Incwadi YeBhayibhile 34—Nahum

Umbhali: NguNahum

Indawo Eyabhalelwa Kuyo: KwaYuda

Ukugqitywa Kokubhalwa Kwayo: Ngaphambi kowama-632 B.C.E.

1. Yintoni eyaziwayo ngeNineve yamandulo?

“ISIHLABO esisingisele kwiNineve.” (Nah. 1:1) UNahum uqalisa isiprofeto sakhe ngala mazwi eshwangusha. Kodwa kwakutheni ukuze avakalise esi sigidimi somgwebo? Yintoni eyaziwayo ngeNineve yamandulo? Imbali yayo ishwankathelwa nguNahum ngala mazwana mabini kuphela: “umzi wamagazi.” (3:1) Iinduli ezimbini ezingakunxweme olungasempuma loMlambo iTigris kwicala elimelene nesixeko sezi mini saseMosul, ngakumantla eIraq, zikwindawo eyayinamanxuwa eNineve yamandulo. Yayinqatyiswe gqitha ziindonga nemijelo yamanzi kwaye yayilikomkhulu loBukhosi baseAsiriya kwinxalenye yokugqibela yembali yayo. Noko ke, esi sixeko saqala ukubakho ngemihla kaNimrodi, “igorha lezingela phambi koYehova . . . Waphuma waya kwelaseAsiriya, wakha iNineve.” (Gen. 10:9-11) Ngaloo ndlela iNineve yaba nesiqalo esibi. Yaqala ukuduma ngokukhethekileyo ebudeni bolawulo lukaSargon, uSaneribhe, uEsar-haddon noAshurbanipal, ngasekupheleni koBukhosi baseAsiriya. Ngeemfazwe nangokoyisa, yazityebisa ngamaxhoba yaza yaduma ngenxa yempatho yenkohlakalo engeyoyabuntu ababenayo abalawuli bayo kwinyambalala yabathinjwa.a UC. W. Ceram uthi, kwiphepha 266 lencwadi yakhe ethi Gods, Graves and Scholars (yowe-1954): “INineve yayingaziwa nganto luluntu ngaphandle kokubulala, ukuphanga, ukucinezela nokuxhaphaza ababuthathaka; ngemfazwe nogonyamelo olungokwasemzimbeni; ngezenzo zokunxanelw’ igazi zabalawuli ababengookumkani ababekhohlisa abantu ngokubagrogrisa nababesithi ngokufuthi babhukuqwe ziintshaba ezazikhohlakele ngakumbi kunabo.”

2. Lwalunjani unqulo lwaseNineve?

² Kuthekani ngonqulo lwaseNineve? Yayinqula oothixo abaninzi abahlukahlukeneyo, uninzi lwabo olwalunemvelaphi yaseBhabhiloni. Abalawuli bayo babecela inkxaso kwaba thixo njengoko babehamba besiya kutshabalalisa yaye besonakalisa, kwaye ababingeleli bayo ababawayo babelukhuthaza olu hlaselo ukuba luqhubeke, bejonge phambili kwintlawulo enkulu evela kwizinto ezo ziphangwe emfazweni. Kwincwadi yakhe ethi Ancient Cities (1886, iphepha 25), uW. B. Wright uthi: “Babenqula amandla, yaye babedla ngokuyibhekisa imithandazo yabo kuphela kwizithixo ezenziwe ngamatye, iingonyama neenkunzi zenkomo eyayisithi imilenze yazo emikhulu, amaphiko okhozi neentloko zabantu zifuzisele amandla, inkalipho noloyiso. Ukulwa kwakuyinto olwaluphila ngayo olu hlanga, yaye ababingeleli babephambili emfazweni. Ubukhulu becala babephila ngamaxhoba athinjiweyo, lawo inxalenye yawo eqingqiweyo yayiyeyabo ngaphambi kokuba abanye bafumane, oku kukhuphisana kwabaphangi ngezinto abazifumeneyo kwakutyekele kakhulu elunqulweni.”

3. (a) Kungayiphi indlela okuthi oko kuthethwa ligama likaNahum kufaneleke? (b) Isiprofeto sikaNahum sesaliphi ithuba?

³ Isiprofeto sikaNahum, nangona sisifutshane, sibangel’ umdla gqitha. Ekuphela kwesikwaziyo ngalo mprofeti kuchazwe kwindinyana yokuqala: “Incwadi yombono kaNahum wase-Elekoshe.” Igama lakhe (Na·chumʹ, ngesiHebhere) lithetha “uMthuthuzeli.” Ngokuqinisekileyo isigidimi sakhe sasingeyontuthuzelo kwiNineve, kodwa kubantu abanyanisekileyo bakaThixo, sasithetha ukukhululwa okuqinisekileyo nokuhlala kuhleli kutshaba olwalungenanceba nolwalunamandla. Kwakhona, siyintuthuzelo kuba uNahum akazikhankanyi izono zabantu bakowabo. Nangona umzi wase-Elekoshe ungaziwa nje kwaphela, kubonakala kusenokwenzeka ukuba esi siprofeto sabhalelwa kwaYuda. (Nah. 1:15) Ukuwa kweNineve, okwenzeka ngowama-632 B.C.E., kwakuyinto eyayiseza kwenzeka xa uNahum wabhala isiprofeto sakhe, yaye uthelekisa esi siganeko nokuwa kweNoka-Amon (iTebhetse, eYiputa) okwenzeka ngaphambilana koku. (3:8) Ngenxa yoko, uNahum umele ukuba wasibhala isiprofeto sakhe malunga neli thuba.

4. Ziziphi iimpawu zokubhala ezibonakala kwincwadi kaNahum?

⁴ Isimbo sokubhala ebhalwe ngaso le ncwadi sahlukile. Akukho kubaxwa kwamazwi ngokungeyomfuneko. Amandla nobunyaniso bayo ezo zinto zihambelana nokuba yinxalenye yemibhalo ephefumlelweyo kwayo. UNahum usebenzisa kakhulu intetho echazayo, eshukumisayo necacileyo, ndawonye namazwi andilisekileyo, izafobe ezicacileyo nokukhethwa kwamazwi okuchukumisa ngokucacileyo. (1:2-8, 12-14; 2:4, 12; 3:1-5, 13-15, 18, 19) Inxalenye enkulu yesahluko sokuqala ibonakala ibumbongorha. (1:8, umbhalo osemazantsi weNW) Isimbo sokubhala sikaNahum senziwa sisulungeke ngakumbi kuba uthetha ngomxholo omnye. Uluthiye ngokupheleleyo utshaba lukaSirayeli olunamaqhinga. Akaboni nto ngaphandle komgwebo weNineve.

5. Yintoni engqina ubunyaniso besiprofeto sikaNahum?

⁵ Ubunyaniso besiprofeto sikaNahum bungqinwa kukuzalisekiswa kwaso ngokuchanileyo. Ngomhla kaNahum, ngubani omnye ngaphandle komprofeti kaYehova owayengaba nobuganga bokubona kwangaphambili ukuba ikomkhulu elaliziqhayisa legunya lehlabathi laseAsiriya lalinokutshatyalaliswa ‘kumasango asemilanjeni,’ linyityilikiswe ibhotwe lalo, lize lona libe “yinto engento yanto, engenamsebenzi, umzi ophanzisiweyo”? (2:6-10, NW) Iziganeko ezalandelayo zabonisa ukuba ngokwenene esi siprofeto sasiphefumlelwe nguThixo. Iincwadi zeengxelo zeziganeko zokumkani waseBhabhiloni uNabopolassar zichaza ngokuthinjwa kweNineve ngamaMedi namaBhabhiloni: “Esi sixeko [basiguqulela] ekubeni ziinduli eziyimiwewe ne[emfumba (ezibubutyobo). . . ].”b INineve yatshayelwa kwathi tu kangangokuba kwanamanxiwa ayo alityalwa kangangeenkulungwane ezininzi. Bambi abahlalutyi baye bayingcikiva iBhayibhile ngale ngongoma, besithi iNineve ayinakuba yakhe yakho.

6. Yintoni eye yavunjululwa kwindawo eyayimi kuyo iNineve yakudala ebonisa ukuchana kwencwadi kaNahum?

⁶ Noko ke, ukongezelela kubungqina obubhekele phaya bobunyaniso bencwadi kaNahum, indawo eyayimi kuyo iNineve yafunyanwa, yaye kwaqaliswa ukumbiwa apho ngenkulungwane ye-19. Kwakuqikelelwa ukuba ziitoni ezizizigidi zomhlaba ekwakuya kufuneka zisusiwe ukuyivumbulula ngokupheleleyo. Yintoni eye yavunjululwa eNineve? Kuninzi okuxhasa ukuchana kwesiprofeto sikaNahum! Ngokomzekelo, izakhiwo zayo ezikhulu zezikhumbuzo nemibhalo ethile zibubungqina benkohlakalo eyayikho kuyo, kukho iintsalela zemifanekiso yeenkunzi zenkomo neengonyama ezinamaphiko. Akumangalisi ukuba uNahum abe wathetha ngayo ‘njengesikhundla seengonyama’!—2:11.c

7. Yintoni exhasa ukuba yinxalenye yemibhalo engcwele kwencwadi kaNahum?

⁷ Ubungqina bokuba incwadi kaNahum iyinxalenye yemibhalo engcwele kuboniswa kukwamkelwa kwale ncwadi ngamaYuda njengenxalenye yeZibhalo eziphefumlelweyo. Ivisisana ngokupheleleyo nayo yonke iBhayibhile. Esi siprofeto sivakaliswa ngegama likaYehova, lowo singqinela ngokubalaseleyo iimpawu nolongamo lwakhe.

OKUQULETHWE YEKANAHUM

8. Nguwuphi umgwebo ovakaliswa nxamnye neNineve, kodwa ziziphi iindaba ezilungileyo ezizela uYuda?

⁸ Isihlabo sikaYehova esisingisele kwiNineve (1:1-15). “UYehova nguThixo onobukhwele, ophindezelayo.” Ngala mazwi umprofeti utshayelela umbono ‘wesihlabo esisingisele kwiNineve.’ (1:1, 2) Nangona uYehova ezeka kade umsindo, mbone ngoku njengoko ebonakalisa impindezelo ngomoya nangesaqhwithi. Iintaba ziyanyikima, iinduli ziyanyibilika kwaye umhlaba uyafukuka. Ngubani na onokuma ekuvutheni komsindo wakhe? Sekunjalo, uYehova uligwiba kwabo bazimela ngaye. Kodwa iNineve igwetyelwe intshabalalo. Iya kutshatyalaliswa ngomkhukula, yaye “imbandezelo ayisayi kuphakama izihlandlo ezibini.” (1:9) UYehova uya kulicima igama layo noothixo bayo. Uya kuyingcwaba. Okwahluke ngokuhlaziyayo kukuba, kukho iindaba ezilungileyo kuYuda! Zithini? Umvakalisi woxolo ubaxelela ukuba badle imithendeleko yabo baze bazalise nezibhambathiso zabo, kuba utshaba, “olitshijolo,” lugwetyelwe ukufa. “Unqunyulwe kwaphela.”—1:15.

9. Yiyiphi imbono ebuprofeti esiyifumanayo ngokoyiswa kweNineve?

⁹ Ukubonwa kwangaphambili kokutshatyalaliswa kweNineve (2:1–3:19). UNahum ucel’ umngeni iNineve eyingcikiva ukuba izixhobisele ukulwa nomhlekezi ozayo. UYehova uya kubuye akuhlanganise okukokwakhe, ‘iqhayiya lakwaYakobi nelakwaSirayeli.’ Bona ingweletshetshe neengubo ezibomvu zamadoda akhe anobukroti neentsimbi ezibomvu ‘zeenqwelo zokulwa ngemini yokuxhoba kwakhe’! Iinqwelo zokulwa “ziyadlongozela” ezitratweni, zibaleka njengemibane. (2:2-4) Ngoku siba nombono obuprofeti weli dabi. Abantu baseNineve bayabhuduzela kwaye bangxamele ukukhusela udonga kodwa batsho phantsi. Amasango omlambo avulekile, ibhotwe liyanyibilika, yaye iintombi ezingamakhoboka ziyalila zimbambazelela iintliziyo zazo. Amadoda asabayo ayalelwa ukuba eme ngxi, kodwa akukho namnye obuyela esixekweni. Isixeko siyaphangwa size senziwe inkangala. Iintliziyo zabantu zityumkile. Siphi ngoku esi sikhundla seengonyama? Ingonyama izalise umqolomba wayo ngexhoba layo, kodwa uYehova uvakalisa oku: “Yabona, ndikuchasile.” (2:13) Ewe, uYehova uya kuzitshisa iinqwelo zokulwa zaseNineve, athumele ikrele ukuba libulale iingonyama zayo ezintsha, aze alisike ixhoba layo emhlabeni.

10. Ibhencwa njengantoni iNineve, yaye sichazwa njani ngokubhekele phaya isiphelo sayo?

¹⁰ “Yeha, umzi wamagazi! . . . Uzele kwaphela luhanahaniso nakukudlavula.” Khawuve isithonga seziniya nesithonga sokugoqoza kweevili. Bona ukuphala kwehashe, ukuxhuma kwenqwelo yokulwa, ukuphalisa komkhweli wehashe, ukubengezela kwekrele, nokumenyezela kwesikhali—nezigigaba zabafileyo. “Azinakuphela izidumbu.” (3:1, 3) Yaye kutheni kunjalo nje? Kungenxa yokuba itsale iintlanga ngoonongogo bayo nezizalwane ngokukhafula kwayo. UYehova uyavakalisa okwesihlandlo sesibini: “Yabona, ndikuchasile.” (3:5) INineve iya kubhencwa njengomkrexezikazi yaye iya kubhukuqwa, intshabalalo yayo ayiyi kuba yelunge ngakumbi kunaleyo yeNo ka-Amon (iTebhetse), leyo iAsiriya yayithimbayo. Iinqaba zayo zinjengomkhiwane ovuthiweyo, “ukuba uvuthululwe, owa emlonyeni wowadlayo.” (3:12) Amadoda akhe okulwa anjengabafazi. Ayikho into enokuyisindisa iNineve emlilweni nasekreleni. Abalindi bayo baya kubaleka njengomqikela weenkumbi ngemini eshushu, yaye abantu bayo baya kuba ziintsali. Ukumkani waseAsiriya uya kwazi ukuba akukho nkululeko, kungekho kuphiliswa kule ntlekele. Bonke abo beva ingxelo baya kuqhwaba izandla zabo, kuba bonke baye beva ubunzima ngenxa yobubi beAsiriya.

ISIZATHU SOKUBA IBE YINGENELO

11. Yiyiphi imigaqo yeBhayibhile esisiseko eboniswa kuNahum?

¹¹ Isiprofeto sikaNahum sibonisa imigaqo ethile yeBhayibhile esisiseko. Amazwi entshayelelo alo mbono aphinda isizathu sikaThixo sokunikela umthetho wesibini kwiMithetho Elishumi: “UYehova nguThixo onekhwele.” Ngokukhawuleza emva koko wenza kwaziwe ukuqiniseka ‘kokuphindezela kubachasi bakhe.’ Ikratshi lenkohlakalo leAsiriya noothixo bayo bobuhedeni babengenakuyisindisa ekubulaweni ngumgwebo kaYehova. Sinokuba nentembelo yokuba ngexesha elifanelekileyo uYehova uya kwenza ngokufanayo ekuziseni okusesikweni kuko konke okungendawo. “UYehova uzeka kade umsindo, mkhulu ke ngamandla, ongakhe amenze msulwa onetyala.” Ngaloo ndlela okusesikweni nolongamo lukaYehova ziyaphakanyiswa nxamnye neziganeko zokutshabalalisa kwakhe iAsiriya eyayinamandla. INineve yathiwa ‘qongqololo, kwaba selubala.’—1:2, 3; 2:10.

12. Kukuphi ukubuyiselwa okuvakaliswa nguNahum, yaye sisenokunxityelelaniswa njani isiprofeto sakhe nethemba loBukumkani?

¹² Ngokwahlukileyo ‘ekunqanyulweni’ kweNineve, uNahum uvakalisa ukubuyiselwa ‘kweqhayiya lakwaYakobi nelakwaSirayeli.’ UYehova ukwathumela iindaba ezonwabisayo kubantu bakhe ezithi: “Yabonani, zisezintabeni iinyawo zabashumayela iindaba ezilungileyo, abavakalisa uxolo.” Ezi ndaba zoxolo zinxibelelene noBukumkani bukaThixo. Sikwazi njani oku? Kucacile ngenxa yokusebenzisa kukaIsaya amazwi afanayo, kodwa athi kuwo ongezelele oku: “Zabashumayela iindaba ezilungileyo, zabavakalisa usindiso; zabathi kwiZiyon, Uyalawula uThixo wakho!” (Nah. 1:15, NW; 2:2; Isa. 57:7) Umpostile uPawulos kumaRoma 10:15 naye uyawasebenzisa la mazwi kwabo uYehova abathuma njengabashumayeli abangamaKristu beendaba ezilungileyo. Aba bavakalisa ‘iindaba ezilungileyo zobukumkani.’ (Mat. 24:14) Ngokuvisisana noko kuthethwa ligama lakhe, uNahum unikela intuthuzelo engakumbi kubo bonke abafuna uxolo nosindiso zinto ezo eziza noBukumkani bukaThixo. Ngokuqinisekileyo bonke aba baya kwazi ukuba ‘uYehova ulungile, uligwiba ngemini yembandezelo kwabo bazimela ngaye.’—Nah. 1:7.

[Imibhalo esemazantsi]