To Seek Meaning

Ofttimes when translators attempt to simplify they erase the myriad interpretations possible when wrestling a meaning for a word. Genesis 37:15 reads “And a certain man found him ( Joseph), and behold he was wandering in the field: and the man asked him, saying, What are you seeking?” Many translators say instead— what are you looking for? 

Today I read a commentator who asked readers to think about the nuances of seeking and how that word applies to Joseph and how it is applicable for your own life. To seek means searching. Looking, according to the dictionary,  means gazing toward someone or something. 

Seeking implies a quest. It asks many questions. It may take a lifetime to answer or answers will change over time. It’s elusive. Often it is ignored because of its existential nature. And if it is explored it offers clues, but no concrete answers. The answers are shrouded in gossamer—offering hints—until studied. 

Words can’t be simplified to the point that they make us passive readers.