“Lavakulu” kumbe “Swihlangi”—Swona Hi Swihi Xana?
EKA 1 Vatesalonika 2:7 muapostola Pawulo u vulavula ha yena ni vanghana vakwe tanihi lava va ‘hanyisaneke na vona hi musa, kukotisa loko manana a hlayisa vana va yena n’wini.’ Ku hundzuluxela kun’wana (The Bible in Basic English; Today’s English Version) laha ku ri “lavakulu,” kambe ku hundzuluxela kun’wana (Westminster Version; American Translation) ku tirhisa “swihlangi” kumbe “vana.” Hikwalaho ka yini leswi swi hambana?
Vahundzuluxeri va landza yan’wana ya matsalele mambirhi lama hambaneke lama kumekaka eka tibuku ni matsalwa ya Xigriki. Tibuku tin’wana ta Xigriki (Textus Receptus, Tischendorf, Merk) ni matsalwa ti ri eʹpi·oi, leswi vulaka “lavakulu,” kambe tibuku tin’wana ta Xigriki (Westcott na Hort, Nestle-Aland) ni matsalwa ti ri neʹpi·oi, leswi vulaka “swihlangi.”
Malunghana ni leswi, The New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology (Vholumo I, 1975, tluka 282) yi xiyile: “Ku ni matsalele mambirhi ya 1 Vates. 2:7: (a) ēpioi (a hi ri lavakulu exikarhi ka n’wina); (b) nēpioi (swihlangi). Rito ro sungula [eka ndzimana leyi] ri hetelela hi n, naswona a swi tshembisi leswaku n loyi u phindhiwe hi ku hoxisa eku kopeni. Ku tlula kwalaho ku hlamuseriwa ka matsalele ya vumbhirhi ku yisa eswihingeni. Hikuva eka v. 7b a hi yena kambe i Vatesalonika lava Pawulo a va fanisaka ni ‘vana,’ yena ni vatirhi-kulobye a va fana ni muongori (trophos).” Kutani, hi laha ku faneleke, ku hundzuluxela ko tala laha ku ri “lavakulu” ematshan’wini ya “swihlangi.”
Kambe hikwalaho ka yini Pawulo a tirhisa rito leri nge “lavakulu” laha? Leswi a ku ri hi mhaka ya rirhandzu ra ntiyiso ni ku khathalela ku papalata ku onha ku kula ka moya ka lava yena ni varhumiwa-kulobye va vadyondziseke.
(1 Vatesalonika 2:8) W. E. Vine (An Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words, leyi tlheleke yi kandziyisiwa hi 1962, vholumo II, tluka 145) yi vula leswaku eʹpi·os “a ri tirhisiwa nkarhi na nkarhi hi vatsari va Xigriki tanihi leri vulaka muongori la nga ni vana lava ringetaka kumbe mudyondzisi la nga ni swichudeni leswi omeke tinhloko, kumbe vatswari eka vana va vona. Eka 1 Vates. 2:7, muapostola u ri tirhisa eka mahanyelo yakwe ni varhumiwa-kulobye eka lava hundzukeke eTesalonika.” Loko hi dyondzisa vanhu Rito ra Xikwembu, onge minkarhi hinkwayo hi nga tsundzuka musa lowu kombisiweke hi Pawulo ni vanakulobye kutani hi landzela xikombiso xa vona.