Ingabe Kumelwe Lisetshenziswe LeliGama?
ABANTU abaningi bakuthola kungelula ukusebenzisa igama likaNkulunkulu elingcwele. AmaJuda azinikele enkolweni yawo ayalibona leligama emaBhayibhelini awo, kodwa anomuzwa wokuthi akufanele libizwe. Abaningi abanye abantu benkolo bayangabaza ukulisebenzisa.
Nokho, sonke isizwe sakwaIsrayeli sake samuzwa uNkulunkulu ebiza igama lakhe. Balizwa liphinyiselwa ngokuqondile. ENtabeni yaseSinayi balizwa izikhathi eziyisishiyagalombili eMazwini Ayishumi, noma iMiyalo Eyishumi, leyo abayizwa ikhulunywa ivela ezulwini.—Eksodusi 20:2-17.
Uma umhumushi weBhayibheli lakho asebenzisa igama likaNkulunkulu lapho livela khona esiHeberwini sakuqala, uyobona ukuthi leyomiyalo iqala ngalenkulumo: “NginguJehova uNkulunkulu wakho owakukhipha ezweni laseGibithe, indlu yobugqili. Ungabi-nabanye onkulunkulu ngaphandle kwami.” IThe Living Bible ihumusha lokhu: “NginguJehova uNkulunkulu wakho, . . . Ungakhulekeli abanye onkulunkulu ngaphandle kwami.” (Eksodusi 20:2, 3) Uma abahumushi beBhayibheli lakho bengalisebenzisanga igama likaNkulunkulu, kungenzeka basebenzise igama elithi “NKOSI” elibhalwe ngonobumbakazi ukubonisa ukuthi leliGama liyavela engxenyeni yakuqala yombhalo.
Akukho lutho emiBhalweni oluthi leligama akufanele lisetshenziswe. UNkulunkulu wathi lingaphathwa “ngeze” noma “ngendlela eyize” igama lakhe. Kodwa lokho akusho ukuthi akufanele silisebenzise leligama. Kunalokho, kusho ukuthi izinceku zikaJehova akufanele zenze izinto ezihlazisa igama lakhe.—Eksodusi 20:7.
UMose, owasetshenziswa ukuqopha lomyalo eBhayibhelini, akazange akuqonde ngokuthi kusho ukuthi igama likaNkulunkulu akufanele lisetshenzisiswe, ngoba lelogama walibhala izikhathi ezingamakhulu kuyiPentateuch, imibhalo emihlanu yokuqala yeBhayibheli. Kunokungalisebenzisi leligama, uMose wathi: “Yizwa, Israyeli: uJehova uNkulunkulu wethu, uJehova munye; wothanda uJehova uNkulunkulu wakho ngayo yonke inhliziyo yakho, nangawo wonke umphefumulo wakho, nangawo onke amandla akho.”—Duteronomi 6:4, 5.
IBhayibheli alibonisi ukuthi leligama lagcinwa lifihliwe noma lingaphinyiselwa. Kunalokho, libonisa ukuthi ngaphezu kwamakhulu amaningi eminyaka lalisetshenziswa ngokuvamile. IBhayibheli licaphuna uEva njengowalisebenzisa. (Genesise 4:1) UMose uthi uAbrahama olungileyo walisebenzisa, ethi uAbrahama wabiza “egameni likaJehova uNkulunkulu ongunaphakade,” nakuba leloqiniso lifihliwe ezinguqulweni eziningi zamaBhayibheli zanamuhla.—Genesise 21:33.
UAbrahama walisebenzisa igama likaJehova ekukhulumeni nenkosi yaseSodoma. USara walisebenzisa lapho exoxa noAbrahama. Inceku ka-Abrahama yayilisebenzisa njalo. UJakobe, umkakhe uRaheli noyise, uLabani, bonke balisebenzisa igama likaNkulunkulu.—Genesise 14:22; 16:2; 24:35, 42, 44; 28:16; 30:24, 27, 30.
UMose wayeyalwe ukuba alisebenzise igama likaNkulunkulu. UMose noAroni balisebenzisa lapho bekhuluma noFaro ongakholwa, futhi noFaro walisebenzisa ekubaphenduleni. Wathi: “Ungubani uJehova ukuba ngilalele izwi lakhe, ngimyeke uIsrayeli ahambe na?”—Eksodusi 5:1-3; 3:15.
Emakhulwini eminyaka kamuva abantu babesalokhu bengalicabangeli igama likaJehova njengelingenakubizwa. Balisebenzisa ekukhulumeni noSamuweli, naye futhi walisebenzisa ekubaphenduleni. (1 Samuweli 12:9, 20) INkosi elungileyo uDavide wahlabelela ngalo obala, ethi: “Ngiyakushumayeza abafowethu igama lakho, ngikudumise phakathi kwebandla. Nina enesaba uJehova, mbongeni.”—IHubo 22:22, 23.
Umprofethi omkhulu uIsaya akazange acabange ukuthi leligama kufanele linganakwa. Walisebenzisa izikhathi ezingaphezu kwama-400 encwadini yeBhayibheli ebizwa ngegama lakhe.
UIsaya akazange atshele abafundi bakhe abangamaJuda ukuthi bangalisebenzisi igama likaNkulunkulu. Kunalokho, wathi: “Bongani uJehova, nibize igama lakhe, nizazise izenzo zakhe phakathi kwezizwe, nimemezele ukuthi igama lakhe liphakeme. Hlabelelani kuJehova, ngokuba wenzile izenzo ezinkulu. Lokhu makwazeke emhlabeni wonke.”—Isaya 12:4, 5.
Ingabe kukhona kulokhu okuzwakala njengokungathi leligama elikhulu kwakufanele lingasetshenziswa? kufakwe amanye amagama esikhundleni salo? Abahumushi abaye bakhipha igama likaNkulunkulu encwadini yakhe ngokusobala abanakho ukwazisa ngaleligama, lokho uAbrahama owesaba uNkulunkulu, uSara, uJakobe, uMose, uAroni, uSamuweli, uDavide nolsaka ababa nakho.
Abaprofethi bamuva nabo abazange balifihle leligama, belicabangela njengelingcwele kakhulu ukuba lisetshenziswe noma babe nomuzwa wokuthi abalobi bakuqala benza iphutha futhi bacabange ukuthi kufanele kufakwe amanye esikhundleni saleligama. Isigijimi sabo sasigcwaliswe amazwi afana nalawa: “Yizwa izwi likaJehova.” “Usho kanje uJehovaSebawoti, uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli,” “Isho kanje iNkosi uJehova.”—Jeremiya 2:4; 19:15; Hezekeli 21:28.
Futhi ukusetshenziswa kwaleligama kwakungenakugodlwa ezindabeni zenkolo. Lalingasetshenziswa abafundisi kuphela, kodwa nabantu abavamile babelisebenzisa igama likaNkulunkulu ezingxoxweni ezivamile. IBhayibheli lithi uBowazi wathi ezisebenzini zensimu yakhe: “UJehova makabe-nani.” Zona zaphendula zathi: “UJehova makakubusise.”—Ruthe 2:4.
Abavubukuli baye bathola isiqinisekiso sezinkulumo zeBhayibheli sokuthi abantu balisebenzisa leligama. Ngawo-1930 bathola iziNcwadi ZaseLakishi, izingcezu zezitsha zobumba ezihlehlela emuva ekunqotshweni kweBabiloni ekhulwini lesikhombisa B.C.E. Lezo ngokuphindaphindiwe zisebenzisa amazwi anjengokuthi: “Kwangathi u-YHWH [Yahweh, noma Jehova] angenza ukuba inkosi yami izwe ngalolusuku izindaba ezinhle!”
Ngisho nabangewona amaIsrayeli balazi futhi balisebenzisa igama likaNkulunkulu. AbaseGibeyoni batshela uJoshuwa: “Izinceku zakho zivela ezweni elikude kakhulu ngenxa yegama likaJehova uNkulunkulu wakho, ngokuba siluzwile udumo lwakhe, nakho konke akwenzayo eGibithe.” (Joshuwa 9:9) Ekhulwini leshumi ngaphambi kweSikhathi Sethu Esivamile, isitha sikaIsrayeli uMesha, inkosi yakwaMowabi, wayenegama elalilotshwe eTsheni lakwaMowabi, elavubukulwa ngo-1868 futhi manje libekwe emyuziyamu waseLouvre eParis.
Lamaqiniso akufanele amangaze. Kunokusikisela ukuthi leli kwakuyigama langasese, eliyimfihlo okwakungafanele lisetshenziswe, uMose wayetshele abantu: “Bonke abantu bomhlaba bayakubona ukuthi ubiziwe ngegama likaJehova, bakwesabe.” (Duteronomi 28:10) Kwakuyokwenzeka kanjani lokho uma ngisho nabakhulekeli bakaJehova babengalisebenzisi igama lakhe?
Kunokuba libe elingakhulumeki, leligama lalidunyiswa, lithandwa, futhi lihlonishwa. Lalisetshenziswa ekuqambeni izindawo, ngisho nasekuqambeni abantu. UAbrahama wabiza indawo ayeyonikela kuyo ulsaka ngokuthi “uJehova uyabonelela.” (Genesise 22:14) Amagama alandelayo angamanye amagama adumile eBhayibheli ancazelo yawo ihlanganisa uJehova, noma uJah, isimo esifushanisiwe segama likaJehova: UHezekiya, uIsaya, uJosaya, uNehemiya, uObadiya, uZakariya noZefaniya. Abantu basebenzisa igama likaNkulunkulu ngisho ekuqambeni abantwana namuhla. Empeleni, igama likaNkulunkulu elimangalisayo kungenzeka lihlanganisiwe egameni lakho! Ingabe ukhona omaziyo obizwa ngokuthi uJoel? Igama lakhe lisho ukuthi, “uJehova unguNkulunkulu.” Kuthiwani ngoJonathan? Lisho ukuthi, “uJehova uphile,” uJoshuwa usho ukuthi, “uJehovauyinsindiso.” Futhi noma ngubani onegama elivamile elithi John unegama elisho ukuthi, “uJehova ube-nomusa.”
Ngakho-ke naphezu kwenkolelo yabantu abathile yokuthi igama likaNkulunkulu lingcwele kakhulu ukuba libizwe, nabanye bethi kufanele linganakwa, ayikho indlela yokulikhipha eBhayibhelini. Lihlanganisiwe kuwo wonke lamagama eBhayibheli lawo ayesetshenziswa phakathi namakhulu amaningi eminyaka kangangokuthi abantu babengazi nje kuphela igama likaNkulunkulu elingcwele uJEHOVA kodwa babelisebenzisa ekukhulekeleni, nasezingxoxweni ezivamile.
Kodwa kuthiwani ngemiBhalo yamaKristu, ngokuvamile ebizwa ngokuthi iTestamente Elisha? Igama elithi Jehova lihlanganisiwe egameni likaJesu noJohane, kanye nasegameni elithi “Haleluya,” kodwa kungani lingaveli ngokuvamile? Impendulo kulombuzo obalulekile kuxoxwa ngayo ngokulandelayo.
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Liphinyiselwa Kanjani Leligama?
Ngokuyeka kwenkolo ukulisebenzisa, ukuphinyiselwa kwakuqala kwegama lesiHeberu יהוה kuye kwalahleka. Ezinye izazi zakhetha ukuthi “Yahweh” kodwa ayikho indlela yokwazi ukuthi ikuphi ukuphimisela okuqondile.
Nokho, amagama ngokuvamile aphinyiselwa ngezindlela ezihlukene ezilimini ezihlukene. NgesiZulu sibiza umKristu wokuqala owafel’ ukholo ngokuthi uStefanu, kodwa amaFulentshi ambiza ngokuthi uÉtienne. UJesu wayebizwa ngokuthi Ye·shuʹaʽ, noma Yehohshuʹaʽ, ngesiHeberu, I·e·sousʹ ngesiGreki.
Iqiniso lokuthi igama likaJesu—noma igama lanoma imuphi omunye umuntu—asiliphimiseli ngokuthe ngqó ngendlela elaliphinyiselwa ngayo ngolimi lwakuqala alisenzi siyeke ukusebenzisa lelogama. Simane silisho ngendlela elibizeka ngayo ngolimi lwethu.
Khona-ke incwadi i“Aid to Bible Understanding” ithi: “Njengoba ukuqiniseka kokuphinyiselwa manje kungatholakali, kubonakala singekho isizathu sokulahla indlela yesiNgisi eyaziwa kakhulu ethi ‘Jehovah’ ngokusekela okunye ukusikisela okuthile kokuphimisela. . . . NgesiNgisi igama elithi ‘Jehovah’ libonakalisa uNkulunkulu weqiniso, lidlulisela lomqondo ngendlela eyanelisa kakhulu namuhla kunanoma imaphi amanye okusikiselwa ukuba asetshenziswe esikhundleni salo.”—Ikhasi 885.
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UNKULUNKULU BAMBIZA NGEGAMA
UAbrahama
USara
URaheli
UDavide
USamuweli