Ipostasis

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Ipostasis grece ubicumque in psalterio nos habemus substantia grecum habet ypostasis. Item in libro de doctrina greca ypostasis substantia per .y. debet scribi et cetera.


Apparatus:

ubicunqʒ | ubiqʒ ef
in psalterio nos habemus | n. h. i. p. ms. f | n. i. p. h. print B
grecum habet | greci habent fp
{habet} ypostasis | ypastasis C {printer’s error} | ipostasis B
Item in libro de doctrina greca om. p
in libro (li. C) AC |. liber (lib’ fj) B efj
{ypostasis} substantia AB | substancia ms. e | subã C | s͞u͞b͞a f | sub’a j | sb’a p
et cetera om. ejp


Translation:

Ipostasis is Greek and wherever we have in the Latin {Vulgate} psalter the word substantia the Greek {Lxx} text has ypostasis. Also in the liber de doctrina greca ypostasis is glossed substantia in Latin; {according to its etymology} it must be spelt with a “y”, et cetera.


Commentary:

This entry is more of a theological nature concerning the translation of the Bible.

Simon is right in saying that in those instances where in the Psalter the Vulgate translation has substantia the Septuagint translation has ὑπόστασις /hypóstasis/ - itacist /ipóstasis/, the pronunciation Simon is portraying. There is however one exception Simon overlooked, see below.

The psalms in question are:

  • Vulgate: Psalm 38 v. 6:

Ecce mensurabiles posuisti dies meos,
et substantia mea tamquam nihilum ante te.

Lxx Ps. ΛΗ’ (38, v. 6): Ἲδοὺ παλαιστὰς ἔθου τὰς ἡμέρας μου
καὶ ἡ ὑπόστασίς μου ὡσεὶ οὐθὲν ἐνώπιόν σου
/Idoù palaistàs éthou tàs hēméras mou,
/kaì hē hypóstasís mou hōseì outhèn enṓpión sou/

AV, Ps. 39, v. 5: Behold, thou hast made my days as handbreadths;
AND MINE AGE IS NOTHING BEFORE THEE.
Muraoka, p. 705: “my existence counts for almost nothing in your eyes”.

Greek ὑπόστασις /hypóstasis/ here translates Hebrew חלד /ḥeled/ “duration” (Hebr. XXXIX, v. 6)

  • And in the same psalm v. 8:

Et nunc quae est exspectatio mea: nonne Dominus?
et substantia mea apud te est.

Lxx Ps. ΛΗ’ (38 v. 8): Καὶ νῦν τίς ἡ ὑπομονή μου; οὐχὶ ὁ Κύριος;
καὶ ἡ ὑπόστασίς μου παρὰ σοί ἐστιν
/Kaì nŷn tís hē hypomonḗ mou; oukhì ho Kýrios;
kaì hē hypóstasís mou parà soí estin/.

AV, Ps. 39, v. 7: and now, Lord, what wait I for?
MY HOPE IS IN THEE.
Muraoka, p. 705: “My existence is derived from you”

ὑπόστασις /hypóstasis/ here translates Hebrew תוחלת /tôḥelet/ “expectation, hope” (Hebr. XXXIX, v. 8).


  • Vulgate Psalm 68, v.3:

Infixus sum in limo profundi:
Et non est substantia.

Lxx Ps. ΞΗ’ (68, v. 3): Ἐνεπάγην εἰς ἰλὺν βυθοῦ,
καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν ὑπόστασις
/Enepágēn eis ilỳn bythoû,
kaì ouk éstin hypóstasis/

AV: Ps. 69, v. 2: I sink in deep mire,
WHERE THERE IS NO STANDING.
Muraoka, p. 705: I am trapped in the slime of the depth”.
“And I have no foothold”.

ὑπόστασις /hypóstasis/ here translates Hebrew מעמד /måʕåmād/ “firm ground” (Hebr. LXIX, v. 3.)


  • Vulgate Psalm 88: v. 48:

Memorare quae mea substantia:

Lxx Ps. ΠΗ’ (88, v. 48): Μνήσθητι τίς μου ἡ ὑπόστασις
/Mnḗstheti tís mou hē hypóstasis/.

AV: Ps. 89, v, 47: O REMEMBER HOW SHORT MY TIME IS:

ὑπόστασις /hypóstasis/ here translates Hebrew חלד /ḥeled/ “duration” (Hebr. LXXXIX, v. 48).


  • Vulgate Psalm 138, v. 15:

Non est occultatum os meum a te, quod fecisti in occulto;
et substantia mea in inferioribus terrae.

Lxx Ps. ΡΛΗ’ (138, v. 15):
Οὐκ ἐκρύβη τὸ ὀστοῦν μου ἀπὸ σοῦ ὃ ἐποίησας ἐν κρυφῇ
καὶ ἡ ὑπόστασίς μου ἐν τοῖς κατωτάτοις τῆς γῆς
/Ouk ekrýbē tò ostoûn mou apò soû hò epoíēsas en kryphḗ,
kaì hē hypóstasís mou en toîs katōtátois tês gês/.

AV, Ps. 139, v. 15: MY FRAME {RV substance} was not hidden from thee
And curiously wrought IN THE LOWEST PARTS OF THE EARTH.

ὑπόστασις /hypóstasis/ here translates Hebrew: רקמתי /ruqqamtî/ “I was made, wrought” (Hebr. CXXXIX, v. 15).


  • Although in Vulgate Psalm 108 v. 11 the word substantia occurs:

Scrutetur fœnerator omnem substantiam ejus,
the word ὑπόστασις /hypóstasis/ does not occur in the Septuagint verse:
Lxx Ps. ΡΗ’ (108, v. 11): Ἐξερευνησάτω δανειστὴς πάντα ὅσα ὑπάρχει αὐτῷ
/Exereunēsátō daneistḕs pánta hósa hypárkhei autô/.

AV: Ps. 109, v. 11: LET THE EXTORTIONER CATCH ALL THAT HE HATH.

ὑπόστασις /hypóstasis/ here translates לכל־אשר־לו /lǝ-kol-ʔašer-lô/ “for all that is his” (Hebr. CIX, v. 11).


ὑπόστασις /hypostasis/:
Greek ὑπόστασις /hypostasis/ is a derivative of ὑφίστημι /hyphístēmi/. The basic meaning of ὑφίστημι /hyphístēmi/ is “to place or set under” and ὑπόστασις /hypostasis/ developed a basic meaning “standing under, supporting”, and from there it branched out into a myriad of meaning shades, e.g. Muraoka (2009: 705) s.v. lists 8 different meanings of this word in the Septuagint alone, LSJ has well over 20. In the psalms “existence, duration, time-span, expectation, possession(s) and process of being produced” but also “firm ground” and more are all possible renderings. Since the original Hebrew text – as can be seen from the psalms above - shows that no clear cohesive concept is involved, it seems that the use of the term ὑπόστασις /hypostasis/ in the Psalms is little more than a chance result in the Greek translation and consequently in the Vulgate too.

substantia
Latin substantia is a derivative of substo “to stand or be under or among, to be present; stand firm, hold out” (s.v. Lewis & Short). Its derivative substantia means “that of which a thing consists, the being, essence, contents, material, substance” and from there “fortune, substance, property”.

WilfGunther (talk) 23:31, 7 October 2015 (BST)


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