"O Yahya, take the Scripture with power," meaning: with diligence and perseverance. "And We gave him judgment while still a child," meaning: understanding and intellect.
Yahya [bin Abi Kathir] said: It has reached us that when he was young, the children would say to him, 'O Yahya, come let us play.' And he would reply, 'We were not created for play!'
﴿يَا يَحْيَى خُذِ الْكِتَابَ بِقُوَّةٍ﴾ أَيْ: بِجِدٍ وَمُوَاظَبَةٍ ﴿وَآتَيْنَاهُ الْحُكْمَ صَبيا﴾ يَعْنِي: الْفَهْمَ وَالْعَقْلَ.
قَالَ يَحْيَى: بَلَغَنَا أَنَّهُ كَانَ فِي صِغَرِهِ يَقُولُ لَهُ الصِّبْيَانُ: يَا يَحْيَى تعال نَلْعَبُ. فَيَقُولُ: لَيْسَ لِلَّعِبِ خُلِقْنَا!
