Utshoni Umthetho Othi “Ilihlo Ngelihlo”?

Impendulo yeBhayibhili

Emthethweni uNkulunkulu awunika ama-Israyeli kwakulothi “ilihlo ngelihlo.” UJesu laye wakhuluma ngawo eNtshumayelweni yaseNtabeni. (UMathewu 5:38; U-Eksodusi 21:24, 25; UDutheronomi 19:21) Umthetho lo wawusitsho ukuthi isijeziso kumele sihambelane lesono esenziweyo.a

Loba ngubani owayelimaza omunye ngabomo wayezajeziswa kulandelwa umthetho lo: “Kube yikwephuka ngokwephuka, ilihlo ngelihlo lezinyo ngezinyo. Njengoba elimaze omunye ngokunjalo laye kumele alinyazwe.”—Lev 24:20.

Wawunceda ngani umthetho ‘welihlo ngelihlo’?

Umthetho ‘welihlo ngelihlo’ wawunganiki abantu imvumo yokuthi baphindisele ngokuthanda kwabo. Wawunceda abahluleli ukuthi bakhiphe isigwebo esifaneleyo ngokungabi lomusa kakhulu futhi ngokungabi lolunya.

Umthetho lo wawuvimbela abantu ukuthi bangalimazi abanye ngabomo. IBhayibhili lithi: “Abanye bonke abantu bazakuzwa ngalokho besabe, ngakho akusayikwenziwa futhi phakathi kwenu ububi obunjalo.”—UDutheronomi 19:20.

Umthetho ‘welihlo ngelihlo’ uyasebenza yini kumaKhristu?

Hatshi, amaKhristu kawakho ngaphansi koMthetho kaMosi ngoba ukufa kukaJesu kwawuqeda umthetho lo.—KwabaseRoma 10:4.

Lanxa kunjalo umthetho lo usinceda sizwisise indlela uNkulunkulu enza ngayo. Ngokwesibonelo utshengisa ukuthi uyakuqakathekisa ukwahlulela kuhle. (IHubo 89:14) Uphinda utshengise ukuthi uJehova ‘ubajezisa ngokufaneleyo’ abantu abenza okubi.—UJeremiya 30:11.

Imibono engaqondanga mayelana lomthetho ‘welihlo ngelihlo’

Okungaqondanga: Umthetho ‘welihlo ngelihlo’ wawutshengisa ulunya.

Okuqondileyo: Umthetho lo wawunganiki abantu imvumo yokuba lolunya kwabanye. Ukulandelwa kwawo kuhle kwakugoqela ukuthi abahluleli bakhiphe isigwebo ngemva kokuhlolisisa indaba bebona ukuthi yayenziwe ngabomo yini. (U-Eksodusi 21:28-30; AmaNani 35:22-25) Yikho umthetho lo wawunceda ukuthi bahlulele ngendlela eqondileyo.

Okungaqondanga: Umthetho ‘welihlo ngelihlo’ wawukhuthaza abantu ukuthi baphindisele.

Okuqondileyo: UMthetho kaMosi wawusithi: “Lingaphindiseli loba ligodle isikhwili komunye wabantu bakini.” (ULevi 19:18) Umthetho wawukhuthaza abantu ukuthi bathembe uNkulunkulu kanye labahluleli ayebabekile, hatshi ukuthi babeke umthetho ezandleni zabo.—UDutheronomi 32:35.

UJesu uqondisa umbono ongaqondanga

UJesu wayekwazi ukuthi abanye babewusebenzisa kubi umthetho ‘welihlo ngelihlo.’ Yikho wabatshela wathi: “Selezwa ukuthi kwathiwa, ‘Ilihlo ngelihlo, njalo izinyo ngezinyo.’ Kodwa mina ngiyalitshela ngithi, Lingamelani lomuntu omubi. Nxa omunye angakutshaya esihlathini sokunene, mphendulele lesinye njalo.”—UMathewu 5:38, 39.

Nanzelela amazwi kaJesu athi “selezwa ukuthi kwathiwa.” Wayekhuluma ngalokho okwakusenziwa ngabanye abakhokheli bamaJuda ababefundisa ukuthi umuntu kumele aphindisele. Isikhwicamfundo seBhayibhili u-Adam Clarke wathi: “Kukhanya angani amaJuda ayesebenzisa umthetho [welihlo ngelihlo] . . . njengesizathu sokuphindisela kwabanye lokuba lolunya kubo.” Abakhokheli laba babetshila inhloso yomthetho lo ngesikhathi bekhuthaza abantu ukuthi baphindisele.—UMakho 7:13.

UJesu wakwenza kwacaca ukuthi umthetho kaNkulunkulu uthi uthando yilo oluqakatheke kakhulu. Wathi: “Thanda iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho .. . .’ Yiwo oyingqala njalo odlula yonke imilayo. Owesibili unjengawo: Thanda umakhelwana wakho njangalokhu uzithanda wena.” (UMathewu 22:37-40) UJesu wathi abalandeli bakhe beqiniso babezakhanya ngokuba lothando hatshi ukuba lolunya.—UJohane 13:34, 35.

a Umthetho lo obizwa langokuthi lex talionis ngesiLatin wacina ususetshenziswa langamanye amazwe kwezomthetho.