Tool Beta
Is It Actually in the Bible?
Phrases people quote as Scripture. The real verse, or the honest answer that there is not one.
"Study to shew thyself approved" is advice to read more books
"Study" in 1611 meant "be diligent" or "make every effort," not specifically academic reading.
2 Timothy 2:15, in every translation this tool compares.
"Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth" (2 Timothy 2:15, KJV). Modern "study" narrows almost entirely to reading and academic learning. The 1611 word carried a broader sense of diligent effort and earnest application toward a goal, closer to "make it your business" or "be zealous."
The verse is often quoted as biblical endorsement of scholarly Bible study specifically, which isn't a wrong application, but it's a narrower claim than the actual word makes. Modern translations render it "do your best" (NIV) or "work hard" (NLT) to capture the wider, effort-focused sense Paul intended.
