Psalm 46 and shakespeare kjv

[CHRISTINE77]

The scholars who worked on the KJV were not above manipulating the text so as to include something of their own devising. One example which demonstrates this well is the manipulation of Psalm 46 to include a personal tribute to William Shakespeare (1564-1616), who turned 46 years of age just a few months before the publication date of the KJV. It was dedicated to him in honor of his influence upon the English language of his day.

Count down 46 words from the beginning of this psalm and you will find the word “Shake.” Count up 46 words from the end of this psalm and you will find the word “Spear.” Thus, 46 words down added to 46 words up in the 46th psalm will give the name “Shakespeare” in honor of his 46th birthday. Quite ingenious, but should men manipulate the text of God’s holy Word to give tribute to a mere man?!! Had the NIV translators, for example, so manipulated some passage in their version so as to give tribute to Elvis Presley, the ashes from the mass book burnings would still be blowing through the streets!!

HERE IT IS:
Psalm 46
1God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
2Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;
3Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.
4There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High.
5God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early.
6The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: he uttered his voice, the earth melted.
7The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.
8Come, behold the works of the LORD, what desolations he hath made in the earth.
9He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the **spear **in sunder; he burneth the chariot in the fire.
10Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.
11The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.

 

[Robert_Sock]

That’s neat!

 

[agangbern]

But “speare” is not the same as “spear”! Are they?

 

[tobinatorstark]

Why are us Catholics concerned of the KJV when the Bible isn’t even approved by the Church??

 

[patrick457]

Why are us Catholics concerned of the KJV when the Bible isn’t even approved by the Church??

Perhaps because this is just a mere trivia that the OP thought interesting, perhaps?
Even so, I’ve seen many websites refuting this. I’ll try to get one shortly.

 

[CHRISTINE77]

Perhaps because this is just a mere trivia that the OP thought interesting, perhaps?
Even so, I’ve seen many websites refuting this. I’ll try to get one shortly.

You’re right - I thought it was interesting. I’ll also be interested to see what you come up with.

 

[patrick457]

At the time Psalm 46 was translated, Shakespeare was 46 years old. The forty-sixth word in the King James Version of Psalm 46 is “shake,” while the word that is forty-sixth from the end is “spear.” While this seems like too many appearances of 46 to be coincidential, it may very well be. At least three translations prior to the KJV use the words “shake” and “spear.” The Geneva Bible of 1560 (published 4 years before Shakespeare’s birth and therefore certainly uninfluenced by him in any way–indeed, he was influenced by it) was the Bible most commonly used in the English-speaking world during the far greater part of Shakespeare’s career. It was also the English Bible version most closely followed by the translators in their revision work.

An examination of the Geneva version of Psalm 46 reveals that both words “shake” and “speare” occur in the relevant verses (3 and 9), as in the KJV, though with a slightly different word count. “Shake” is the 48th, rather than 46th, word from the beginning of the Psalm (ignoring the title) and “speare” is the 44th word from the end of the Psalm (or 45th, depending on whether “selah” is excluded from or included in the count). It seems quite probable that the KJV picked up its use of “shake” and “speare” in the 3rd and 9th verses respectively from the prior Geneva Bible (the precise wording of Psalm 46 in the Geneva and the KJV is usually identical, with a relative few differences). Further it is entirely within reason that by merest accident these words ended up 46th from the beginning and end of the Psalm (ignoring the problem counting “selah” causes for the hypothesis).

Plus, the Hebrew words for “shake” and “spear” had been there for thousands of years prior to 1611. Also, the word “shake” is a commonly used word in the KJV (as is the word “spear”). Finding the two words together in one psalm is unremarkable.

Alsom In order to get the 46s out of Psalm 46, the word “selah” must be omitted from the text. Since the word “selah” seems to be used in many of the psalms as a type of musical punctuation, many proponents think that it would be acceptable not to count the word in order to obtain the desired result. However, the word is in the original text of the psalm. If either Shakespeare were involved in translating Psalm 46 or the translators were slipping in some inside joke, they mostly likely would have had the manuscripts that had selah, since it is in the text. Why, would they have decided not to count the word? And, if the word “spear” had come one word later in the text, would the propagators of this rumor simply say that Shakespeare or the translators did count “selah”?

Thus, we still can’t verify with certainty that Psalm 46=Shakespeare. For now, it is prudent to dismiss this as an urban legend.

 

[tobinatorstark]

Ironically Shakespeare never read the KJV. He read the Geneva, the Bible that King James protested against.

 

[patrick457]

Ironically Shakespeare never read the KJV. He read the Geneva, the Bible that King James protested against.

Correct! The annotations in the Geneva Bible were strongly Calvinistic and Puritan in character, and as such they were disliked by the ruling conservative Protestants of the Church of England. In fact, this is the reason why King James I commissioned the Authorized Version in the first place: to replace the Geneva Bible which he so disliked. Even so, notes from that translation were surprisingly included in a few editions of the King James version, even as late as 1715.

 

[patrick457]

But “speare” is not the same as “spear”! Are they?

Early English spelling was very erratic by 20th-century standards (Shakespeare actually helped shape the modern concept of uniform spelling and grammar); even so, it was not, as is sometimes stated, totally without rules. Thus, our “spear” can sometimes be seen spelled as “speare” or “spere” (the original Anglo-Saxon spelling is spere).

Since we’re talking about Shakespeare, let’s see how his name is spelled in both literary and non-literary references of the period:

• Shakespeare
• Shake-speare
• Shakspeare
• Shaxberd
• Shakespere
• Shakespear
• Shak-speare
• Shakspear
• Shakspere
• Shaksper
• Schaksp.
• Shakespheare
• Shakespe
• Shakspe
• Shaxper
• Shexpere
• Shaxpere
• Shagspere
• Shakspe~
• Shakp

 

[patrick457]

The 1611 KJV (original spelling), with the “shake” and the “speare” in bold:

1: To the chiefe Musician for the sonnes of Korah, a song vpon Alamoth.]
God is our refuge and strength: a very present helpe in trouble.
2: Therfore will not we feare, though the earth be remoued: and though the mountaines be caried into the midst of the sea.
3: Though the waters thereof roare, and be troubled, though the mountaines shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.
4: There is a riuer, the streames wherof shall make glad the citie of God: the holy place of the Tabernacles of the most High.
5: God is in the midst of her: she shal not be moued; God shall helpe her, and that right early.
6: The heathen raged, the kingdomes were mooued: he vttered his voyce, the earth melted.
7: The Lord of hosts is with vs; the God of Iacob is our refuge. Selah.
8: Come, behold the workes of the Lord, what desolations hee hath made in the earth.
9: He maketh warres to cease vnto the end of the earth: hee breaketh the bow, and cutteth the speare in sunder, he burneth the chariot in the fire.
10: Be stil, and know that I am God: I will bee exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.
11: The Lord of hosts is with vs; the God of Iacob is our refuge. Selah.

Shake is the 46th word from the beginning of the Psalm (59th if one counts the Psalm’s title), while speare is also the 46th word from the end (47th if one counts Selah).

The same Psalm, from the Geneva Bible (1587):

1: To him that excelleth vpon Alamoth a song committed to the sonnes of Korah.
God is our hope and strength, and helpe in troubles, ready to be found.
2: Therefore will not we feare, though the earth be moued, and though the mountaines fall into the middes of the sea.
3: Though the waters thereof rage and be troubled, and the mountaines shake at the surges of the same. Selah,
4: Yet there is a Riuer, whose streames shall make glad the citie of God: euen the Sanctuarie of the Tabernacles of the most High.
5: God is in the middes of it: therefore shall it not be moued: God shall helpe it very earely.
6: When the nations raged, and the kingdomes were moued, God thundred, and the earth melted.
7: The Lord of hostes is with vs: the God of Iaakob is our refuge. Selah.
8: Come, and behold the workes of the Lord, what desolations he hath made in the earth.
9: He maketh warres to cease vnto the endes of the world: he breaketh the bowe and cutteth the speare, and burneth the chariots with fire.
10: Be still and knowe that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, and I wil be exalted in the earth.
11: The Lord of hostes is with vs: the God of Iaakob is our refuge. Selah.

Shake is the 48th word from the beginning (62nd with the title inclusive) and speare is the 44th word from the end of the Psalm (or 45th, depending on whether selah is excluded from or included in the count).

The Bishop’s Bible (1568):

1: The Lorde is our refuge & strength: a helpe very easyly founde in troubles.
2: Therfore we wyll not feare though the earth be transposed: and though the hilles rushe into the middest of the sea.
3: Though the waters thereof rage and swell: and though the mountaynes shake at the surges of the same. Selah.
4: [Yet] the fludde by his ryuers shall make glad the citie of God: the holy place of the tabernacles of the most hyghest.
5: God is in the myddest of her, therfore she can not be remoued: the Lorde wyll helpe her, and that ryght early.
6: The heathen make much a do, and the kyngdomes are moued: but [God] shewed his voyce, and the earth melted away.
7: The God of hoastes is with vs: the Lorde of Iacob is our refuge. Selah.
8: O come hither and beholde the workes of God: what distructions he hath brought vpon the earth.
9: He maketh warres to ceasse in all the worlde: he breaketh the bowe, & knappeth the speare in sunder, and burneth the charettes in the fire.
10: Be styll then, and knowe that I am the Lorde: I wyll be exalted among the heathen, I wyll be exalted in the earth.
11: The God of hoastes is with vs: the Lorde of Iacob is our refuge. Selah.

Shake is the 47th word from the beginning, while speare is the 49th from the end of the Psalm (48th if one does not count selah).

(Continued next post)

 

[patrick457]

Miles Coverdale’s Bible (1535):

1: In oure troubles and aduersite, we haue founde, that God is oure refuge, oure strength and helpe.
2: Therfore wil we not feare, though the earth fell, and though the hilles were caried in to the myddest of the see.
3: Though the waters of the see raged & were neuer so troublous, & though the mountaynes shoke at the tepest of the same.
4: Sela. For there is a floude, which wt his ryuers reioyseth ye cite of God, the holy dwellynge of the most hyest.
5: God is in ye myddest of her, therfore shall she not be remoued: for God helpeth her, & yt right early.
6: The Heithen are madd, the kyngdomes make moch adoo: but whe he sheweth his voyce, ye earth melteth awaye.
7: The LORDE of hoostes is wt vs, the God of Iacob is oure defence.
8: Sela. O come hither, & beholde ye workes of the LORDE, what destruccios he hath brought vpo ye earth.
9: He hath made warres to ceasse in all the worlde: he hath broken the bowe, he hath knapped the speare in sonder, & bret the charettes in the fyre.
10: Be still the & confesse yt I am God: I wil be exalted amonge the Heithe, & I wil be exalted vpon earth.
11: The LORDE of hoostes is wt vs, the God of Iacob is oure defence. Sela.

Shoke is the 56th word from the beginning, while speare is the 48th word from the end (47th without the Sela).

What does all this tell us? Nothing, IMO. “Shakespeare=Psalm 46” is just lucky coincidence.

 

[Devare]

Correct! The annotations in the Geneva Bible were strongly Calvinistic and Puritan in character, and as such they were disliked by the ruling conservative Protestants of the Church of England. In fact, this is the reason why King James I commissioned the Authorized Version in the first place: to replace the Geneva Bible which he so disliked. Even so, notes from that translation were surprisingly included in a few editions of the King James version, even as late as 1715.

Actually, “William Shakespeare” never existed (Shakespeare’s dates all correlate to occult numbers that repeat on 23), it was Edward de Vere who wrote Shakespeare.
Edward de Vere OWNED a Geneva Bible (type Edward de Vere’s geneva bible in google) - in which he wrote annotations that CORRELATE to the Shakespeare plays.

There are stamps on the 1623 First Folio that are USED in the 1611 King James Version… Because Francis Bacon used the same drawings for each book (Bacon wasn’t involved with the translating though).

As for the Geneva notes, they are also Catholic in flavour, here are the notes for matthew 16:18:

Christ spoke in the Syrian tongue, and therefore did not use this discourse to distinguish between Petros, which signifies Peter, and Petra, which signifies a rock, but in both places used the word Cephas: but his meaning is what is written in Greek, in which the different word endings distinguish between Peter, who is a piece of the building, and Christ the Petra, that is, the rock and foundation: or else he named him Peter because of the confession of his faith, which is the Church’s as well as his, as the old fathers witness, for so says Theophylact. That confession which you have made, shall be the foundation of the believers.

 

[patrick457]

Actually, “William Shakespeare” never existed (Shakespeare’s dates all correlate to occult numbers that repeat on 23), it was Edward de Vere who wrote Shakespeare.
Edward de Vere OWNED a Geneva Bible (type Edward de Vere’s geneva bible in google) - in which he wrote annotations that CORRELATE to the Shakespeare plays.

Ah, the Oxfordian theory, which postulates that Edward de Vere was the man behind William Shakspere/Shaxpere/Shagspere/Shakespheare/Shak-speare/Shake-Speare/Shakespeare. The most radical form of this theory attributes to the 17th Earl of Oxford (“Oxenford”), not just William of Stratford’s works, but just about anything written in the 16th-17th centuries. With good reason, too; De Vere was simply a genius.

By the way, can you give us strong reasons supporting the Oxfordian theory?

 

[Devare]

By the way, can you give us strong reasons supporting the Oxfordian theory?

I could give lots of evidence for the Oxfordian [fact], more than someone would need - but since the nature of this forum would forbid - I refrain from doing so, especially since King James is often looked down upon here (he likes to appear alot in this controversy).

 

[patrick457]

I could give lots of evidence for the Oxfordian [fact], more than someone would need - but since the nature of this forum would forbid - I refrain from doing so, especially since King James is often looked down upon here (he likes to appear alot in this controversy).

I can’t see why one could not try it in the Water Cooler subforums (the Back Fence specifically)…then again, I’ll agree that these forums is hardly a place for a Stratfordian-Oxfordian-Baconian-Marlovian-everything else in between debate.