Inguqulelo YeBhayibhile Eyaguqula Ihlabathi

Xa umprofeti kaThixo uMoses waqalisa ukubhala iBhayibhile kwiminyaka engama-3 500 eyadlulayo, yayinokufundwa libathwana labantu bohlang’ olunye. (Duteronomi 7:7) Okwabangela oko kukuba iZibhalo zazifumaneka ngolwimi ezabhalwa ngalo isiHebhere kuphela. Noko ke, oko kwakuya kuguquka ekuhambeni kwexesha.

NJENGOKUBA iinkulungwane zihamba isigidimi seBhayibhile nefuthe lazo elakhayo belinwenw’ okomlilo wedobo ngenxa yenguqulelo yayo yokuqala—iSeptuagint. Yayenzelwe ntoni? Yaye ngaba singabetha ngenqindi phantsi sithi yiloo Bhayibhile le yaguqula ihlabathi?

Ngaba Yayiyinguqulelo Ephefumlelweyo?

Emva kokuthinjwa kwabo eBhabhiloni ebudeni benkulungwane yesixhenxe neyesithandathu ngaPhambi kweXesha Eliqhelekileyo, amaYuda amaninzi ahlala ngaphandle kwelo lizwe likaSirayeli wamandulo nelakwaYuda. KumaYuda awazalelwa ekuthinjweni, isiHebhere sasingaselolwimi lwenkobe. Ngenkulungwane yesithathu ngaPhambi kweXesha Eliqhelekileyo, kwakukho amaYuda akwa-Alesandire, eYiputa—apho sasifukanywe khona isithethe soBukhosi bamaGrike. Loo maYuda akubona ukubaluleka kokuguqulela iZibhalo Ezingcwele zisiwe kwisiGrike, esasisele silulwimi lwenkobe kuwo.

Ukuza kuthi ga ngelo xesha, isigidimi seBhayibhile esiphefumlelweyo sasibhalwe ngesiHebhere, kukho amacandelo amancinane abhalwe ngolwimi olusondele kuso isiAramiki. Ngaba ukuchaza iLizwi likaThixo ngolunye ulwimi kwakuya kwenza lingabi savakala ukuba liphefumlelwe nguThixo, mhlawumbi lide lichazwe phosakeleyo? Ngaba amaYuda, awayephathiswe elo Lizwi liphefumlelweyo, ayenokungena engozini eyibona ngokugqwetha eso sigidimi xa esiguqulela?—INdumiso 147:19, 20; Roma 3:1, 2.

Yonke le miba yoyikekayo yabangela amathandabuzo athile. Ukanti, ixhala lokuba amaYuda akazi kuphinda akwazi ukulilandela iLizwi likaThixo lwalucima lonke olo loyiko. Kwenziwa isigqibo sokuba kwenziwe inguqulelo yesiGrike yeTorah—iincwadi zokuqala ezintlanu zeBhayibhile, ezabhalwa nguMoses. Ayisacaci kakuhle indlela ezaguqulelwa ngayo ngenxa yamabali amaninzi akhiwayo ngako. Ngokutsho kweLetter of Aristeas, umlawuli waseYiputa uPtolemy II (285-246 B.C.E.) wayefuna umbhalo wale Pentatiki (okanye, iTorah) eguqulelwe yasiwa kwisiGrike aza kuyibeka kwithala lasebukhosini. Wakhupha igqiza labaphengululi abangamaYuda abangama-72, elafika kwelaseYiputa liphuma kwaSirayeli laza layigqiba loo nguqulelo kwiintsuku ezingama-72. Emva koko le nguqulelo yafundelwa amaYuda, awathi icacile yaye ichanile. Xa lisele libaliswa kamva eli bala kuthiwa mguquleli ngamnye wayevalelwa yedwa egumbini, yaye sekunjalo iinguqulelo zabo zazingumceph’ ucandiwe, igama negama. Kuba idityaniswa naba baguquleli bangama-72, le nguqulelo yeBhayibhile yesiGrike yabizwa ngokuba yiSeptuagint, ngokusuka kwigama lesiLatini “amaShumi Asixhenxe.”

Inkoliso yabaphengululi bale mihla iyavumelana ukuba iLetter of Aristeas yinxalenye yeencwadi ezingaphefumlelwanga. Kwakhona ikholelwa kwelokuba intsusa-mabandla yokuguqulelwa kwaloo nguqulelo, asingoPtolemy II, kodwa ziinkokeli zamaYuda zakwelakwa-Alesandire. Kodwa oko kwabhalwa sisithandi sobulumko sakwaYuda esikwelakwa-Alesandire uPhilo nombhali-mbali ongumYuda uJosephus kunye neTalmud zonke zidiza inkolelo enye phakathi kwamaYuda enkulungwane yokuqala eyokuba iSeptuagint yayiphefumlelwe ngokufanayo neZibhalo zantlandlolo. Ngokuqinisekileyo zonke ezi zinto zazithethelwa ukuze iSeptuagint yamkeleke kumaYuda asehlabathini lonke.

Nangona kwaqalwa ngokuguqulela iincwadi ezintlanu zokuqala kuphela zikaMoses, igama elithi Septuagint laphela sele libhekisela kuzo zonke iZibhalo zesiHebhere eziguqulelwe zasiwa kwisiGrike. Ezinye iincwadi zaguqulelwa ebudeni beminyaka emalunga nekhulu kamva. ISeptuagint ayizange nje ithiwe qhwi ngaxeshanye, kodwa yenziwe ngamacandelo. Abaguquleli bayo babeshiyana ngobuchule nangolwazi lwesiHebhere. Inkoliso yeencwadi yayiguqulelwe igama negama, maxa wambi ngokubaxekileyo, ngoxa ezinye iinguqulelo zazifundeka ngokutyibilikayo. Zikho iinguqulelo ezisafumanekayo ezimbalwa ezinde nezimfutshane. Ngasekupheleni kwenkulungwane yesibini ngaPhambi kweXesha Eliqhelekileyo, zonke iincwadi zeZibhalo zesiHebhere zazinokufundwa ngesiGrike. Nangona kwakukho iindawo ezingadibaniyo, umphumo wokuguqulelwa kweZibhalo zesiHebhere zisisiwa kwisiGrike waba ngaphezulu lee koko kwakulindelwe ngabaguquleli bayo.

Wayefuna Ntoni UYafete Kwiintente ZikaShem?

Ihlomla ngale Septuagint, iTalmud icaphula iGenesis 9:27 isithi: “UYafete . . . ahlale ezintenteni zikaShem.” (Megillah 9b, Babylonian Talmud) Ngokufuziselayo iTalmud ithi thupha elokuba ngenxa yendlela esimnandi ngayo isiGrike esibhalwe kwiSeptuagint, uYafete (uyise kaYavan, aphuma kuye amaGrike) wayehlala ezintenteni zakwaShem (ukhokho wohlanga lwakwaSirayeli). Noko ke, kusenokutshiwo ukuba ngokweSeptuagint, uShem wahlala kwiintente zikaYafeta. Njani ngoku?

Emva kokuba uAlesandire Omkhulu oyise amazwe amaninzi, ngasekupheleni kwenkulungwane yesine ngaPhambi kweXesha Eliqhelekileyo, kwabhinqwa wamfutshane kuhanjwa kutyalwa ulwimi nesithethe sesiGrike kuwo onke amazwe oyisiweyo. Le nkqubo yayibizwa ngokuba yiHellenization (ukuGuqulela Abantu EbuGrikeni). AmaYuda ayevakalelwa kukuba isithethe sawo sirhuqw’ edakeni. Ukuba isithethe nentanda-bulumko yamaGrike zazinokutshatshela kume ngazo, unqulo lwamaYuda lwaluza kuphelel’ emoyeni. Yintoni ke eyayinokulamla kuyo yonke le nto?

Echaza enye into esenokuba yaqhuba amaYuda aguqulela iSeptuagint, umguquleli weBhayibhile ongumYuda uMax Margolis ugqabaza athi: “Ukuba ngamaYuda nyhani la eza neli cebo, imele ukuba ikho enye into eyayiwaqhuba, eyile, ayefuna iiNtlanga zizibonele ngokwazo uMthetho wamaYuda aze abonise ihlabathi liphela ukuba amaYuda ayenesithethe esiphantse silingane nobulumko beHellas [iGrisi].” Ngoko ke ukuququzelela ukuba abantetho isisiGrike bafunde iZibhalo zesiHebhere kusenokuba kwakuyindlela yokuzithethelela nokulwa notshaba.

Inkqubo ka-Alesandire yokuGuqulela Abantu EbuGrikeni yenza isiGrike sathethwa kulo lonke ihlabathi. Kwathi naxa amaRoma amqusha amqongqotha, sasala sona isiGrike esiqhelekileyo (okanye isiKoine) silulwimi olusetyenziswayo kwezorhwebo nekuncokolwa ngalo ziintlanga. Enoba kwenzeka le nto ayifunayo okanye izinto zazenzekela nje, inguqulelo ye-Septuagint yeZibhalo zesiHebhere yaya kuthi tshwa emakhayeni abo yaza yamkelwa ngabantu abangengomaYuda nababefudula bengazi nowathwethwa ngoThixo nangoMthetho wamaYuda. Imiphumo yayo yonke loo nto yayibambis’ ongezantsi.

Amaguquka Nabo Boyika UThixo

Ngenkulungwane yokuqala yeXesha Eliqhelekileyo, uPhilo watsho wabhala wathi “ukuthandeka nendili yomthetho kaMoses ayisahlonelwa ngamaYuda nje kuphela, kodwa ikwahlonelwa naziintlanga.” Ethetha ngamaYuda awayehlala ngaphandle kwePalestina kwinkulungwane yokuqala, umbhali-mbali ongumYuda uJoseph Klausner uthi: “Kunzima ngokwenene ukukholelwa ukuba ezi zigidi zamaYuda ngabantu abafuduka bephuma ePalestina kuphela eyindawo encinane. Nakanjani na ongezelelwa kukwamkelwa kwenyambalala yamaguquka angamadoda namabhinqa.”

Noko ke, bonke obu bugocigoci busaliveze nje ngentloko eli bali. Umbhali uShaye J. D. Cohen, unjingalwazi kwimbali yamaYuda, uthi: “Abeentlanga abaninzi, amadoda namabhinqa, aye aguqukela ebuYudeni kwezi nkulungwane zidluleyo ngaPhambi kweXesha Eliqhelekileyo nakwiinkulungwane ezimbini zeXesha Eliqhelekileyo. Noko ke, abona baninzi, ngabeentlanga abaye bamkela iinkalo ezithile zobuYuda kodwa abaguquka.” Lo kaKlausner noCohen bathi xa bethetha ngaba bangazange baguquke ngaboyika uThixo, gama elo elixhaphake gqitha kuncwadi lwamaGrike lwaloo mihla.

Nguwuphi umahluko okhoyo phakathi kweguquka nalowo woyika uThixo? Amaguquka ayetshintsha ngokupheleleyo, ejongwa njengamaYuda ngandlela zonke kuba ayemamkele uThixo kaSirayeli (abalahla bonke abanye oothixo), oluka, aza ayinxalenye yohlanga lwakwaSirayeli. Ngokwahlukileyo koko, okaCohen yena uthi xa ethetha ngabo boyika uThixo: “Nangona aba beentlanga babethobela naziphi na izinto ezazisenziwa ngamaYuda yaye behlonela uThixo wamaYuda ngeendlela ezahlukeneyo, babengazijongi njengamaYuda yaye babengajongwa njengamaYuda ngabanye.” UKlausner yena ubachaza ngokuthi “ngoombolo-mbini,” kuba bamkela ubuYuda baza “bagcina amasiko athile, kodwa . . . abazange babe ngamaYuda ngokupheleleyo.”

Mhlawumbi abanye baba nomdla kuThixo kuba babesoloko bexubusha namaYuda awayengabahambisi bevangeli okanye bethanda indlela ahluke ngayo ngesimilo, ngamasiko, nangehambo. Ukanti, iSeptuagint yeyona nto iphambili yanceda aba bantu boyika uThixo ukuze bafunde ngoYehova uThixo. Nangona kungekho ndlela yokwazi ukuba babebangaphi abo boyika uThixo benkulungwane yokuqala, iSeptuagint ngokuqinisekileyo yenza uThixo waziwa ngakumbi kuBukhosi baseRoma. ISeptuagint, yamisela isiseko esiluqilima.

ISeptuagint Yanceda Ukutyenenez’ Umendo

ISeptuagint yayihamba phambili ekusasazeni isigidimi samaKristu. AmaYuda amaninzi angamaGrike ayephakathi kwabo baqala ibandla lamaKristu ngePentekoste yowama-33 C.E. Kwakhona amaguquka ayephakathi kwabo baba ngabafundi bakaKristu bokuqala. (IZenzo 2:5-11; 6:1-6; 8:26-38) Ekubeni izibhalo eziphefumlelweyo zabapostile bakaYesu nabanye abafundi bokuqala zazenzelwe ukufundwa nguwonke wonke, zabhalwa ngesiGrike.a Ngoko ke, amazwi amaninzi acatshulwe kwiZibhalo zesiHebhere akwiZibhalo zamaKristu zesiGrike ayethatyathwa kwiSeptuagint.

Abanye ngaphandle nje kwamaYuda namaguquka babekulungele ukwamkela isigidimi soBukumkani. OweeNtlanga uKorneli “umntu ozinikeleyo nowoyika uThixo ndawonye nayo yonke indlu yakhe, yaye wenza izipho ezininzi zenceba ebantwini ibe wenza isikhungo ngokuqhubekayo kuThixo.” Ngowama-36 C.E., uKorneli, intsapho yakhe nabanye ababehlanganisene ekhayeni lakhe babengabeeNtlanga bokuqala ukubhaptizwa njengabalandeli bakaKristu. (IZenzo 10:1, 2, 24, 44-48; thelekisa uLuka 7:2-10.) Xa umpostile uPawulos walityhutyha lonke elaseAsia Minor nelaseGrisi, wayeshumayela kwabaninzi beeNtlanga ababesele bemoyika uThixo kwakunye ‘namaGrike awayenqula uThixo.’ (IZenzo 13:16, 26; 17:4) Kwakutheni ukuze uKorneli nabanye beeNtlanga bakulungele ukwamkela iindaba ezilungileyo? ISeptuagint yatyenenez’ umendo. Omnye umphengululi ukushwankathela oku ngokuthi iSeptuagint “ibaluleke kangangokuba ukuba ibingekho ngekungathethwa nto ngeNgqobhoko nangempucuko yasentshona.”

ISeptuagint Ayisagqalwa ‘Njengephefumlelweyo’

Ukusetyenziswa ngokubanzi kweSeptuagint ekugqibeleni kwawafak’ engxakini amaYuda. Ngokomzekelo, xa exubusha namaKristu, amaYuda ayemi ngelokuba iSeptuagint yayiguqulelwe kakubi. Ngenkulungwane yesibini kwiXesha Eliqhelekileyo, amaYuda ayibhebhetha loo nguqulelo ayefudula esithi iphefumlelwe. Oorabhi bayikhaba ngaw’ omane imbali yabaguquleli abangama-72, besithi: “Kukho amadoda amakhulu athile amahlanu awabhala iTorah ngesiGrike esenzela uKumkani uPtolemy yaye loo mini yaba yintlekele njengamhla amaSirayeli enza ithole legolide, ekubeni iTorah yayingenako ukuguqulelwa ngokuchanileyo.” Ukuze kuqinisekiswe ukuba iyavumelana neembono zoorabhi, oorabhi bagunyazisa enye inguqulelo yesiGrike. Yaqaliswa ngenkulungwane yesibini yeXesha Eliqhelekileyo ngowayeguqukele ebuYudeni ogama linguAquila, owayengumfundi karabhi Akiba.

Aba ke ayayeka amaYuda ukusebenzisa iSeptuagint, kodwa yaqhubeka ‘iyiTestamente Endala’ eyayisetyenziswa ngokusisiseko yiCawa yamaKatolika eyayithukuthukuza ngelo xesha de yathatyathelwa indawo yiLatin Vulgate kaJerome. Nangona inguqulelo ingenakuze iyithabathel’ indawo incwadi eguqulelwe isuka kuyo, iSeptuagint yaba nendima ebalulekileyo ekusasazeni ulwazi ngoYehova uThixo noBukumkani bakhe obungoYesu Kristu. Liyinene elokuba, iSeptuagint yinguqulelo yeBhayibhile eyaguqula ihlabathi.

[Imibhalo esemazantsi]

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 31]

I-“Septuagint” yayiqondwa ngabaninzi uPawulos awayeshumayela kubo

[Inkcazelo Ngomfanekiso okwiphepha 29]

Courtesy of Israel Antiquities Authority