Hàn-dynasty Confucian scholar and founder of the Lǔshī 魯詩 (Lu School) of Shījīng interpretation; commonly called Shēn Gōng 申公 (“Master Shen”), a native of Lǔ 魯 (modern Qūfù 曲阜, Shāndōng). Lifedates traditionally given as ca. 219–135 BCE (birth and death years uncertain; Wikipedia cites these approximate dates). Studied the Shījīng under Fúqiū Bó 浮丘伯, a disciple of Xúnzǐ 荀子, together with the future Chǔ Prince Liú Jiāo 劉交 (Chǔ Yuán Wáng 楚元王) and others. After the Qín burning of the books his teacher dispersed; following Hàn unification, 申培 encountered Liú Bāng 劉邦 at the Lǔ Southern Palace with his teacher. Subsequently served as Zhōng Dàifū 中大夫 for Prince Chǔ (Liú Jiāo), then helped educate the prince’s son Liú Wù 劉戊; when Liú Wù became licentious, 申培’s remonstrance earned him corporal punishment (xū mí 胥靡 labour sentence), after which he retired to Lǔ, refusing to leave his home or see visitors. Emperor Wén 文帝 appointed him Bóshì 博士. Under Emperor Wǔ 武帝, at reportedly eighty years of age, he was brought to the capital on an imperial carriage (ca. 140–135 BCE) to advise on the construction of the Míng Táng 明堂, revision of the calendar and court costume, and related reforms. Famous for his laconic reply to Emperor Wǔ’s question on governance: “Governing is not about many words; look only to how forcefully it is carried out.” Appointed Tàizhōng Dàifū 太中大夫. Retired ill after the Dòu Empress Dowager’s intervention caused the reformers Wáng Cáng 王臧 and Zhào Wǎn 趙綰 to be imprisoned; died a few years later.
His genuine scholarly output, recorded in the Hànshū yìwénzhì 漢書藝文志, comprised 《魯故》 (Lǔ gù) in 25 juàn and 《魯說》 (Lǔ shuō) in 28 juàn; both are entirely lost. The Qīng scholar Mǎ Guóhán 馬國翰 reconstructed 3 juàn of 《魯詩故》 in his Yùhán shānfáng jíyì shū 玉函山房輯佚書. The text KR4i0065 Shēn Péi Shī Shuō 申培詩說, preserved in the Kanripo corpus, is attributed to 申培 but is unanimously regarded in modern scholarship as a forgery composed by 豐坊 of the Míng dynasty.
He also transmitted the Chūnqiū Gǔliáng zhuàn 春秋穀梁傳 to Xiáqiū Jiāng Gōng 瑕丘江公.