IGama LikaThixo—Intsingiselo Yalo Nendlela Yokulibiza

OMNYE wababhali beBhayibhile wabuza oku: “Ngubani na ofumbethe umoya ngezandla zakhe? Ngubani na obophe amanzi engutyeni? Ngubani na omise zonke iziphelo zehlabathi? Lingubani na igama lakhe, lingubani na igama lonyana wakhe, ukuba uyalazi?” (IMizekeliso 30:4) Sinokwazi njani thina ukuba lingubani na igama likaThixo? Lowo ngumbuzo obalulekileyo. Indalo ibubungqina obunamandla bokuba uThixo umele ukuba ukho, kodwa ayisixeleli igama lakhe. (Roma 1:20) Enyanisweni, besingenakuze silazi igama likaThixo ngaphandle kokuba uMdali abe usixelele. Yaye ukwenzile oko kwiNcwadi yakhe, iBhayibhile Engcwele.

Ngesinye isihlandlo esikhethekileyo, uThixo walibiza igama lakhe, eliphindaphinda uMoses esiva. UMoses wabhala ingxelo yeso siganeko eye yalondolozwa eBhayibhileni ukwehla ukuza kutsho kumhla wethu. (Eksodus 34:5) UThixo wade walibhala igama lakhe “ngomnwe” wakhe. Akuba echazele uMoses oko namhlanje sikubiza ngokuba yiMithetho Elishumi, uThixo ngokungummangaliso wayibhala phantsi. Ingxelo ithi: “Akukhova ukuthetha [uThixo] naye entabeni yaseSinayi, wamnika uMoses amacwecwe amabini esingqino, amacwecwe amatye, ebhalwe ngomnwe kaThixo.” (Eksodus 31:18) Igama likaThixo libonakala izihlandlo ezisibhozo kwiMithetho Elishumi yantlandlolo. (Eksodus 20:1-17) Ngaloo ndlela uThixo ulityhilile igama lakhe ebantwini kokubini ngokulithetha nangokulibhala. Ngoko, lingubani elo gama?

Kulwimi lwesiHebhere libhalwa ngale ndlela יהוה. Aba nobumba bane, ababizwa ngokuba yiTetragrammaton, bafundwa ukusuka ekunene ukuya ekhohlo ngesiHebhere yaye kwiilwimi ezininzi zanamhla banokubhalwa ngaba nobumba YHWH okanye JHVH. Igama likaThixo, elinala maqabane (consonants) mane, libonakala phantse izihlandlo ezingama-7 000 ‘kwiTestamente Endala’ yantlandlolo, okanye kwiZibhalo zesiHebhere.

Eli gama livela kwisenzi sesiHebhere esinguha·wahʹ (הוה), esithetha “ukuba [kokuthile],” yaye eneneni lithetha oku “O[zi]bangela Abe.”a Ngaloo ndlela, igama likaThixo limchaza njengaLowo uzalisekisa amadinga akhe ngamanqanaba ahambela phambili nonokuthi ngokungasileliyo azalisekise iinjongo zakhe. Kuphela nguThixo oyinyaniso onokuba negama elinentsingiselo elolo hlobo.

Uyazikhumbula na iindlela ezahlukeneyo elibonakale ngazo igama likaThixo kwiNdumiso 83:18, njengoko kwandlalwe kwicandelo elingaphambili (iphepha 5)? Ezimbini kwezo nguqulelo zibhale nje izibizo ezithi (“NKOSI,” “uSonini-nanini”) endaweni yegama likaThixo. Kodwa kwezimbini zazo, ekubhalwe kuzo igama Yahweh nelithi Yehova, unokubabona oonobumba abane begama likaThixo. Noko ke, indlela elibizwa ngayo yahlukahlukene. Kutheni?

Libizwa Njani Igama LikaThixo?

Inyaniso yeyokuba, akukho mntu uyazi ngokuqinisekileyo indlela igama likaThixo elalibizwa ngayo ntlandlolo. Kutheni kunjalo? Kaloku, ulwimi lokuqala olwalusetyenziswa ekubhaleni iBhayibhile lwalusisiHebhere, yaye xa kwakubhalwa ulwimi lwesiHebhere, ababhali babebhala kuphela amaqabane—bengabhali zikhamiso. Ngenxa yoko, xa ababhali abaphefumlelweyo babebhala igama likaThixo, basuka nje benza into efanayo baza babhala amaqabane kuphela.

Ngoxa isiHebhere samandulo sasilulwimi olwaluthethwa imihla ngemihla, oku akuzange kube yingxaki. Ukubizwa kweli Gama kwakuyinto eqhelekileyo kumaSirayeli yaye xa ayelibona libhaliwe ayefakela izikhamiso ngaphandle kokucinga (njengokuba kanye, kumfundi wesiXhosa, isishunqulelo esithi “Gqr.” simela “Gqirha” nesi “Nksk.” simela “Nkosikazi”).

Zimbini izinto ezenzekayo ezaguqula le meko. Okokuqala, phakathi kwamaYuda kwabakho iinkolo zokuba kwakuphosakele ukulibiza ngokuvakalayo igama likaThixo; ngoko xa ayefika kulo ekufundeni kwawo iBhayibhile ayebiza igama lesiHebhere elithi ’Adho·naiʹ (“Nkosi enguMongami”). Ngokubhekele phaya, ekuhambeni kwexesha, ulwimi lwesiHebhere samandulo lwayekwa ukuthethwa kwincoko yemihla ngemihla, yaye ngale ndlela ukubizwa kwegama likaThixo ngesiHebhere santlandlolo kwalityalwa ekugqibeleni.

Ukwenzela ukuqinisekisa ukuba ukubizwa kwamagama olwimi lwesiHebhere luphela kwakungayi kulahleka, abaphengululi bamaYuda besiqingatha sesibini sewaka leminyaka lokuqala Kwixesha Eliqhelekileyo bayila inkqubo yokubhala amachaphaza amela izikhamiso ezingekhoyo, yaye bawabeka la machaphaza angqonga amaqabane kwiBhayibhile yesiHebhere. Ngaloo ndlela, kokubini izikhamiso namaqabane abhalwa phantsi, yaye ukubizwa kwamagama njengoko kwakunjalo ngelo xesha kwalondolozwa.

Xa bafikelela kwigama likaThixo, endaweni yokubeka imiqondiso yezikhamiso efanelekileyo ilijikeleze, kwiimeko ezininzi babebeka eminye imiqondiso yezikhamiso ukukhumbuza umfundi ukuba umele athi ’Adho·naiʹ. Le nkqubo yabangela eli gama libhalwe ngokuthi Iehouah, yaye, ekugqibeleni, uYehova waba yindlela eyamkelekileyo yokubizwa kwegama likaThixo ngesiXhosa. Oku kuwagcina ekho amaqabane abalulekileyo egama likaThixo avela kwisiHebhere santlandlolo.

Yiyiphi Indlela Yokulibiza Oya Kuyisebenzisa?

Zivela phi ke, iindlela zokulibiza ezinjengoYahweh? Ezi ziindlela eziye zacetyiswa ngabaphengululi bakutshanje bezama ukufumana indlela igama likaThixo elalibizwa ngayo ntlandlolo. Bambi—nangona kungengabo bonke—banoluvo lokuba amaSirayeli phambi kwexesha likaYesu mhlawumbi ayelibiza igama likaThixo ngokuthi Yahweh. Kodwa akukho bani unokuqiniseka. Mhlawumbi ayelibiza ngaloo ndlela, mhlawumbi awazange enjenjalo.

Sekunjalo, abaninzi bakhetha ukulibiza ngokuthi Yehova. Ngoba? Kungenxa yokuba yindlela esetyenziswa ngokuqhelekileyo ngaphezu kwethi Yahweh. Noko ke, ngaba bekungayi kulunga ngakumbi ukusebenzisa indlela esenokuba yesondele ngakumbi kwindlela yokulibiza eyiyeyantlandlolo? Akunjalo, kuba oko akuyonto ngokuqhelekileyo eyenzekayo kumagama aseBhayibhileni.

Xa sithabatha omnye umzekelo obalaseleyo, qwalasela igama likaYesu. Ngaba wena uyayazi indlela intsapho nezihlobo zikaYesu ezazimbiza ngayo kwincoko yemihla ngemihla ngoxa wayekhula eNazarete? Inyaniso ikukuba, akukho mntu waziyo ngokuqinisekileyo, nangona kusenokuba kwakusithiwa Yeshua (okanye mhlawumbi Yehoshua). Ngokuqinisekileyo kwakungathiwa Yesu.

Noko ke, xa iingxelo ezingobomi bakhe zabhalwa ngolwimi lwesiGrike, ababhali abaphefumlelweyo abazange bazame ukuhlala kulaa ndlela yantlandlolo yokulibiza ngesiHebhere. Kunoko, balibhala eli gama ngesiGrike ngokuthi, I·e·sousʹ. Namhlanje, libhalwa ngokwahlukeneyo ngokolwimi lomfundi weBhayibhile. Abafundi beBhayibhile yeSpanish babona igama elithi Jesús (elibizwa ngokuthi Hes·soosʹ). AmaTaliyane alibhala ngokuthi Gesù (libizwa ngokuthi Djay·zooʹ). Yaye amaJamani alibhala ngokuthi Jesus (libizwa ngokuthi Yayʹsoos).

Ngaba simele sikuyeke ukulisebenzisa igama likaYesu kuba uninzi lwethu, okanye thina sisonke, singazi ngokwenene indlela elalibizwa ngayo ntlandlolo? Ukuza kuthi ga ngoku, akukho mguquleli uye wakucebisa oku. Siyathanda ukulisebenzisa eli gama, kuba lichaza uNyana kaThixo othandekayo, uYesu Kristu, owanikela ngobomi begazi lakhe ngenxa yethu. Ngaba bekuya kubonakalisa intlonelo kuYesu ukulishenxisa lonke igama lakhe eBhayibhileni size silithabathel’ indawo ngesibizo nje esinjengesithi “Mfundisi,” okanye “Mlamli”? Kakade bekungenakuba njalo! Sinokuziva sisondele kuYesu xa sisebenzisa igama lakhe ngendlela elibizwa ngokuqheleke ngayo kulwimi lwethu.

Kunokutshiwo okufanayo ngawo onke amagama esiwafunda eBhayibhileni. Siwabiza ngendlela yolwimi lwethu yaye asizami ukuxelisa indlela elalibizwa ngayo ntlandlolo. Kungoko sisithi “Yeremiya,” singathi Yir·meyaʹhu. Ngokufanayo sithi Isaya, nangona ngomhla wakhe lo mprofeti kusenokwenzeka ukuba wayesaziwa njengoYeshaʽ·yaʹhu. Kwanabaphengululi abayaziyo indlela awayebizwa ngayo la magama ntlandlolo basebenzisa indlela yale mihla, kungekhona eyamandulo, xa bethetha ngawo.

Kukwanjalo ke nangegama elithi Yehova. Nakubeni indlela elibizwa ngayo kule mihla ethi Yehova isenokungabi yindlela echane ngqo elalibizwa ngayo ntlandlolo, oku akukucuthi nangayiphi na indlela ukubaluleka kweli gama. Lifanisa uMdali, uThixo ophilileyo, Osenyangweni lowo uYesu wathi kuye: “Bawo wethu osemazulwini, malingcwaliswe igama lakho.”—Mateyu 6:9.

“Alinakuthatyathelw’ Indawo”

Ngoxa abaguquleli abaninzi bekhetha indlela yokulibiza ethi Yahweh, iNew World Translation kwanezinye iinguqulelo ezininzi ziyaqhubeka zisebenzisa indlela ethi Yehova ngenxa yokuqhelana kwabantu nayo kangangeenkulungwane. Ngaphezu koko, njengezinye iindlela le ndlela inabo oonobumba abane beTetragrammaton, abangaba YHWH okanye aba JHVH.b

Ngaphambilana, unjingalwazi ongumJamani uGustav Friedrich Oehler wenza isigqibo esifanayo ngenxa yesizathu esikwasinye. Waxubusha ngeendlela ezahlukahlukeneyo zokulibiza waza wagqiba ngelithi: “Ukususela kweli nqanaba ukubhekisa phambili ndisebenzisa igama elithi Yehova, kuba, ngokwenene, eli gama ngoku liye laqheleka ngakumbi kwisigama sethu, yaye alinakuthatyathelw’ indawo.”—Theologie des Alten Testaments (Theology of the Old Testament), uhlelo lwesibini, ipapashwe ngowe-1882, iphepha 143.

Ngokufanayo, kwiGrammaire de l’hébreu biblique yakhe (Grammar of Biblical Hebrew), uhlelo lowe-1923, kumbhalo osemazantsi okwiphepha 49, umphengululi wezibhalo ogumJesuit uPaul Joüon uthi: “Kwiinguqulelo zethu, endaweni yokusebenzisa uYahweh (othelekelelwayo), sisebenzise uJéhovah . . . oyindlela eqhelekileyo esetyenziswa kwisiFrentshi.” Kwezinye iilwimi ezininzi, abaguquleli beBhayibhile basebenzisa indlela ekwafanayo, njengoko kuboniswe kwibhokisi ekwiphepha 8.

Ngoko, ngaba kuphosakele ukusebenzisa isibizo esithi Yahweh? Nakanye. Kungenxa nje yokuba ukuthi Yehova kusenokwenzeka ukuba kube kuko okuqondwa msinya ngumfundi kuba kuyindlela eye yaqheleka kwiilwimi ezininzi. Eyona nto ibalulekileyo kukuba silisebenzise eli gama size silivakalise nakwabanye. “Bulelani kuYehova, nqulani igama lakhe, zaziseni ezizweni izenzo zakhe, izenzo zakhe ezincamisayo; likhankanyeni igama lakhe kuba liyingxonde.”—Isaya 12:4.

Masibone indlela abakhonzi bakaThixo abaye benza ngokuvisisana naloo myalelo ukutyhubela iinkulungwane.

[Imibhalo esemazantsi]

[Ibhokisi ekwiphepha 7]

Abaphengululi abahlukeneyo baneengcamango ezahlukeneyo ngendlela igama elithi YHWH elalibizwa ngayo ntlandlolo.

KwiThe Mysterious Name of Y.H.W.H., iphepha 74, uGqr. M. Reisel wathi “ukubizwa kweTetragrammaton kumele ukuba ntlandlolo kwakusithi Y^eHūàH okanye YaHūàH.”

Umfundisi uD. D. Williams waseCambridge wamisa elokuba “ubungqina bubonisa ukuba, hayi mandithi bungqina ukuba, ukuthi Jāhwéh kwakungeyondlela yokwenyaniso yokubiza iTetragrammaton . . . Eli Gama ngokwalo kusenokwenzeka ukuba lalinguJĀHÔH.”—Zeitschrift für die alttestamentliche Wissenschaft (Periodical for Old Testament Knowledge), 1936, Umqulu 54, iphepha 269.

Kuluhlu lwamagama lweRevised Segond Version yesiFrentshi, kwiphepha 9, kuthethwa oku: “Indlela yokulibiza ethi Yahvé esetyenziswe kwiinguqulelo zakutshanje isekelwe kumangqina ambalwa amandulo, kodwa asingawo awenza isigqibo. Ukuba ubani uthi akhangele kumagama abantu anegama likaThixo, njengegama lesiHebhere lomprofeti uEliya (Eliyahou) ukubizwa kweli gama kusenokuba nguYaho okanye nguYahou.”

Ngowe-1749 umphengululi weBhayibhile ongumJamani uTeller wachaza ngeendlela ezithile ezahlukeneyo zokubizwa kwegama likaThixo awayezifundile: “UDiodorus waseSicily, uMacrobius, uClemens Alexandrinus, uJerome Ongcwele no-Origenes babhala bathi Jao; amaSamariya, uEpiphanius, uTheodoretus, bathi Jahe, okanye Jave; uLudwig Cappel uthi Javoh; uDrusius, Jahve; uHottinger, Jehva; uMercerus, Jehovah; uCastellio, Jovah; nole Clerc, Jawoh, okanye Javoh.”

Ngaloo ndlela kuyabonakala ke ukuba indlela yantlandlolo yokubizwa kwegama likaThixo ayisaziwa. Ibe ngenene ayibalulekanga. Ukuba ibibalulekile, uThixo ngewayeqinisekise ukuba ilondolozelwe ukuze siyisebenzise. Into ebalulekileyo kukulisebenzisa igama likaThixo ngokwendlela eqhelekileyo elibizwa ngayo kulwimi lwethu.

[Ibhokisi ekwiphepha 8]

Indlela elibonakala ngayo igama likaThixo kwiilwimi ezahlukeneyo, ibonisa ukwamkelwa kwesibizo esithi Yehova kumazwe ngamazwe

IsiAwabakal - Yehóa

IsiBugotu - Jihova

IsiCantonese - Yehwowah

IsiDanish - Jehova

IsiDatshi - Jehovah

IsiEfik - Jehovah

IsiNgesi - Jehovah

IsiFiji - Jiova

IsiFinnish - Jehova

IsiFrentshi - Jéhovah

IsiFutuna - Ihova

IsiJamani - Jehova

IsiHungari - Jehova

Isi-Igbo - Jehova

IsiTaliyane - Geova

IsiJapan - Ehoba

IsiMaori - Ihowa

IsiMotu - Iehova

IsiMwala-Malu - Jihova

IsiNarrinyeri - Jehovah

IsiNembe - Jihova

IsiPetats - Jihouva

IsiPolish - Jehowa

IsiPhuthukezi - Jeová

IsiRomania - Iehova

IsiSamoa - Ieova

IsiSuthu - Jehova

ISpanish - Jehová

IsiSwahili - Yehova

IsiSwedish - Jehova

IsiTahiti - Iehova

IsiTagalog - Jehova

IsiTongan - Jihova

IsiVenda - Yehova

IsiXhosa - uYehova

IsiYoruba - Jehofah

IsiZulu - uJehova

[Ibhokisi ekwiphepha 11]

Igama elithi “Yehova” liye laziwa ngokubanzi njengeliligama likaThixo nakuncwadi olungelolwaBhayibhile.

Kwincwadi yakhe yemibongo ethi “Umyezo” uJ. J. R. Jolobe usebenzise igama elithi Yehova kumbongo othi “Umbulelo Nomnqweno.” Kwakhona, imbongi eyaziwa kunene kubantu abantetho isisiXhosa, uS. E. K. Mqhayi, wasebenzisa igama elithi Yehova kumbongo othi “Aa! Zweliyazuza!” okwincwadi yakhe ethi “Inzuzo.”

Ukongezelela, ingoma yeqela eliculayo lomqambi ongumFrentshi uArthur Honegger ethi “King David” ibalaselisa igama elithi Yehova, yaye umbhali ongumFrentshi owaziwayo uVictor Hugo walisebenzisa ngaphezu kwama-30 kwiincwadi zakhe. Yena noLamartine babhala imihobe enomxholo othi “Jehovah.”

Kwincwadi ethi Deutsche Taler (The German Taler), eyapapashwa ngowe-1967 yiFederal Bank yaseJamani, kukho umfanekiso wenye yezona ngqekembe zemali zindala enegama elithi “Jehovah,” eyiReichstaler yowe-1634 esuka kummandla waseSilesia. Ngokubhekisele kumfanekiso welinye icala lale mali, le ncwadi ithi: “Phantsi kwegama eliqaqambileyo elithi YEHOVA, phakathi kwamafu, kuvela ikhaka elinesithsaba ligqunywe ngesambatho somkhosi waseSilesia.”

Kwimyuziyam eseRudolstadt, eMpuma Jamani, unokubona kumqala wesinxibo somkhosi esakha sanxitywa nguGustavus II Adolph, owayengukumkani waseSweden kwinkulungwane ye-17, igama elithi JEHOVAH libhalwe ngoonobumba abakhulu.

Ngaloo ndlela, kangangeenkulungwane igama elithi Yehova beligqalwa zwenibanzi njengeliyindlela yokubiza igama likaThixo, yaye abantu abaliva libizwa kwangoko bayazi ukuba kuthethwa ngabani. Kunjengokuba uNjingalwazi uOehler wathi, “Eli gama ngoku liye laqheleka ngakumbi kwisigama sethu, yaye alinakuthatyathelw’ indawo.”—Theologie des Alten Testaments (Theology of the Old Testament).

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 6]

Inxalenye yomfanekiso oqingqiweyo wesithunywa sezulu esinegama likaThixo, ufunyanwa kwingcwaba likaPopu Clement XIII kwiCawa iSt. Peter, eVatican

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 7]

Iingqekembe zemali ezininzi zenziwa zanegama likaThixo. Le yona, yowe-1661, isuka eNuremberg, eJamani. Amagama esiLatini afundeka ngokuthi: “Ngaphantsi komthunzi wamaphiko akho”

[Imifanekiso ekwiphepha 9]

Kumaxesha adlulayo, igama likaThixo likwimo yamaqabane amane lenziwa inxalenye yezinto ezazihombisa izakhiwo zonqulo ezininzi

ICawa yamaKatolika eFourvière, eLyons, eFransi

ICawa eseBourges, eFransi

ICawa eseLa Celle eDunoise, eFransi

ICawa eseDigne, kumzantsi Fransi

ICawa eseSão Paulo, eBrazil

ICawa yaseStrasbourg, eFransi

ICawa iSaint Mark, eVenice, eItali

[Imifanekiso ekwiphepha 10]

Igama likaYehova njengoko libonakala kwindlu yeemonki eBordesholm, eJamani;

kwingqekembe yemali yaseJamani yowe-1635;

ngaphezu komnyango wecawa eFehmarn, eJamani;

nakwilitye lengcwaba lowe-1845 eHarmannschlag, eMzantsi Ostriya