Yasinda Njani Le Ncwadi?
Iincwadi zamandulo zazineentshaba ezingokwemvelo—umlilo, ukufuma nokungunda. NeBhayibhile yayingasindi kwezo ntshaba. Udumo ezenzele lona lokusinda kumaxesha anzima yaza yaba yeyona ncwadi ifumaneka lula ehlabathini luyenza ibalasele phakathi kweencwadi zamandulo. Imbali enayo ibangel’ umdla ngokwenene.
ABABHALI beBhayibhile abazange bawakrole ematyeni amazwi abo; yaye bengazange bawabhale nakumacwecwe omdongwe ahlala ixesha elide. Kubonakala ukuba bawabhala amazwi abo kwizinto ezinokonakala—kwipapyrus (imizi yaseYiputa ebizwa ngelo gama) nakwizintsu (ezenziwe ngeemfele zezilwanyana).
Yayaphi loo mibhalo yantlandlolo? Mhlawumbi yavuthuluka kwamandulo kwaSirayeli. Umphengululi uOscar Paret usichazela oku: “Zombini ezi zinto kwakubhalwa kuzo [i-papyrus nofele] nazo zazisengozini yokonakaliswa kukufuma, kukungunda naziindidi ngeendidi zeempethu. Nathi siyazibonela mihla le indlela ekulula ngayo ukuba iphepha, kwanofele olomeleleyo, lonakaliswe kukuhlala emoyeni okanye kwigumbi elifumileyo.”1
Ukuba loo mibhalo yantlandlolo ayisekho, ngoko amazwi ababhali beBhayibhile asinda njani kwada kwangumhla wethu?
Alondolozwa Ngabakhupheli Abanononophelo
Kungekudala nje emva kokubhalwa kwemibhalo yantlandlolo, kwenziwa imibhalo ekhutshelwe ngesandla. Ukukhuphela iZibhalo kwaba ngumsebenzi ophambili kuSirayeli wamandulo. (Ezra 7:6; INdumiso 45:1) Noko ke, naloo mibhalo ikhutshelweyo yayibhalwa kwizinto ezinokonakala. Ekugqibeleni kwafuneka kwenziwe eminye imibhalo ekhutshelwe ngesandla endaweni yayo. Xa imibhalo yantlandlolo yayingasekho, le mibhalo yaba sisiseko semibhalo-ngqangi yexesha elizayo. Kwaqengqeleka iinkulungwane ezininzi uqhubeka lo msebenzi wokukhuphela. Ngaba iimpazamo zabakhupheli ebudeni beenkulungwane zawutshintsha ngokupheleleyo umongo weBhayibhile? Ubungqina bubonisa ukuba akunjalo.
Abakhupheli abaziingcali babezinikele ngeyona ndlela. Babewahlonela ngokunzulu amazwi ababewakhuphela. Kwakhona babenononophelo. Igama lesiHebhere eliguqulelwe ngokuthi “umkhupheli” lelithi so·pherʹ, elinokubhekisela ekubaleni nasekubhaleni ingxelo. Ukuze ufumane umzekelo wendlela ababechane ngayo abakhupheli, cinga ngamaMasora.a Ehlomla ngawo, umphengululi uThomas Hartwell Horne utyatyadula enjenje: “Ayekhangela . . . unobumba ophakathi kwiPentatiki [iincwadi ezintlanu zokuqala zeBhayibhile], igatya elikwindawo ephakathi kwincwadi nganye, nezihlandlo unobumba ngamnye [wesiHebhere] avela ngazo kuzo zonke iZibhalo zesiHebhere.”3
Ngaloo ndlela, abakhupheli abaziingcungela basebenzisa zonke iindlela zokuhlola iimpazamo ezazikho. Ukuze baphephe ukulibala nkqu negama elinye eliseBhayibhileni, babenganeli nje ukubala amagama akhutshelweyo kodwa babebala noonobumba. Khawucinge nje ngenyameko ababefanele babenayo: Kuthiwa babenoonobumba abazimeleyo abangama-815 140 kwiZibhalo zesiHebhere!4 Loo migudu yenkuthalo ilolo hlobo yayiqinisekisa ukuba imele ichane ngendlela esemagqabini.
Sekunjalo, abo bakhupheli babezenza iimpazamo. Ngaba bukho ubungqina bokuba, njengokuba kuqengqeleka iinkulungwane ikhutshelwa, iBhayibhile isahleli iyileyo inokuthenjwa?
Izizathu Ezibambekayo Zokuyithemba
Kukho izizathu ezivakalayo zokukholelwa ukuba iBhayibhile ibisoloko ikhutshelwa ngokuchanileyo ukuza kuthi ga namhla. Obo bungqina yimibhalo-ngqangi esafumanekayo ebhalwe ngesandla—eyeZibhalo zesiHebhere ziphelele okanye inxalenye yazo imalunga nama-6 000 yaye eyeZibhalo zamaKristu zesiGrike imalunga nama-5 000. Omnye wayo ngumbhalo-ngqangi weZibhalo zesiHebhere owafunyanwa ngowe-1947 osenza sibone indlela ezakhutshelwa ngokuchane ngayo iZibhalo. Ukususela ngoko ububizwa ngokuba “ngowona mbhalo-ngqangi ubalulekileyo ukhe wafunyanwa kumaxesha ethu.”5
Xa wayesalusa imihlambi ekuqaleni konyaka, umalusi oselula ongumArabhu wabona umqolomba othile kufutshane noLwandle Olufileyo. Wafumana apho iingqayi eziliqela zomdongwe, inkoliso yazo ingenanto. Noko ke, kwenye yezo ngqayi, eyayivalwe ngci, wafumana umsongo wofele owawusongelwe kakuhle ngelaphu owawunencwadi yeBhayibhile kaIsaya epheleleyo. Lo msongo wawugcinwe kakuhle kodwa ukrazukileyo wawubonakala ukuba ukhe walungiswa. Lo malusi uselula wayengazi ukuba loo msongo wamandulo wayewuphethe esandleni sakhe uya kuze ube yinto ehlabathini lonke.
Yintoni owawubaluleke ngayo lo mbhalo-ngqangi? Ngowe-1947 eyona mibhalo-ngqangi midala yesiHebhere yayisusela emva phayaa kwinkulungwane yeshumi kwiXesha Eliqhelekileyo. Kodwa lo msongo wawususela emva phayaa kwinkulungwane yesibini ngaphambi kweXesha Eliqhelekileyob—kwiminyaka engaphezu kwewaka eyadlulayo.c Abaphengululi babenomdla gqitha wokuthelekisa lo msongo nemibhalo-ngqangi eyaveliswa kamva.
Kolunye uhlolisiso, abaphengululi bathelekisa isahluko sama-53 sikaIsaya esikuMsongo woLwandle Olufileyo nemibhalo yamaMasora eyakhutshelwa kwiminyaka eliwaka emva kwaloo msongo. Incwadi ethi A General Introduction to the Bible, isichazela okwafunyaniswayo kolo phengululo: “Kumagama ali-166 akuIsaya 53, ngamagama alishumi elinesixhenxe kuphela athandabuzekayo. Alishumi kula magama ingxaki yawo kukupelwa kakubi, nto leyo engayichaphazeliyo ingongoma yawo. Amanye amane kutshintshe nje indlela abhalwe ngayo, njengezihlanganisi. Amanye amagama amathathu aquka igama elithi ‘ukukhanya,’ elongezelelwe kwindinyana 11, yaye aliyichaphazeli kangako intsingiselo. . . . Ngaloo ndlela, kwisahluko esinye esinamagama ali-166, kukho igama elinye kuphela (elinoonobumba abathathu) elithandabuzekayo emva kweminyaka eliwaka—yaye eli gama alinanto ingako liyitshintshayo kwintsingiselo yale ndinyana.”7
UNjingalwazi Millar Burrows oneminyaka emininzi esebenza ngemisongo, xa wayehlola umbandela wawo, wafikelela kwesi sigqibo: “Izinto ezininzi ezingafaniyo . . . zomsongo kaIsaya nombhalo wamaMasora ziimpazamo nje zokukhuphela. Ngaphandle nje kwezi zinto, zivumelana ngendlela engummangaliso nemibhalo-ngqangi yamaxesha aphakathi. Oko kuvumelana kwemibhalo-ngqangi emidala ngolo hlobo kububungqina obusiqinisekisa ngakumbi bokuba oko kwabhalwa ntlandlolo kuchanile.”8
Kwakhona obo ‘bungqina busiqinisekisayo’ buyafumaneka nangeZibhalo zamaKristu zesiGrike. Ngokomzekelo, iCodex Sinaiticus eyafunyanwa ngenkulungwane ye-19, umbhalo-ngqangi owenziwa ngesikhumba osusela kwinkulungwane yesine kwiXesha Eliqhelekileyo, yaqinisekisa ukuchana kwemibhalo-ngqangi yeZibhalo zamaKristu zesiGrike eyaveliswa kwiinkulungwane emva koko. Isiqwenga sombhalo-ngqangi wepapyrus seVangeli kaYohane, esafunyanwa kwisithili saseFaiyūm, eYiputa, sisusela kwisiqingatha senkulungwane yesibini yeXesha Eliqhelekileyo, kwithuba elingaphantsi kweminyaka engama-50 emva kokubhalwa kwencwadi ngokwayo. Ibihleli kakuhle kangangenkulungwane kwintlabathi eyomileyo. Okubhalwe kuyo kuyavumelana noko kukwimibhalo-ngqangi eyafunyanwa kamva.9
Eneneni, ubungqina bubonisa ukuba abakhupheli babechane ngeyona ndlela. Sekunjalo, bazenza iimpazamo. Akunakubakho mbhalo-ngqangi ungenatyheneba lithile—kuquka noMsongo woLwandle Olufileyo kaIsaya. Noxa kunjalo, abaphengululi baye bakwazi ukufumanisa baze balungise loo mahluko ukhoyo phakathi kwemibhalo yantlandlolo.
Ukulungisa Iimpazamo Zabakhupheli
Masithi abantu abali-100 bebecelwe ukuba bakhuphele ngesandla uxwebhu olude. Ngaphandle kwamathandabuzo bambi kwabo bakhupheli bebeya kuzenza iimpazamo. Noko ke, bebengayi kwenza mpazamo zifanayo. Ukuba ubunokuthabatha loo mibhalo ili-100 uze uyithelekise kakuhle, ubuya kukwazi ukubona iimpazamo uze ubone kakuhle ukuba bekubhalwe ntoni kuqala, nangona ungazange uwubone umbhalo wantlandlolo.
Ngokufanayo, abakhupheli beBhayibhile abazange benze mpazamo zifanayo. Ekubeni ngoku kukho amawakawaka emibhalo-ngqangi yeBhayibhile enokuhlolisiswa ize ithelekiswe, abaphengululi baye bakwazi ukufumanisa iimpazamo, babone noko bekubhaliwe ngaphambili, baze balungise izinto ezithile. Ngenxa yolo hlolisiso lucokisekileyo, abaphengululi bezinto ezibhaliweyo baye bavelisa imibhalo ngeelwimi zantlandlolo. Kule mibhalo yesiHebhere neyesiGrike isulungekileyo kwasetyenziswa amagama ekuvunyelwene ngamxhelomnye ukuba ayekho kwimibhalo yantlandlolo, amaxesha amaninzi bebhala kumbhalo osemazantsi iindlela ezahlukeneyo elisenokuba lisetyenziswe ngazo kweminye imibhalo-ngqangi. Abo baguqulela iBhayibhile ngeelwimi zale mihla basebenzisa le mibhalo ihlolisiswe ngenyameko ekuguquleleni iBhayibhile.
Ngoko xa uthabatha inguqulelo yeBhayibhile yale mihla, unezizathu ezininzi zokuthemba ukuba izibhalo zesiHebhere nezesiGrike eguqulelwe ngokusuka kuzo inalaa mazwi ayebhalwe ngababhali beBhayibhile.d Udumo iBhayibhile ezenzele lona lokuhlala ikho ikhutshelwa ngesandla kangangamawaka eminyaka lubalasele ngeyona ndlela. UMhlekazi uFrederic Kenyon onethuba elide enyamekela iBritish Museum, wakwazi ukuthi: “Asinamazwi okuchaza indlela ethembeke ngayo ingxelo yeBhayibhile . . . Ayikho enye incwadi yamandulo ekunokuthethwa ngolo hlobo ngayo.”10
[Imibhalo esemazantsi]
a AmaMasora (oko kukuthi “iiNgcali Zesithethe”) ayengabakhupheli beZibhalo zesiHebhere ababephila phakathi kwenkulungwane yesithandathu neyeshumi kwiXesha Eliqhelekileyo. Imibhalo-ngqangi ayivelisayo yaziwa ngokuba yimibhalo yamaMasora.2
b Oonobumba abathi B.C.E. bathetha “ngaphambi kweXesha Eliqhelekileyo.” Abathi C.E. bathetha “iXesha Eliqhelekileyo,” ekudla ngokusetyenziswa abathi A.D., abamela uAnno Domini, othetha “ngonyaka weNkosi.”
c Incwadi ethi Textual Criticism of the Hebrew Bible, ebhalwe nguEmanuel Tov, ithi: “Ngokuncedwa yinkqubo yokuhlola izinto ezindala eyicarbon 14, i-1QIsaa [uMsongo kaIsaya woLwandle Olufileyo] kufunyaniswa ukuba ususela kowama-202 nowe-107 BCE (umhla wokubhalwa kwawo: 125-100 BCE) . . . Le nkqubo ikhankanywe apha yokufumanisa umhla eyabhalwa ngawo into neye yaphuculwa kwiminyaka yakutshanje, neyenza nibe nomhla oqinisekileyo wokubhalwa kwento leyo ngokuthelekisa indlela abami ngayo oonobumba nezinye izinto ezinomhla obhaliweyo kuzo njengeengqekembe zemali neminye imikrolo, iye yangqineka iyindlela enokuthenjwa.”6
d Kakade ke, abaguquleli basenokuba ngqongqo okanye bangaziguquleli njengokuba zinjalo izinto ezikwisiHebhere nesiGrike.
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 8]
IBhayibhile yalondolozwa ngabakhupheli abanenyameko
[Imifanekiso ekwiphepha 9]
UMsongo kaIsaya woLwandle Olufileyo (kuboniswe umbhalo okhutshelweyo) ofana twatse nemibhalo yamaMasora eyaveliswa kumawaka eminyaka kamva