Does the Bible say it?
“To thine own self be true”: is it in the Bible?
No, this is not in the Bible. It is a line from Shakespeare's Hamlet, spoken by Polonius. The old English makes it sound biblical, but it is not, and its message is actually quite different from what Jesus taught.
What it actually is
The line is from William Shakespeare’s Hamlet (Act 1, Scene 3), part of the advice Polonius gives his son Laertes. Its Elizabethan English (“thine,” “thou”) is often mistaken for the sound of the King James Bible, but it is a play, not Scripture.
What the Bible actually says
Jesus and the Scriptures actually point away from self-trust and toward trusting God and denying self:
A better question than the quote
Behind every “is this in the Bible?” is a gentler one: what does the Bible actually say, and who is the Jesus at the center of it? You do not have to take our word for it, ours least of all. Read his own words and see for yourself. It costs nothing but a little quiet and an honest look.
Meet JesusHis words and actsRead the Gospel of JohnJesus Christ is Lord.
Frequently asked questions
- Is “To thine own self be true” in the Bible?
- No. It is a line from Shakespeare's Hamlet, spoken by Polonius. The old-sounding English makes many people assume it is Scripture, but it is not.
- Does the Bible teach to be true to yourself?
- Not in that sense. Scripture calls people to trust God rather than lean on their own understanding (Proverbs 3:5) and, in Jesus' words, to deny themselves (Matthew 16:24).