Ungubani UJehova?
Ipendulo YeBhayibheli
UJehova nguZimu weqiniso oseBhayibhelini, oDale zoke izinto. (IsAmbulo 4:11) Abaphorofidi abafana no-Abrahama, uMosi noJesu bebalotjha uJehova. (Genesisi 24:27; Eksodusi 15:1, 2; Jwanisi 20:17) UnguZimu, ingasi womuntu munye kodwana ‘wephasi loke.’—IRhubo 47:3
UJehova ligama lakaZimu elihlukileko elambulwe eBhayibhelini. (Eksodusi 3:15; IRhubo 83:18) Livela esenzweni sesiHebheru esitjho “ukuba khona,” begodu izazi ezinengi zicabangela ukuthi igameli litjho ukuthi “Ubangela Ukuthi Kube Khona.” Ihlathululo le imfanela kuhle uJehova ngebanga lendimakhe njengoMdali nanjengoMzalisi womnqophwakhe. (Isaya 55:10, 11) IBhayibheli lisisiza simazi kuhle uJehova nobuntu bakhe obuphuma phambili, okulithando.—Eksodusi 34:5-7; Lukasi 6:35; 1 Jwanisi 4:8.
Igama elithi Jehova yitjhugululo yesiNdebele yegama lesiHebheru lakaZimu, okumaledere amane יהוה (YHWH), aziwa ngokuthi yi-Tetragrammaton. Igama elicwengilekweli akwaziwa ukuthi beliphinyiselwa njani ngesiHebheru sekadeni. Nanyana kunjalo, elithi “Jehova” kade lathoma ukusetjenziswa elimini lesiNgisi ngombana lathoma ukuvela etjhugululweni yeBhayibheli ka-William Tyndale yango-1530.a
Kubayini kungaziwa ukuthi igama lakaZimu beliphimiselwa njani ngesiHebheru sekadeni?
IsiHebheru sekadeni besitlolwa kwaphela ngabongwaqa, ingasi abokamisa. UmHebheru nakasifundako bekazifakela yena abokamisa endaweni efaneleko. Nanyana kunjalo, ngemva kokutlolwa nokuqedwa kwemiTlolo yesiHebheru (“iTestamende Elidala”) amanye amaJuda eza nombono ongakafaneli wokuthi akukafaneli kuphinyiselwe igama lakaZimu. Nabafundela phezulu umtlolo ebewunegama lakaZimu, bebalijamiselela ngeziqu ezithi “Kosi” namkha “Zimu.” Ekukhambeni kwesikhathi, umbono ongakafaneli lo warhatjheka begodu abantu abanengi balisa ukuphimisela igama lakaZimu.b
Abanye banomuzwa wokuthi igama elicwengilekweli beliphinyiselwa ngokuthi “Yahweh,” kukulapho abanye banemibono ehlukileko. Umsongo weLwandle Elifileko ophethe ingcenye kaLevitikusi ngesiGirigi utjhugulula igameli ngokuthi Iao. Abatloli bekadeni besiGirigi bacabangela bona beliphinyiselwa ngokuthi Iae, I·a·beʹ, nangokuthi I·a·ou·eʹ, kodwana abukho ubufakazi obuqinisekisa ukuthi beliphinyiselwa njalo ngesiHebheru sekadeni.c
Amala ngegama lakaZimu eBhayibhelini
Amala: Amatjhugululo weBhayibheli asebenzisa igama elithi “Jehova” azifakele lona.
Iqiniso: Igama lesiHebheru elifanekisela igama lakaZimu livela iinkhathi ezizii-7 000 eBhayibhelini nge-Tetragrammaton.d Amatjhugululo weBhayibheli amanengi asuse igama lakaZimu alijamiselela ngesiqu esithi “Kosi” ngaphandle kwamabanga azwakalako.
Amala: UZimu uMninimandla woke, akalitlhogi igama elihlukileko.
Iqiniso: UZimu ngokwakhe waphefumulela abatloli beBhayibheli bona basebenzise igama lakhe iinkhathi ezinengi begodu ufuna nalabo abamlotjhako balisebenzise igama lakhe. (Isaya 42:8; Juweli 2:32; Malaki 3:16; Roma 10:13) Kuhlekuhle, uZimu wabahlulela boke abaphorofidi bamala ebebalinga ukwenza abantu bona bakhohlwe igama lakhe.—Joromiya 23:27.
Amala: Ngokukhambisana nesiko lamaJuda, igama lakaZimu kufuze lisuswe eBhayibhelini.
Iqiniso: Kuliqiniso ukuthi abanye abatloli bamaJuda bebangafuni ukuphimisela igama lakaZimu elicwengileko. Nanyana kunjalo, akhenge balisuse emaBhayibhelinabo. Nanyana ngikuphi, uZimu akafuni silandele amasiko wabantu angavumelani nefundiswakhe.—Matewu 15:1-3.
Amala: Igama elicwengileko lakaZimu akukafaneli lisetjenziswe emaBhayibhelini ngombana akwaziwa bona liphinyiselwa njani ngesiHebheru.
Iqiniso: Indlela le yokucabanga ikhambisana nokuthi uZimu ulindele bona abantu abakhuluma amalimi angafaniko baliphimisele ngendlela efanako igama lakhe. Nanyana kunjalo, iBhayibheli liveza ukuthi abantu ebebalotjha uZimu ekadeni ebebakhuluma amalimi angafaniko bebaphimisela amagama kuhle kodwana ngendlela engafaniko.
Ngokwesibonelo, cabanga ngomahluleli wakwa-Israyeli uJotjhuwa. AmaKrestu wangekhulu lokuthoma ebewakhuluma isiHebheru kungenzeka bekangaliphimisela ngokuthi Yehoh·shuʹaʽ, kuthi labo ebebakhuluma isiGirigi baliphimisele ngokuthi I·e·sousʹ. EBhayibhelini kunegama lakaJotjhuwa lesiHebheru elitjhugululwe ngesiGirigi, okutjengisa bona amaKrestu la bekalandela indlela yelimi lawo yokuphimisela.—IzEnzo 7:45; Hebheru 4:8.
Ikambiso efanako ingasetjenziswa ekutjhugululeni igama elicwengileko lakaZimu. Ukubuyiselwa kwegama lakaZimu endawenalo eBhayibhelini kuqakatheke khulu ukudlula ukuphinyiselwa kwalo.
a U-Tyndale wasebenzisa igama elithi “Iehouah” lokha nakatjhugulula iincwadi zokuthoma ezihlanu zeBhayibheli. Ekukhambeni kwesikhathi, ilimi lesiNgisi latjhuguluka begodu nendlela igama lakaZimu eliphimiselwa ngalo yatjhuguluka. Ngokwesibonelo, ngo-1612, u-Henry Ainsworth wasebenzisa igama elithi “Iehovah” nakatjhugulula incwadi yamaRhubo. Lokha nakabuyekeza itjhugululwakhe ngo-1639, wasebenzisa igama elithi “Jehovah.” Ngendlela efanako, abatjhugululi beBhayibheli i-American Standard Version, eyagadangiswa ngo-1901, basebenzisa igama elithi “Jehovah” la bekunegama lakaZimu emitlolweni yesiHebheru.
b I-New Catholic Encyclopedia, Yesibili, Umqulu 14, amakhasi 883-884, ithi: “Ngemva kokubuya ekuDingisweni, igama elithi Yahweh lathoma ukuqalwa njengelikhethekileko begodu lajanyiselelwa ngelithi ADONAI namkha ELOHIM.”
c Bona ufumane imininingwana engeziweko, funda isithasiselo A4, “Igama LakaZimu EmiTlolweni YesiHebheru,” eBhayibhelini ImiTlolo ECwengileko.
d Funda i-Theological Lexicon of the Old Testament, Umqulu 2, amakhasi 523-524.