First, let us not be guilty of condemnation before investigation. Could William Shakespeare have helped translate Psalm 46? Could he have mischievously put his signature within the Book of Psalm 46? Some claim that he placed his mark on the translated text of the King James Bible of this particular Psalm in question. We know a lot about his public life of books and written material, but of his personal life and of his religious beliefs, there is not much recorded. Historians can't say for certain what religion he practiced in private, though publicly he was probably Protestant. This was because under Elizabeth's I rule, she outlawed Catholicism. History books tell us that he was baptized at an early age, so we could assume that he and his family were believers in God. Also, Shakespeare even quoted scripture in some of his works.
Psalm 46
Why this Psalm? What's with the number 46? William Shakespeare was 46 years old when Bible translators were working on the King James Bible in 1610. Lets do a word count of 46 starting from the beginning. We end up at the word "shake". In 1611, Shakespeare was 47 years old at the completion of the Bible. Lets do a word count of 47 starting at the end of the Psalm. We end up with the word "spear". If you were to omit the "selah" at the end of the Psalm, of which some translations do, the word count is 46, and still ending with "spear".
Before the King James Bible, Christians used the Geneva Bible. What is interesting is that these two words in question, "shake" and "spear", are found there, but in different word counts. Which would imply that these words could have been deliberately placed to match the word count desired. Someone such as Shakespeare who was known for leaving mysterious and creative signatures. Some suggest that this holds some creditability in that the words are not merely made up.
William Shakespeare had connections or acquaintances with King James and Queen Elizabeth's writers and authors of the time. He was most certainly acquainted with the team of scholars, writers, and translators the king had assembled for the creation of the King James Bible. It would not be very shocking to find these men talking or sharing information concerning translations. Historians have found some of Shakespeare's works signed as "Shak"(4 letters), "speare"(6 letters).
Are all these just coincidences, maybe. Are all these interesting, absolutely. Believing that William Shakespeare took part in the writing and translation of Psalm 46 by no means disproves God's existence, nor discredits the Bible's reliability. After all, William Shakespeare was one of the greatest writers in all of world history. Why not have a man of this stature help translate a work, that ultimately surpasses his own literacy!
Here is one more: Anagram for William Shakespeare, "Here was I, like a Psalm."
Psalm 46
Why this Psalm? What's with the number 46? William Shakespeare was 46 years old when Bible translators were working on the King James Bible in 1610. Lets do a word count of 46 starting from the beginning. We end up at the word "shake". In 1611, Shakespeare was 47 years old at the completion of the Bible. Lets do a word count of 47 starting at the end of the Psalm. We end up with the word "spear". If you were to omit the "selah" at the end of the Psalm, of which some translations do, the word count is 46, and still ending with "spear".
Before the King James Bible, Christians used the Geneva Bible. What is interesting is that these two words in question, "shake" and "spear", are found there, but in different word counts. Which would imply that these words could have been deliberately placed to match the word count desired. Someone such as Shakespeare who was known for leaving mysterious and creative signatures. Some suggest that this holds some creditability in that the words are not merely made up.
William Shakespeare had connections or acquaintances with King James and Queen Elizabeth's writers and authors of the time. He was most certainly acquainted with the team of scholars, writers, and translators the king had assembled for the creation of the King James Bible. It would not be very shocking to find these men talking or sharing information concerning translations. Historians have found some of Shakespeare's works signed as "Shak"(4 letters), "speare"(6 letters).
Are all these just coincidences, maybe. Are all these interesting, absolutely. Believing that William Shakespeare took part in the writing and translation of Psalm 46 by no means disproves God's existence, nor discredits the Bible's reliability. After all, William Shakespeare was one of the greatest writers in all of world history. Why not have a man of this stature help translate a work, that ultimately surpasses his own literacy!
Here is one more: Anagram for William Shakespeare, "Here was I, like a Psalm."
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