In consequence of this infirmity he availed himself of the scholarship founded by Louis de Carrières to promote biblical studies in the Oratory and thenceforth devoted his talents to mastering Semitic languages.
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).
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 Forbes's Thoughts, Sherlock's Sermons (1768), and Lesley's Method against Deists and Jews (1770).
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.