustn’t be teaching them how to specialize in academic success, but to seek out the works of the Lord.
The rest follows.
