Charles François Houbigant
Charles François Houbigant, Cong.Orat. (1686 in Paris – 31 October 1783 in Paris) was a French Oratorian biblical scholar.
Life
Houbigant entered the Congregation of the
His conversation was amiable, without the sarcasm pervading some pages of his writings. He founded at Avilly-Saint-Léonard a school for girls, in which he set up a complete outfit for the printing of his books, himself acting as typesetter.[1]
Works
His first work, issued in 1732 (Paris), was a vocabulary of Hebrew roots, Racines hebraïques sans points-voyelles, compiled after the manner of Lancelot's long famous Jardin des racines grecques. In 1746 he published his Prolegomena in Scripturam Sacram (2 vols., 4to) and a Latin translation of the Psalms, Psalmorum versio vulgata et versio nova ad hebraicam veritatem facta (16mo), followed two years later (1748) by a critical edition of the Hebrew Psalter, Psalmi hebraici mendis quam plurim is expurgati (Leyden, 16mo). These volumes were but the forerunners of his great work, Biblia hebraica cum notis criticis et versione latinâ ad notas criticas factâ; accedunt libri græci qui deutero-canonici vocantur in tres classes distributi (4 vols., folio, Paris, 1753–54). This important publication, to the preparation of which he had devoted twenty years of labour, in itself a masterpiece of typography, was based on the text of Van der Hooght (edit. of 1705), which it reproduced without vocal signs and with many corrections suggested either in the margin or in tables at the end of each volume. The Latin translation was also published separately in eight octavo volumes under the title, Veteris Testamenti versio nova ad hebraicam veritatem facta (Paris, 1753).
From Houbigant's versatile pen later on proceeded French translations of some English books, as
Some time before his death, however, he had lost his eyesight and fallen into dotage. Among the papers found after his death were a life of Cardinal de Bérulle, a treatise on the coming of Elias, a Hebrew grammar, and notes on the theory of Astruc touching the composition of Genesis.[1]
His works on Hebrew philology have fallen into oblivion; the deliberate discarding of vocal signs and the unlikely and unwarranted pronunciation adopted foredoomed them to failure. On the other hand, his Latin translation of the Bible is, for the clearness, energy, and polish of the language, deservedly praised; not so, however, all the rules of textual criticism laid down in the "Prolegomena", and the application of these rules in the "Biblia hebraica" marred by too many unnecessary and conjectural corrections of the
References
- ^ a b c d Souvay 1913.
- Attribution
- This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Souvay, Charles L. (1913). "Charles François Houbigant". In Herbermann, Charles (ed.). Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. This source cites
- Sebaldus Ravius, Spec. Observat. ad Hubigantii Proleg. in Scripturam (Trier, 1776)
- Cadry, Notice sur la vie et les ouvrages du P. Houbigant in Magasin Encyclopédique (Paris, May 1806)
- François-Xavier de Feller, Biographie universelle, VII (Paris, 1822)
- Augustin Ingold, Essai de Bibliothèque Oratorienne (Paris, 1880).