IGama LikaThixo ‘NeTestamente Entsha’

INDAWO yegama likaThixo ayinakushukunyiswa kwiZibhalo zesiHebhere, “ITestamente Endala.” Nangona amaYuda ekugqibeleni akuyekayo ukulibiza, iinkolelo zawo zonqulo zawathintela ekulishenxiseni eli gama xa ayekhuphela imibhalo-ngqangi emidala yeBhayibhile. Ngenxa yoko, iZibhalo zesiHebhere zinegama likaThixo izihlandlo ezininzi ngakumbi kunalo naliphi na elinye igama.

Ngokubhekisele kwiZibhalo zamaKristu zesiGrike, “ITestamente Entsha,” imeko yahlukile. Imibhalo-ngqangi yencwadi yeSityhilelo (incwadi yokugqibela yeBhayibhile) inegama likaThixo kwimo eshunqulelweyo ethi, “uYa,” (kwigama elithi “Haleluya”). Kodwa ngaphandle koko, akukho mbhalo-ngqangi wamandulo wesiGrike esinawo namhlanje weencwadi ezisusela kuMateyu ukusa kwiSityhilelo onegama likaThixo ngokupheleleyo. Ngaba oko kuthetha ukuba eli gama alimele libekho apho? Oko bekuya kumangalisa ngenxa yesibakala sokuba abalandeli bakaYesu bakuqonda ukubaluleka kwegama likaThixo, ibe uYesu wasifundisa ukuba sithandazele igama likaThixo lingcwaliswe. Ngoko kwenzeka ntoni?

Ukuze ukuqonde oku, khumbula ukuba imibhalo-ngqangi yeZibhalo zamaKristu zesiGrike esinayo namhlanje asiyiyo eyantlandlolo. Iincwadi zokwenene ezabhalwa nguMateyu, uLuka nabanye ababhali beBhayibhile zasetyenziswa kunene zaza zaguga ngokukhawuleza. Ngenxa yoko, kwenziwa imibhalo ekhutshelweyo, yaye xa loo mibhalo yagugayo, kwenziwa imibhalo engakumbi yaloo mibhalo. Oku koko simele sikulindele, ekubeni imibhalo ngokuqhelekileyo yayisenzelwa ukusetyenziswa, kungekhona ukulondolozwa.

Kukho imibhalo engamawakawaka yeZibhalo zamaKristu zesiGrike ekhoyo namhlanje, kodwa uninzi lwayo yenziwa ebudeni okanye emva kwenkulungwane yesine yeXesha lethu Eliqhelekileyo. Oku kucacisa into eyayinokwenzeka: Ngaba kwenzeka nto ithile kwiZibhalo zamaKristu zesiGrike ngaphambi kwenkulungwane yesine eyaphumela ekushenxisweni kwegama likaThixo? Izibakala zingqina ukuba kukho okuthile okwenzekayo.

Eli Gama Lalikho

Sinokuqiniseka ukuba umpostile uMateyu walibhala igama likaThixo kwiVangeli yakhe. Ngoba? Kungenxa yokuba wayibhala okokuqala ngesiHebhere. Kwinkulungwane yesine, uJerome, owaguqulela iVulgate yesiLatini, wathi: “UMateyu, okwangumLevi, nowayengumbuthi werhafu waza waba ngumpostile, okokuqala wayibhala iVangeli kaKristu kwelakwaYuda ngolwimi lwesiHebhere . . . Into yokuba ngubani na owayiguqulelayo kamva wayisa kwisiGrike ayikaziwa kakuhle. Ngaphezu koko, umbhalo wesiHebhere ulondolozwe ukuza kutsho namhla kwithala leencwadi eliseKesareya.”

Ekubeni uMateyu wabhala ngesiHebhere, ayinakuthelekelelwa into yokuba akazange alisebenzise igama likaThixo, ingakumbi xa wayecaphula kwiindawo ‘zeTestamente Endala’ ezazineli gama. Noko ke, abanye ababhali benxalenye yesibini yeBhayibhile babhalela abantu zwenibanzi ngolwimi olwalusetyenziswa zizizwe ngezizwe ngelo xesha, isiGrike. Ngenxa yoko, abazange bacaphule kwiincwadi zesiHebhere santlandlolo kodwa bacaphula kwiSeptuagint yesiGrike. KwaneVangeli kaMateyu ekugqibeleni yaguqulelwa kwisiGrike. Ngaba igama likaThixo lavela kwezi ncwadi zesiGrike?

Kaloku, iziqwenga ezidala kunene zeSeptuagint Version ezazikho ngomhla kaYesu ziye zalondolozeka ukuza kutsho kumhla wethu, yaye kuyaphawuleka ukuba igama lobuqu likaThixo lalibonakala kuzo. IThe New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology (Umqulu 2, iphepha 512) ithi: “Okuye kwafunyanwa kutshanje kwiincwadi kuyenza ithandabuzeke ingcamango yokuba abaqokeleli beencwadi zeLXX [Septuagint] babaguqulela oonobumba abane YHWH ngokuthi kyrios. (Amaqhekeza) angawona madala emibhalo-ngqangi yeLXX ngoku afumanekayo kuthi anabo aba nobumba bane bebhalwe ngesiHebhere kuncwadi olubhalwe ngesiGrike. Lo mkhwa walondolozwa kamva ngabaguquleli abangamaYuda beTestamente Endala kwinkulungwane yokuqala A.D.” Ngoko ke, enoba uYesu nabafundi bakhe bazifunda iZibhalo ngesiHebhere okanye ngesiGrike, babeya kudibana nalo igama likaThixo.

Ngaloo ndlela, uNjingalwazi uGeorge Howard, weYunivesithi yaseGeorgia, kweloMdibaniso Wamazwana aseMerika, wagqabaza wathi: “Xa iSeptuagint elaliyisebenzisa nelalicaphula kuyo ibandla leTestamente Entsha yayinegama likaThixo ngesiHebhere, ababhali beTestamente Entsha ngokungathandabuzekiyo bababhala oonobumba abane xa babecaphula.” (Biblical Archaeology Review, kaMatshi 1978, iphepha 14) Babenganagunya liphi lokuba benze ngokwahlukileyo koko?

Igama likaThixo lahlala likho kwiinguqulelo zesiGrike ‘zeTestamente Endala’ kangangethuba elide. Kwisiqingatha sokuqala senkulungwane yesibini kwiXesha Eliqhelekileyo, umngeni ebuYudeni onguAquila waziguqulela ngokutsha iZibhalo zesiHebhere ezisa kwisiGrike, yaye kule nguqulelo walibhala igama likaThixo ngoonobumba abane ababhalwe ngesiHebhere samandulo. Kwinkulungwane yesithathu, uOrigen wabhala wathi: “Yaye kweyona mibhalo-ngqangi ichanileyo ELI GAMA libonakala ngoonobumba besiHebhere, kanti kungekhona [ngoonobumba] besiHebhere sanamhla, kodwa libonakala ngoonobumba abangabona bakudala.”

Kwanakwinkulungwane yesine, uJerome wabhala oku kwintshayelelo yakhe kwincwadi kaSamuweli neyooKumkani: “Yaye siyalifumana igama likaThixo, elingoonobumba abane [יהוה], kwimiqulu ethile yesiGrike kwananamhla libhalwe ngoonobumba bamandulo.”

Ukushenxiswa Kweli Gama

Phofu ke, ngeli xesha, uwexuko olwaxelwa kwangaphambili nguYesu lwalusele luqalisile, yaye eli gama, nangona lalibonakala kwimibhalo-ngqangi, lalingasetyenziswa kakhulu noko. (Mateyu 13:24-30; IZenzo 20:29, 30) Ekugqibeleni, abafundi abaninzi abazange baliqonde nokuliqonda ukuba laliyintoni na yaye uJerome uthi ngexesha lakhe “abathile ababengazi nto, ngenxa yokufana kwaba nobumba, xa babefumana [aba nobumba bane] kwiincwadi zesiGrike, babeqhele ukubafunda ngokuthi ΠΙΠΙ.”

Kwimibhalo yamva yeSeptuagint, igama likaThixo lashenxiswa kwaza kwathi endaweni yalo kwafakelwa amagama anjengelithi “Thixo” (The·osʹ) nelithi “Nkosi” (Kyʹri·os). Siyazi ukuba oku kwenzeka kuba sineziqwenga zangaphambili zeSeptuagint apho igama likaThixo lalikho nemibhalo yamva yezo nxalenye zikwanye zeSeptuagint apho igama likaThixo laye lasuswa khona.

Into efanayo yenzeka ‘kwiTestamente Entsha,’ okanye kwiZibhalo zamaKristu zesiGrike. UNjingalwazi George Howard uhlabela mgama athi: “Xa igama likaThixo ngesiHebhere lasuswayo kuba kukhethwa awesiGrike kwiSeptuagint, lasuswa kwanakwizicatshulwa zeTestamente Entsha zeSeptuagint. . . . Kungekudala igama likaThixo lalahleka kwicawa yeeNtlanga ngaphandle nje kwaxa lalibonakaliswe zizishunqulelo ezilithabathel’ indawo okanye likhunjulwa ngabaphandi.”

Ngenxa yoko, ngoxa amaYuda akwalayo ukulibiza igama likaThixo, icawa yamaKristu awexukileyo yalishenxisa ngokupheleleyo kwimibhalo-ngqangi yolwimi lwesiGrike yazo zombini iinxalenye zeBhayibhile, kwanakwiiBhayibhile zezinye iilwimi.

Ukufuneka Kweli Gama

Ekugqibeleni, njengoko sibonile ngaphambili, eli gama labuyiselwa kwiinguqulelo ezininzi zeZibhalo zesiHebhere. Kodwa kuthekani ngeZibhalo zesiGrike? Kaloku, abaguquleli nabafundi beBhayibhile baqonda ukuba ngaphandle kwegama likaThixo, zimbi iinxalenye zeZibhalo zamaKristu zesiGrike kunzima gqitha ukuziqonda ngokufanelekileyo. Ukubuyisela eli gama kuluncedo olukhulu ekwandiseni ukucaca nokuqondakala kwale nxalenye yeBhayibhile ephefumlelweyo.

Ngokomzekelo, qwalasela amazwi kaPawulos kumaRoma, njengoko ebonakala kwiBhayibhile yesiXhosa: “Kuba bonke abasukuba belinqula igama leNkosi bosindiswa.” (Roma 10:13) Ligama likabani esimele silinqule ukuze sisindiswe? Ekubeni uYesu kudla ngokuthethwa ngaye ‘njengeNkosi’ ibe esinye isibhalo side sithi: “Kholwa kuyo iNkosi uYesu Kristu, wosindiswa,” ngaba simele sigqibe kwelokuba uPawulos apha wayethetha ngoYesu?—IZenzo 16:31.

Hayi, asimele sigqibe kwelo. Imbekiselo eseludinini kumaRoma 10:13 kwiAuthorized Version yalatha kuYoweli 2:32 kwiZibhalo zesiHebhere. Ukuba ukhangela loo mbekiselo, uya kufumanisa ukuba uPawulos ngenene wayecaphula amazwi kaYoweli kwincwadi yakhe eya kumaRoma; yaye naku okwathethwa nguYoweli ngesiHebhere santlandlolo: “Bothi bonke abasukuba benqula igama likaYehova, basinde.” Ewe, uPawulos apha wayethetha ukuba simele sinqule igama likaYehova. Ngenxa yoko, ngoxa kufuneka sikholelwe kuYesu, ukusindiswa kwethu kunxulumene ngokusondeleyo nokulixabisa ngokufanelekileyo igama likaThixo.

Lo mzekelo ubonisa indlela ukushenxiswa kwegama likaThixo kwiZibhalo zesiGrike okuye kwafak’ isandla ngayo ekuphixaniseni kwabantu abaninzi uYesu noYehova. Ngokungathandabuzekiyo, kufake isandla ngokumandla ekuveleni kwemfundiso kaBathathu Emnye!

Ngaba Eli Gama Limele Libuyiselwe?

Ngaba umguquleli ebenganalo naliphi na ilungelo lokulibuyisela eli gama, phezu kwaso nje isibakala sokuba imibhalo-ngqangi ekhoyo ingenalo? Ewe, ebenganalo elo lungelo. Izichazi-magama zesiGrike ezininzi ziyavuma ukuba ngokufuthi igama elithi “Nkosi” eBhayibhileni libhekisela kuYehova. Ngokomzekelo, kwicandelo layo phantsi kwegama lesiGrike elithi Kyʹri·os (“Nkosi”), iA Greek and English Lexicon of the New Testament kaRobinson (eyashicilelwa ngowe-1859) ithi lithetha “uThixo njengeNkosi Ephakamileyo nomongami wendalo iphela, ngokuqhelekileyo kwiSeptuagint endaweni yegama lesiHebhere elileli יְהוָֹה Yehova.” Ngenxa yoko, kwiindawo apho ababhali beZibhalo zamaKristu zesiGrike becaphula iZibhalo zesiHebhere zangaphambili, umguquleli unelungelo lokubhala igama elithi Kyʹri·os ngokuthi “Yehova” naphi na apho igama likaThixo lalibonakala khona kwisiHebhere santlandlolo.

Abaguquleli abaninzi bakwenzile oku. Ukususela ubuncinane kwinkulungwane ye-14, kwenziwa iinguqulelo zesiHebhere eziliqela zisuswa kwiZibhalo zamaKristu zesiGrike. Benza ntoni abaguquleli xa babefika kwizicatshulwa ezivela ‘kwiTestamente Endala’ apho igama likaThixo lalibonakala khona? Ngokufuthi, bavakalelwa benyanzelekile ukuba balibuyisele igama likaThixo. Iinguqulelo ezininzi zeenxalenye ezithile okanye zazo zonke iZibhalo zamaKristu zesiGrike zisiwa kwisiHebhere zinalo igama likaThixo.

Iinguqulelo zeelwimi zale mihla, ingakumbi ezo zazisetyenziswa ngabavangeli, zawulandela lo mzekelo. Ngaloo ndlela iinguqulelo ezininzi zeelwimi zaseAfrika, zaseAshiya, zaseMerika nezeziqithi zePasifiki zeZibhalo zesiGrike zilisebenzisa ngokukhululekileyo igama likaYehova, kangangokuba abafundi banokuwubona ngokucacileyo umahluko phakathi koThixo oyinyaniso nabobuxoki. Eli gama liye lavela kwanakwiinguqulelo zeelwimi zaseYurophu.

Enye inguqulelo ebuyisela igama likaThixo ngokungenaloyiko nangegunya elifanelekileyo yiNew World Translation of the Christian Greek Scriptures. Le nguqulelo, ngoku efumaneka ngeelwimi zale mihla ezili-13, ilibuyisele igama likaThixo sihlandlo ngasinye inxalenye yeZibhalo zesiHebhere enalo icatshulwa kwiZibhalo zesiGrike. Ngezizathu ezivakalayo eli gama libonakala izihlandlo ezingama-237 kuloo nguqulelo yeZibhalo zesiGrike.

Ukuchaswa Kweli Gama

Phezu kwayo nje imigudu yabaguquleli abaninzi yokubuyisela igama likaThixo eBhayibhileni, unqulo belusoloko lucinezelela ukuba lishenxiswe. AmaYuda, ngoxa ebeliyeka likho eBhayibhileni yawo, ayengakuvumi ukulibiza. AmaKristu awexukileyo enkulungwane yesibini neyesithathu alishenxisa ngoxa ayesenza imibhalo-ngqangi yeBhayibhile yesiGrike aza awalibhala ngoxa ayesenza iinguqulelo zeBhayibhile. Abaguquleli kumaxesha anamhla baye balishenxisa, kwanaxa iinguqulelo zabo babezisekela kwisiHebhere samandulo, apho libonakala malunga nezihlandlo ezingama-7 000. (Libonakala izihlandlo ezingama-6 973 kwizibhalo zesiHebhere zeNew World Translation of the Holy Scriptures, uhlelo lowe-1984.)

UYehova ubajonga njani abo bashenxisa igama lakhe eBhayibhileni? Ukuba ubungumbhali, ubuya kuvakalelwa njani ngomntu oye wagabadela ngokude ashenxise igama lakho kwincwadi oyibhalileyo? Abaguquleli abalichasayo eli gama, bekwenza oko ngenxa yeengxaki ezingendlela elimele libizwe ngayo okanye ngenxa yesithethe samaYuda, banokuthelekiswa nabo uYesu wathi kubo “bahluza imbuzane, ke baginye inkamela.” (Mateyu 23:24) Bakhutyekiswa zezi ngxaki zincinane kodwa bagqibele ngokudala ingxaki enkulu—ngokushenxisa igama loyena mntu mkhulu kwindalo iphela kwincwadi awayiphefumlelayo.

Umdumisi wabhala wathi: “Kunini na, Thixo, umbandezeli engcikiva? Utshaba luhleli luligiba igama lakho?”—INdumiso 74:10.

[Ibhokisi ekwiphepha 25]

Ngaba Igama Elithi “INKOSI”—Linto-nye Nelithi “Yehova”?

Ukushenxisa igama elicacileyo nelilelobuqu likaThixo eBhayibhileni kuze kufakwe isibizo esinjengesithi “Nkosi” okanye “Thixo” kuyenza indinyana ingabi yenamandla yaye ingafaneleki ngeendlela ezininzi. Ngokomzekelo, kunokukhokelela ekuhlanganisweni kwamagama okungenantsingiselo. Kwintshayelelo yayo, iThe Jerusalem Bible ithi: “Ukuthi, ‘iNkosi nguThixo’ ngokuqinisekileyo kukuphindaphinda okungeyomfuneko, kanti ukuthi ‘uYahweh nguThixo’ asikuko.”

Ukuzitshintsha ngolo hlobo ezi zibizo kukwanokukhokelela kumabinzana axakayo. Ngaloo ndlela kwiAuthorized Version, INdumiso 8:9 ifundeka ngokuthi: “Kowu NKOSI Nkosi yethu, hayi ukubalasela kwegama lakho emhlabeni wonke!” Hayi indlela enokuvakala ngayo kakuhle le ndinyana xa igama likaYehova libuyiselwe kuyo! Ngaloo ndlela, iYoung’s Literal Translation of the Holy Bible apha ifundeka ngokuthi: “Yehova, Nkosi yethu, hayi ukuhlonipheka kwegama Lakho emhlabeni wonke!”

Ukulishenxisa eli gama kukwanokukhokelela kudideko. INdumiso 110:1 ithi: “INKOSI yathi kwiNkosi yam, Hlala ngasekunene kwam, ndide iintshaba zakho ndizenze isitulo seenyawo zakho.” (Authorized Version) Ngubani othethayo ethetha nabani? Hayi indlela ekulunge ngakumbi ngayo ukubhala oku ngokuthi: “Utsho uYehova eNkosini yam ukuthi, Hlala ngasekunene kwam, ndide iintshaba zakho ndizenze isitulo seenyawo zakho.”—IBhayibhile yesiXhosa.

Ukongezelela, ukubhala ngokuthi “Nkosi” endaweni yesibizo esithi “Yehova” kushenxisa into ebaluleke kakhulu eBhayibhileni: igama lobuqu likaThixo. IThe Illustrated Bible Dictionary (Umqulu 1, iphepha 572) ithi: “Xa sithetha ngokungqalileyo, uYahweh kuphela ‘kwegama’ likaThixo.”

IThe Imperial Bible-Dictionary (Umqulu 1, iphepha 856) ichaza umahluko phakathi kwegama elithi “Thixo” (Elohim) nelithi “Yehova,” isithi: “[uYehova] naphi na uligama lokwenene, elichaza uThixo ongumntu ibe lichaza yena kuphela; ngoxa uElohim eneempawu zokuba sisibizo nje, echaza ngokuqhelekileyo nangokwenene, Ophakamileyo, kodwa kungenjalo ngokuyimfuneko nakwiimeko zonke.”

UJ. A. Motyer, inqununu yeTrinity College, eNgilani, wongezelela athi: “Silahlekelwa kokukhulu xa sifunda iBhayibhile ukuba siyakulibala ukukhangela ngaphaya kwegama elifakiweyo [uNkosi okanye uThixo] sibone igama likaThixo lobuqu. Ngokuxelela abantu igama lakhe, uThixo wayenenjongo yokubatyhilela obona buntu bakhe.”—Eerdmans’ Handbook to the Bible, iphepha 157.

Hayi, ubani akanakubhala isibizo nje endaweni yegama lokoqobo nelicacileyo. Isibizo nje asinakuze sidlulisele ingcamango ezeleyo netyebileyo yegama likaThixo lantlandlolo.

[Ibhokisi/Imifanekiso ekwiphepha 26]

Esi siqwengana seSeptuagint (singasekunene) esisusela kwinkulungwane yokuqala yeXesha Eliqhelekileyo nesinoZekariya 8:19-21 nesesi-8:23–9:4 sikwiMyuziyam yakwaSirayeli eYerusalem. Sinegama likaThixo kwiindawo ezine, ezintathu zibonisiwe apha. KuMbhalo-ngqangi waseAlexandria (ekhohlo), ongumbhalo weSeptuagint owenziwa kwiminyaka engama-400 kamva, igama likaThixo liye lathatyathelw’ indawo kwakwezo ndinyana zinye nguKY noKC, izishunqulelo zegama lesiGrike elithi Kyʹri·os (“Nkosi”)

[Ibhokisi ekwiphepha 27]

UJohn W. Davis, umvangeli waseTshayina ebudeni benkulungwane ye-19 wachaza isizathu sokuba wayekholelwa kwelokuba igama likaThixo limele libekho eBhayibhileni: “Ukuba uMoya Oyingcwele uthi Yehova ngesiHebhere kuyo nayiphi na indawo, kutheni le nto umguquleli angathi Yehova ngesiNgesi okanye ngesiTshayina? Unalungelo lini na lokuba athi, Ndiya kusebenzisa uYehova kule ndawo ndisebenzise gama limbi kuleya? . . . Ukuba nabani na angathi kukho imeko apho ukusetyenziswa kwegama elithi Yehova bekuya kuphosakala, makavelise isizathu; ionus probandi [uxanduva lokuvelisa ubungqina] luphezu kwakhe. Uya kuwufumana unzima lo msebenzi, kuba umele aphendule lo mbuzo ulula,—Ukuba nakuyiphi na imeko kuphosakele ukusebenzisa igama elithi Yehova kwiinguqulelo, ngoko kwakutheni ukuze ababhali abaphefumlelweyo balisebenzise kwiincwadi zantlandlolo?”—The Chinese Recorder and Missionary Journal, Umqulu VII, Shanghai, 1876.

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 23]

INew World Translation of the Christian Greek Scriptures ngokufanelekileyo isebenzisa igama likaThixo izihlandlo ezingama-237

[Imifanekiso ekwiphepha 24]

Igama likaThixo kwicawa eMinorca, eSpeyin;

kumfanekiso oqingqiweyo ngaseParis, eFransi;

nakwiChiesa di San Lorenzo, eParma, eItali