Did William shakespeare help translate the bible?

Answer 1

No.

Shakespeare only had schoolboy Latin and virtually no Greek, so he would be a very poor translator.

As it happens, we know who the translators were. They were 47 clergymen (except for Sir Henry Savile, the only non-clerical man on the committee) who were experts particularly in Greek. If you had suggested to them that a grammar-school educated writer of plays ought to be on the committee they would have laughed you half way to Constantinople.

Answer 2

No, William Shakespeare did not help translate The Bible. The most famous English translation of the Bible, the King James Version, was completed in 1611, during Shakespeare's lifetime. However, there is no evidence to suggest that Shakespeare was involved in the translation process.

Answer 3

The Bible was written first, therefore Shakespear cannot have influenced the Bible.

As for the saying that SHakespeare wrote the King James Version of the Bible, Shakespeare was not among the chosen translators, and nothing other than time and place links him to the King James Bible. He is more closely linked to King James himself, having written Macbeth for his King, who was an admirer of his works.

Shakespeare did however use the Bible to influence his works and uses many Biblical themes in all of his works.

Answer 4

William Shakespeare was alive and a mature writer at the time that the King James Version (KJV) of the Bible was being written (it was published in 1611 when Shakespeare was about 47 years old).

But there is no proof at all that Shakespeare was in any way involved with the KJV. The bible was translated by scholars from ancient languages and it's known that Shakespeare had "little Latin and less Greek", which means he would not have been an asset.

Added to that, he was never directly involved with "establishment" literature, which the KJV certainly was. Being a playwright was not a noble profession, no matter what we think of him today.

But it is possible that Francis Bacon, one of his contemporaries, had something to do with the KJV, because at the time he was Solicitor General and Advisor to King James.

If you search the web you will find some interesting rumors about his involvement, but they are not proven and are generally believed to be nothing but rumors.

Answer 5

The Queen Elizabeth Bible refers to the Russian queen. Google QEB bible and read Israel Shamir's discussion of this.

Roy Greenhill, Sr, Sandy Springs, GA USA