Imibuzo Evela Kubafundi
Emva koMkhukula, uNowa wathumela ihobe esemkhombeni elabuya liphethe “igqabi lomnquma.” Eli hobe lalilifumana phi eli gqabi?
IBhayibhile isixelela ukuba “amanzi awongamela umhlaba kakhulu ngokokude azigubungele zonke iintaba ezinde ezazingaphantsi kwamazulu ephela.” (Genesis 7:19) Njengoko amanzi ayethotha, uNowa wathumela ihobe izihlandlo ezithathu—kwiiveki ezilandelelanayo. Kwisihlandlo sesibini, ihobe labuya kukho “igqabi lomnquma elisandul’ ukukhiwa emlonyeni walo, waza ke uNowa wazi ukuba amanzi awuthile emhlabeni.”—Genesis 8:8-11.
Kakade ke, ngoku asinakukwazi ukuba inxalenye ethile yomhlaba yayinomkhukula ixesha elingakanani, kuba ngokuqinisekileyo ukuma komhlaba kwaguqulwa nguNogumbe. Sekunjalo, kuyabonakala ukuba amanzi ayezalise iindawo ezininzi ixesha elide kangangokuba imithi emininzi yafa. Kwakhona, kubonakala ukuba eminye yaphinda yahluma, yakwazi ukuvelisa amahlumelo xa amanzi awutha.
Ngokuphathelele umthi womnquma, iThe New Bible Dictionary ithi: “Xa ugawuliwe, kuvela amahlumelo amatsha kwiingcambu, kangangokuba kusenokukhula imithi emitsha emihlanu. Umthi womnquma [osele uza kufa] nawo ukhula ngendlela efanayo.” IThe New Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge ithi, “kubonakala ingathi lo mithi awunakufa.” Akakho umntu ozaziyo namhlanje iinkcukacha, ezinjengokuba yayingakanani ityuwa apho nokuba iqondo lobushushu lalingakanani kuloo manzi omkhukula. Ngoko ke, asinakuqiniseka ukuba imithi yomnquma nezinye izityalo zachaphazeleka kangakanani na.
Noko ke, umthi womnquma awunakuphila kwindawo ebandayo, njengezo zifumaneka kwiintaba eziphezulu. Ngokuqhelekileyo ukhula kwiindawo eziimitha ezili-1 000 ukuphakama, apho umlinganiselo wobushushu ungaphezu kwe-10 ngokukaCelsius. Incwadi ethi The Flood Reconsidered, ithi: “Ngaloo ndlela, uNowa wayenokugqiba kwelokuba amanzi ayewutha kwiintlambo eziphantsi ngenxa yokubona igqabi elitsha.” Xa uNowa wathumela ihobe kwiveki kamva, alizange libuye kwakhona, nto leyo eyayibonisa ukuba kwakukho izityalo ezininzi neendawo ezininzi zokuba ihobe lihlale.—Genesis 8:12.