For the past two weeks our word study has focused on the first few verses of the Hebrew epistle. This week we will conclude our study with a close examination of the Greek word ὑπὸστασις (Strong's #5287), translated "substance" (ASV), "person" (NKJV), and "nature" (NASB) in Hebew 1:3. ὑπὸστασις is a compound noun from the preposition ὑπο (Strongs #5259) "under," and the verb ἵστημι (Strongs #2476) "to stand, to set;" thus, literally a thing "standing or set under; hence, substance, foundation or underlying essence or principle." This word is found five times in the Greek New Testament, twice in Paul's second letter to the Corinthians (2 Corinthians 9:4; 11:17), and three times by the writer of Hebrews (Hebrews 1:3; 3:14; 11:1). The modern English versions vary their translation of this word from "substance," "person," "nature," "confident," "confidence," "assurance," "conviction," etc. as to its correct interpretation. All of the lexical authorities agree that it literally means "to set under, stand under, support; a support base or foundation (in various senses);"F1 and denotes "essence or substance - that which stands under the outward form."F2 However, after stating its original meaning even many of the lexicons waver and drastically change its meaning in the different Biblical references in which it is used. Therefore, in order to determine what the inspired apostle intended by this word we should go back to the earliest Biblical writings for they can clarify for us the correct translation of this word. The early church fathers such as Jerome or John Chrysotom to the great Greek scholar Erasmus, in the fifteenth century, all confirmed that the correct meaning and translation during the New Testament era was always substantia (Latin), "substance" or fundamentum (Latin), "foundation." This is not surprising since the Greek word ὑπὸστασις comes from a word that means substratum, which Webster defines as "a part, substance, element, etc which lies beneath and supports another; foundation; figuratively, any basis or foundation."F3
The Latin Vulgate, a very early Latin translation taken from parts of the Septuagint and the Hebrew, and the Greek New Testament by Jerome in 382 - 405 C.E. validates the assertion stated above. It has ὑπὸστασις, in all five of its references in the Greek New Testament, translated by the Latin word substantia. This is the same word from which we get the English word substance, which is derived from the Latin word substare. In Latin sub means "under" and stare means "to stand," so substance means that which "stands under." It is defined by Webster as "the essence or substratum which underlies anything."F4 Thus, when anything stands under something, it is the substance, foundation or underlying principle of that under which it stands. Conybeare and Howson rightly state, "the original meaning of ὑπὸστασις is that whereupon anything else stands, or is supported; hence it acquired the meaning of substantia (Latin), or substance (in the metaphysical sense of the term); cf. Hebrews 1:3; 3:14; 11:1; hence again, that of subject-matter (2 Corinthians 9:4; 11:17). There is no passage of the New Testament where it can properly be translated "confidence."F5 In confirmation to this assertion, Walter Bauer acknowledged it was not until Luther and Tyndale that the broader usage of the word, such as "confidence" or "assurance," began to be espoused by the lexicons and translators of the modern English translations.F6 It is no wonder that as we draw closer in our study to the beauty and elegance of the original language as recorded by the inspired writers of the Greek New Testament we quickly realize that it can be an enlightening commentary to some of the modern translations of today!
In order to fully comprehend the import of the three words we have studied these past three weeks, it is imperative that we recognize the premise of this epistle, namely, "Christ is the appointed heir of all things" (Hebrews 1:2). While studying this epistle it is important to keep in mind that there were two problems threatening the first century New Testament church. One was the danger of mass apostasy to Judiasm, a reversion back to the Mosaic system that was "nailed to the cross" (Colossians 2:14) but as Paul so elegantly stated was still "passing away" (2 Corinthians 3:11). The inspired Hebrew author met that threat by proving to Jewish Christians that the new covenant was superior to the old covenant and was superseding it. The other danger was the imminent threat of the Neroan persecution and the siege and destruction of Jerusalem (Hebrews 10:25,37). There is some sort of reference to the eminency of the fall of Jerusalem and the end of the "age" (Jewish state), in most of the apostolic epistles including the Hebrew epistle. The writer's postulation found in the first three verses of the first chapter was that Christ is the heir of all things spoken by the prophets, in that all the prophecies were fulfilled in Him. It was in this setting that he described the Divine Majesty of Jesus to the Father by stating that Christ is the ἀπαὺγασμα (Strong's #541) rayed forth light outwardly manifested of God's glory and He is the χαρακτὴρ (Strongs #5481) exact impression of the inward ὑπὸστασις (Strongs #5287) substance or underlying essence of God (Hebrews 1:3). The inward substance or underlying essence of anyone is that internal quality or character that defines whom they are. The nature or character of God can be summed up by His love for us, for "God is love" and it is through Jesus, that the "love of God" is made known to us (1 John 4:7-10; John 15:13; Romans 8:39).
FOOTNOTES:
F1: G. Abbot-Smith, D.D, D.C.L., LL.D., A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament (Edinburgh: T&T Clark, 1936), pg. 462-463.
F2: Dr. Gottlieb Lunemann and Rev. Timothy Dwight, H.A.W. Meyer's Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament, vol. 9 (New York: Funk & Wagnalls, 1884), pg. 413.
F3: Noah Webster, Webster's New Twentieth Century Dictionary of the English Language Unabridged Second Edition (New York; Prentice Hall Press, reprinted 1983), pg.1817.
F4: Noah Webster, Webster's New Twentieth Century Dictionary of the English Language Unabridged Second Edition (New York; Prentice Hall Press, reprinted 1983), pg. 1817.
F5: W.J. Conybeare, M.A. and J.S. Howson, M.A., Life and Epistles of St. Paul (New York: Charles Scribner, 1856), pg. 503-504.
F6: Walter Bauer, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 2nd edition (Chicago: University of Chicago Press), pg. 847.
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Bill Klein has been a pastor, counselor, and educator for the past 41 years. He has had extensive training and education in biblical languages, and has authored a Biblical Greek course.
He is currently serving as Professor of Biblical Greek at Master's Graduate School of Divinity, and president of BTE Ministries - The Bible Translation and Exegesis Institute of America, a non-profit organization located in California that provides Bible study tapes and Greek study materials through their website BTEMinistries.org.