Indlela Igama LikaNkulunkulu Elenziwe Laziwa Ngayo

UMHUBI weBhayibheli uDavide wahlabelela: “Ngizodumisa igama likaNkulunkulu ngengoma.” UDavide wayelazi igama likaNkulunkulu, futhi wahlabelela ekhuthaza: “Makatuswe uJehova . . . Malituswe igama lakhe elikhazimulayo.” (IHubo 69:30; 72:18, 19) Igama likaNkulunkulu elivame ukusetshenziswa olimini lwesiZulu lithi Jehova, elihunyushwe kwelesiHebheru elithi יהוה, elivela izikhathi ezingaba ngu-7 000 eBhayibhelini.

Emakhulwini eminyaka amuva igama likaNkulunkulu liye lasetshenziswa ezindaweni eziningi ngaphandle kwaseBhayibhelini. Ngokwesibonelo, amagama esiLatini athi Benedictus Sit Iehova Deus, asho ukuthi “Kwangathi UJehova UNkulunkulu Angadunyiswa,” atholakala ezinhlamvwini zemali zegolide ezazenziwa eSwitzerland iminyaka eminingi [1]. Empeleni, phakathi nala makhulu eminyaka ambalwa adlule, igama likaNkulunkulu ngesiHebheru nangesiLatini liye lavela cishe ezinhlotsheni ezihlukahlukene zezinhlamvu zemali nasezindondweni.

Yini eyaholela ekusetshenzisweni kabanzi kangaka kwaleli gama laphezulu, izibonelo zalokho ezingabonakala kula makhasi?

Kungani Kwasetshenziswa Igama LikaNkulunkulu?

Kusukela ngekhulu le-16, kwagqashuka izimpi zenkolo phakathi kwamaRoma Katolika nabalweli beziNguquko abangamaProthestani kulo lonke elaseNtshonalanga Yurophu. Izifunda ezimbalwa zaseSpain zalihlubuka iSonto LamaRoma Katolika, elaliyisonto elivelele, zakhetha ukuzihlanganisa neSonto Labalweli BeziNguquko. Lokhu kwaholela empini yombango engokwenkolo. Izinhlamvu zemali nezithombe ezikuzo zazisetshenziselwa ukudlulisela umyalezo wokuthi uNkulunkulu usekela zombili izinhlangothi.

Indlela Elasetshenziswa Ngayo Igama Laphezulu

Abaqophi bezinhlamvu zemali babebhala igama likaNkulunkulu, elithi Jehova, ngezinhlamvu ezine zesiHebheru ezaziwa ngokuthi i-Tetragrammaton. Zahunyushelwa esiNgisini ngokuthi JHVH noma YHWH. Ngokuvamile, abaqophi bezinhlamvu zemali nabantu nje abavamile babekwazi ukufunda isiHebheru. Ngakho lapho i-Tetragrammaton ishicilelwa ngokuphindaphindiwe, lezi zinhlamvu ezine zesiHebheru zegama likaNkulunkulu zazibhalwa ngezindlela ezihlukahlukene.

ISweden yenza uhlamvu lwemali olunegama likaNkulunkulu cishe ngonyaka ka-1568 [2], kanti elaseScotland lenza okufanayo cishe ngo-1591. Cishe ngo-1600, inkosi yaseSweden uCharles IX yabhala igama likaNkulunkulu emalini—elalipelwa ngezindlela ezihlukahlukene ngokuthi Ihehova, Iehova, nokuthi Iehovah [3]. Yayala ukuba uhlamvu olulodwa lwemali lwenziwe ngegolide—lwaba ucezu lwekhethelo olwalubiza iholo lezinyanga ezine lesisebenzi esivamile!

Kunezinhlamvu zemali ezingaphezu kuka-60 ezinegama likaJehova ezazaziwa kusukela ngesikhathi sikaChristian IV, inkosi yaseDenmark naseNorway, owabusa kusukela ngo-1588 kuya ku-1648. Maphakathi nekhulu le-17, “izinhlamvu zemali zikaJehova” zenziwa nasePoland naseSwitzerland, futhi zaqala ukwenziwa naseJalimane.

Phakathi neMpi Yeminyaka Engamashumi Amathathu, eyalwiwa eYurophu kusukela ngo-1618 kuya ku-1648 futhi eyaqala iyimpi yenkolo, lezi zinhlamvu zanda. Ngemva kokunqoba eMpini YaseBreitenfeld ngo-1631, inkosi yaseSweden uGustav II Adolph yayala ukuba kwenziwe izinhlamvu zemali ezazine-Tetragrammaton [4]. Lezi zinhlamvu zakhiqizwa emadolobheni anjenge-Erfurt, Fürth, Mainz, neWürzburg. Cishe ngesikhathi esifanayo, izifunda ezazizihlanganise neSweden nazo zaqala ukwenza izinhlamvu zemali ezinegama likaNkulunkulu.

Phakathi neminyaka engaba ngu-150 ngemva kokuphela kwale Mpi Yeminyaka Engamashumi Amathathu eyayisabeka, igama likaNkulunkulu laqhubeka liqoshwa ezinhlamvwini zemali nasezindondweni. Phakathi kwamanye amazwe ayenza lezi zinhlamvu kubalwa ne-Austria, iFrance, iMexico neRussia. Kodwa ekuqaleni kwekhulu le-18, kwaya ngokuya kuncipha ukusetshenziswa kwegama likaNkulunkulu ngaleyo ndlela. Ekugcineni, lanyamalala cishe ngokuphelele ezigxivizweni.

Ukwenza Igama LikaNkulunkulu Laziwe

Nakuba igama likaNkulunkulu lingase lingatholakali emalini esetshenziswa namuhla, limenyezelwa kakhulu kunanini ngaphambili. Esikhathini eside esidlule, uNkulunkulu wakhetha abantu ababezomkhonza wayesethi kubo: “Ningofakazi bami, . . . mina nginguNkulunkulu.” (Isaya 43:12) Alukho uhlamvu lwemali olungafeza leyo ndima ebalulekile. Empeleni, labo ababeqopha igama likaNkulunkulu ezinhlamvwini zabo zemali babenikeza ubufakazi obungamanga ngaye, ngoba babethi uyabasekela ezimpini ezinonya. Kodwa namuhla kunabantu abathile abenza igama likaNkulunkulu laziwe ngendlela eyamukelekayo kuye.

OFakazi BakaJehova bakukhuthaza ukuba ufunde okwengeziwe ngoNkulunkulu weqiniso, uJehova, nangalokho okumelelwa yigama lakhe. Ngaye, umhubi weBhayibheli wabhala: “Ukuze abantu bazi ukuthi wena, ogama lakho linguJehova, wena wedwa ungoPhezukonke emhlabeni wonke.” (IHubo 83:18) Ulwazi ngoJehova lubalulekile, njengoba kwembula iNdodana yakhe lapho ithandaza: “Lokhu kusho ukuphila okuphakade, ukungenisa kwabo ulwazi ngawe, owukuphela kukaNkulunkulu weqiniso, nangalowo omthumileyo, uJesu Kristu.”—Johane 17:3.

[Isithombe ekhasini 20, 21]

Amathuluzi omqophi okwenza izinhlamvu zemali

[Imithombo Yezithombe ekhasini 20]

Coin 1 and tools: Hans-Peter-Marquardt.net; coin 2: Mit freundlicher Genehmigung Sammlung Julius Hagander

[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 21]

Coins 3 and 4: Mit freundlicher Genehmigung Sammlung Julius Hagander