Ngaba Le Ncwadi Inokuthenjwa?

“Ndifumanisa ukuba buninzi gqitha ubungqina bokuba iBhayibhile ichanile kunayo nayiphi na enye incwadi yembali [yehlabathi].”—UMhlekazi uIsaac Newton, isazinzulu esiliNgesi esaziwayo.⁠¹

NGABA le ncwadi—iBhayibhile—inokuthenjwa? Ngaba abantu ethetha ngabo babephila ngokwenene, indawo ethetha ngazo zakha zakho ngokwenene, yaye iziganeko zayo zenzeka ngokwenene? Ukuba kunjalo, bumele budandalaze ubungqina bokuba yabhalwa ngababhali abanenyameko nabanyanisekileyo. Bukho ubungqina boko. Uninzi lwabo bufunyenwe bugqunyelelwe ngumhlaba, yaye obungakumbi bukuloo ncwadi ngokwayo.

Ukumba Ubungqina

Ukufunyaniswa kwezinto ezenziwe ngabantu zamandulo phantsi komhlaba kumazwe eyabhalelwa kuwo iBhayibhile kuxhasa ukuba iBhayibhile ichanile ngokuphathelele imbali namazwe ethetha ngawo. Qwalasela obunye ubungqina obembiwe ngabembi bezinto zamandulo.

UDavide, umalusi wamandulo okhaliphileyo owaba ngukumkani wakwaSirayeli, waziwa ngabo bonke abafundi beBhayibhile. Igama lakhe livela izihlandlo ezili-1 138 eBhayibhileni, yaye ibinzana elithi “Indlu kaDavide”—elidla ngokubhekisela kubukhosi bakhe—livela izihlandlo ezingama-25. (1 Samuweli 16:13; 20:16) Noko ke, bebungekabikho ubungqina obucacileyo obubobunye ngaphandle kweBhayibhile bokuba uDavide wakha wakho. Ngaba uDavide wayengumntu wasentsomini?

Ngowe-1993 iqela labembi bezinto zakudala, elalikhokelwa nguNjingalwazi Avraham Biran, lafumana nto ithile ebalaseleyo, eyapapashwa kwi-Israel Exploration Journal. Kwisiganga esikwindawo yamandulo eyayibizwa ngokuba yiTel Dan, kwinxalenye esemantla akwaSirayeli, lafumana ilitye elithile elilukhuni. Kwelo litye kwakukrolwe amazwi athi “Indlu kaDavide” nathi “UKumkani wakwaSirayeli.”⁠² Kuthiwa amazwi awayebhalwe apho, ayebhalwe kwinkulungwane yesithoba ngaphambi kweXesha Eliqhelekileyo, ayesisikhumbuzo soloyiso awabhalwa ngama-Aramiki—iintshaba zamaSirayeli ezazihlala empuma. Yintoni owawubaluleke ngayo loo mbhalo ukroliweyo?

Lisebenzisa ingxelo kaNjingalwazi Biran nogxa wakhe, uNjingalwazi Joseph Naveh, inqaku elithi Biblical Archaeology Review lathi: “Esi sisihlandlo sokuqala ukuba igama likaDavide lifunyanwe kwenye into ebhaliweyo engeyiyo iBhayibhile.”⁠³a Kukho enye into obalasele ngayo lo mbhalo ukroliweyo. Ibinzana elithi “Indlu kaDavide” libhalwe njengegama elinye. Ingcali ngeelwimi uNjingalwazi Anson Rainey usityebisela enjenje: “Ngokuqhelekileyo iqhagamshela . . . liye lisuswe, ngokukodwa xa loo magama adityanisiweyo ingamagama ento eyaziwayo. Ngokuqinisekileyo ‘Indlu kaDavide’ yayiligama lento eyaziwayo kwezopolitiko nakwezentlalo phakathi kwinkulungwane yesithoba ngaphambi kweXesha Eliqhekileyo.”⁠⁵ Ngoko uKumkani uDavide nobukhosi bakhe kubonakala ukuba babedumile mandulo.

Ngaba iNineve—isixeko esikhulu saseAsiriya ekuthethwa ngaso eBhayibhileni—sakha sakho ngokwenene? Izolo oku ngenkulungwane ye-19, bambi abahlalutyi beBhayibhile babengakukholelwa oko. Kodwa ngowe-1849, uMhlekazi Austen Henry Layard wemba amabhodlo ebhotwe likaKumkani uSaneribhe eKuyunjik, ndawo leyo engqineke iyinxalenye yeNineve yamandulo. Abo bahlalutyi baba ziinkuku ezisikw’ umlomo emva kokuba kufunyaniswe oko. Kodwa kwakukho nokunye okwakugushwe ngaloo mabhodlo. Kwiindonga zelinye igumbi elalingonakalanga ngokupheleleyo kwakukho umfanekiso wokuhlaselwa kwesixeko esinqatyisiweyo, nowabathinjwa ababekhatshelwa nguloo kumkani ubathimbileyo. Entla kwaloo kumkani kwakubhalwe la mazwi: “USaneribhe, ukumkani wehlabathi, ukumkani waseAsiriya, uhleli kwitrone yenîmedu ibe ugqiba kuhlola ixhoba (alifumene) eLakishe (La-ki-su).”⁠⁶

Lo mfanekiso nala mazwi, onokuzibonela wona kwiBritish Museum, avumelana ncam nengxelo yeBhayibhile yokuba isixeko sakwaYuda iLakishe sahlaselwa nguSaneribhe, ebhalwe kweyesi-2 yooKumkani 18:13, 14. Ehlomla ngokubaluleka koko kwafunyanwayo, uLayard wabhala wathi: “Ngaphambi kokuba kufunyaniswe oku, ngubani owayesazi ukuba mhlawumbi okanye kusenokwenzeka ukuba kwezo nduli nakuloo nkunkuma ikummandla owawuyiNineve, kungafunyanwa imbali yeemfazwe phakathi kukaHezekiya [ukumkani wakwaYuda] noSaneribhe, neyabhalwa ngexesha ekwakusenzeka ngalo oko yaye ibhalwa nguSaneribhe ngokwakhe, neyenza nezona nkcukacha zeBhayibhile ezincinane zicace gca?”⁠⁷

Zikho nezinye izinto ezenziwe ngabantu ezembiwe ngabembi bezinto zakudala—izinto zomdongwe, amabhodlo ezakhiwo, amacwecwe amatye, iingqekembe zemali, amaxwebhu, amatye ezikhumbuzo namazwi akroliweyo—ezingqinela ukuchana kweBhayibhile. Abembi bezinto zakudala baye bafumanisa isixeko samaKhaledi iUre, esasiliziko lezorhwebo nonqulo apho wayehlala khona uAbraham.⁠⁸ (Genesis 11:27-31) INcwadi Yengxelo Yeziganeko kaNabonidus, eyavunjululwa kwinkulungwane ye-19, ichaza ukoyiswa kweBhabhiloni nguKoreshi Omkhulu ngowama-539 B.C.E., siganeko eso esibaliswa kuDaniyeli isahluko 5.⁠⁹ Omnye umbhalo okroliweyo (iingceba zawo ezigcinwe kwiBritish Museum) owafunyanwa kwiveranda enegophe kwiTesalonika yamandulo unamagama abalawuli bezixeko ababizwa ngokuba zii-“politarchs,” gama elo lingekhoyo kuncwadi lwamandulo lwesiGrike kodwa lisetyenzisiwe ngumbhali weBhayibhile uLuka.⁠¹⁰ (IZenzo 17:6, thelekisa umbhalo osemazantsi weNW.) Oko kwanceda ekuqinisekiseni ukuchana kwencwadi kaLuka—njengokuba kwakunjalo ngezinye iinkcukacha zayo.—Thelekisa uLuka 1:3.

Noko ke, abembi bezinto zakudala badla ngokuphikisana kwabodwa, singasathethi ke ngeBhayibhile. Noxa kunjalo, iBhayibhile inobungqina obuphathekayo obukuyo nobubonisa ukuba inokuthenjwa.

Inenkcazelo Engangxengwanga

Ababhali-mbali abanyanisekileyo baye babhale iingxelo ezingoloyiso (njengezo zabhalwa ngokuthimba kukaSaneribhe iLakishe) kodwa baye bazibhale nezingokoyiswa, ababhali iingxelo ezingempumelelo kuphela kodwa neentsilelo, ababhali ngokomelela kuphela kodwa nobuthathaka. Bambalwa ababhali-mbali behlabathi abanyaniseke ngolo hlobo.

Ehlomla ngombhali-mbali waseAsiriya, uDaniel D. Luckenbill utyatyadula athi: “Amaxesha amaninzi ngenxa yokuzingca kwabo basebukhosini kwakuye kunyanzeleke ukuba ukuchana kwembali kungxengwe.”⁠¹¹ Esenza umzekelo welo ‘kratshi kwabasebukhosini,’ kwiingxelo ezingoKumkani waseAsiriya uAshurnasirpal uqhayisa esithi: “Ndiyingqonyela, ndiyingqangangqanga, ndiyingqwangangqwili, ndiligorha, ndinendili, ndinesithozela, ndinesihomo, ndingumakhwekhwetha, ndinamandla, ndilikroti, ndikhaliphe okwengonyama, yaye ndothulelw’ umnqwazi!”⁠¹² Ngaba ungatsho ukuba zonke izinto ezikuloo ngxelo ziyimbali echanileyo?

Ngokwahlukileyo koko, ababhali beBhayibhile babenikela ingxelo engangxengwanga. UMoses, inkokheli yakwaSirayeli, akazange azifihle iintsilelo zomntakwabo, uAron, nezikadadewabo uMiriyam, ezomtshana wakhe uNadabhi noAbhihu, nezabantu bakhe, kwanezakhe siqu. (Eksodus 14:11, 12; 32:1-6; Levitikus 10:1, 2; Numeri 12:1-3; 20:9-12; 27:12-14) Iimpazamo ezinzulu zikaKumkani uDavide azizange zifihlwe kodwa zabhalwa—ibe zabhalwa ngoxa uDavide wayesabambe iintambo njengokumkani. (2 Samuweli, isahluko 11 nesama-24) UMateyu, owabhala incwadi ebizwa ngegama lakhe, usichazela indlela abapostile (awayengomnye wabo naye) ababephikisana ngayo ngokubaluleka kwabo nendlela abamshiya ngayo uYesu ngobusuku bokubanjwa kwakhe. (Mateyu 20:20-24; 26:56) Ababhali beeleta ezikwiZibhalo zamaKristu zesiGrike bazichaza njengokuba zinjalo iingxaki, ezaziquka ukuziphatha okubi ngokwesini neeyantlukwano, ezaziqhubeka kumabandla amaKristu enkulungwane yokuqala. Yaye babengashwantshwathi xa bethetha ngezo ngxaki.—1 Korinte 1:10-13; 5:1-13.

Ukungqala nokuchaza izinto ngokuphandle ngolo hlobo kubonisa ukuba babeyixhalabele inyaniso. Ekubeni ababhali beBhayibhile babekulungele ukuchaza ingxelo engentle ngabo babathandayo, ngabantu babo, nangabo ziqu, ngaba eso asisosizathu sivakalayo sokuba oko bakubhalayo kumele kuthenjwe?

Iinkcukacha Zayo Zichanile

Kumatyala asenkundleni oko kuthethwa lingqina kudla ngokubonwa kwizinto ezincinane ukuba kunokuthenjwa kusini na. Ukuvumelana kweenkcukacha ezincinane kusenokuqinisekisa ukuba obo bungqina buchanile yaye buyinyaniso, ngoxa ukuphikisana kwazo okunzulu kusenokudiza ukuba liyaxoka. Kwelinye icala, ingxelo ecetywe kakuhle—ecubungula neenkcukacha ezincinane—nayo isenokudiza ukuba ibubuxoki.

“Ubungqina” bababhali beBhayibhile bumi phi kule nkalo? Ababhali beBhayibhile babengqinelana ngeyona ndlela. Bavumelana nangezona nkcukacha zincinane. Noko ke, oko kuvisisana kwabo akucetywanga ngendlela enokude ibangele umntu arhanele ukuba kuyiliwe. Lizicacele elokuba ukufana kweziganeko zabo kwakungacetywanga, ababhali bayo babesoloko bevumelana phofu bona bengaqondi. Qwalasela eminye yaloo mizekelo.

Umbhali weBhayibhile uMateyu wabhala: “Waza uYesu, akufika endlwini kaPetros, wabona umkhwekazi wakhe elele phantsi yaye egula ngumkhuhlane.” (Mateyu 8:14) Apha uMateyu wayesichazela okuthile okunik’ umdla nangona kungabalulekanga: UPetros wayetshatile. Eli solotyana lixhaswa nguPawulos, owabhala wathi: “Ngaba mna andinalo ilungelo lokuhamba nomfazi ongumKristu, ngokufanayo nabanye abapostile kunye . . . noKefas?”b (1 Korinte 9:5, The New English Bible) Umongo ubonisa ukuba uPawulos wayezithethelela ekugxekweni ngokungeyomfuneko. (1 Korinte 9:1-4) Ngokucacileyo le nkalo incinane—yokuba uPetros wayetshatile—uPawulos akayibhalelanga kuxhasa ukuchana kwengxelo kaMateyu kodwa iye yadibana ngokuzenzekelayo.

Bonke ababhali abane beeVangeli—uMateyu, uMarko, uLuka noYohane—banikela ingxelo yokuba ngobusuku bokubanjwa kukaYesu, omnye wabafundi bakhe wakhupha ikrele waza waxabela ngalo ikhoboka lombingeleli omkhulu wamnqumla indlebe. YiVangeli kaYohane kuphela enikela ingxelo ebonakala ingeyomfuneko yokuba: “Igama lekhoboka elo lalinguMalko.” (Yohane 18:10, 26) Kwakutheni ukuze ibe nguYohane kuphela ochaza igama lale ndoda? Kwiindinyana ezimbalwa ezingezantsi kunikelwa ingxelo engabalulekanga engachazwanga naphi na yokuba: uYohane “wayesaziwa ngumbingeleli omkhulu.” Kwakhona wayesaziwa nakwindlu yombingeleli omkhulu; wayeqhelene nabakhonzi balapho. (Yohane 18:15, 16) Ngoko ke kwakulindelekile ukuba uYohane alichaze igama lale ndoda yenzakaliswayo, ngoxa abanye ababhali beVangeli, ababengayazi le ndoda, bengalichazi.

Maxa wambi, ezinye iinkcukacha ezibhekele phaya ziye zingabikho kwenye ingxelo kodwa uzifumane kwenye indawo kumazwi athethwa nje kudlulwa. Ngokomzekelo, ingxelo kaMateyu yokuxoxwa kwetyala likaYesu kwiSanhedrin yamaYuda ithi bambi abantu ababelapho “bammpakaza ebusweni, besithi: ‘Siprofetele, wena Kristu. Ngubani okubethileyo?’” (Mateyu 26:67, 68) Yintoni eyayibangela ukuba bacele uYesu ‘abaprofetele’ ukuba ngubani ombethileyo, ngoxa loo mntu wayembethile wayemi apho phambi kwakhe? UMateyu akasichazeli. Kodwa abanye ababhali beVangeli ababini bayasinika loo nkcazelo singayifumananga: Abatshutshisi bakaYesu bagqubuthela ubuso bakhe ngaphambi kokuba bammpakaze. (Marko 14:65; Luka 22:64) UMateyu wayenikela ingxelo engazikhathazi ngokucubungula nobucukubhede obungenani.

IVangeli kaYohane isichazela ngezihlandlo apho izihlwele zazihlanganisene zize kuphulaphula imfundiso kaYesu. Ngokwengxelo yakhe, xa uYesu wazibonayo izihlwele, “wathi kuFilipu: ‘Siya kuzithenga phi na izonka ukuze aba badle?’” (Yohane 6:5) Yintoni eyayibangela ukuba uYesu abuze uFilipu ngendawo ekwakunokuthengwa kuyo izonka ngoxa babelapho bonke abafundi bakhe? Lo mbhali akasichazeli. Noko ke, kwingxelo engqamene naleyo, uLuka usichazela ukuba oku kwenzeka eBhethesayida, sixeko eso esikunxweme olukumntla woLwandle lwaseGalili, yaye ngaphambilana iVangeli kaYohane ithi “uFilipu wayengowaseBhethesayida.” (Yohane 1:44; Luka 9:10) Ngoko kwakusengqiqweni ukuba uYesu abuze umntu wakuloo dolophu ikufutshane. Ibangel’ umdla ngokwenene indlela ezivumelana ngayo ezo nkcukacha, kodwa lizicacele elokuba azicetywanga.

Kwezinye iimeko xa kushiyelelwe iinkcukacha ezithile oko kwenza loo mbhali weBhayibhile athenjwe ngakumbi. Ngokomzekelo, umbhali weyoku-1 yooKumkani usichazela ngembalela eyayigquba kwaSirayeli. Yayigquba kangangokuba ukumkani wayengenamanzi nangca yokutyisa amahashe neemeyile zakhe. (1 Kumkani 17:7; 18:5) Ukanti kwale ngxelo ikwanye iphinda isichazele ngoEliya owayalela ukuba aphathelwe amanzi amaninzi kwiNtaba yeKarmele (awayeza kuwasebenzisa ekwenzeni umbingelelo) awayeza kuzalisa umsele owawumalunga nezikwemitha ezili-1 000. (1 Kumkani 18:33-35) Kuloo mbalela ingako, ayeza kuvela phi amanzi angako? Umbhali weyoku-1 yooKumkani akazange azikhathaze ngokusichazela oko. Noko ke, nabani na ohlala kwaSirayeli wayesazi ukuba iKarmele yayikunxweme loLwandle lweMeditera, naloo ngxelo iyakuchaza oko idlula. (1 Kumkani 18:43) Ngaloo ndlela, ngamanzi olwandle awayenokufumaneka ukuze enze oko. Ukuba le ncwadi izaliswe zezinye iinkcukacha yayijikwa kuba kufunwa ibonakale iyinyaniso, kwakutheni ukuze loo mbhali, owayemele ukuba wayelichule ekujikeni ubuxoki bube yinyaniso, aze alibale ukuchaza into ebonakala iphikisana naloo mbhalo?

Ngoko ngaba iBhayibhile inokuthenjwa? Abembi bezinto zamandulo baye bemba izinto ezininzi eziqinisekisa ukuba iBhayibhile ithetha ngabantu bokwenene, iindawo zokwenene neziganeko ezenzeka ngokwenene. Noko ke, obona bungqina bunesihlahla bobo bufumaneka eBhayibhileni. Ababhali bayo abanyanisekileyo abazange bafihle nto—nephathelele iziqu zabo—xa babenikela ingxelo yoko kwenzekayo. Ukuvumelana kwayo, nokudibana okungacetywanga kweziganeko kwenza “ubungqina” bayo buvakale buyinyaniso. Ngenxa ‘yobo bungqina bayo buninzi bokuba ichanile,’ iBhayibhile ngokwenene iyincwadi onokuyithemba.

[Imibhalo esemazantsi]

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 15]

Iingceba zelitye laseTel Dan

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 16, 17]

Udonga lwaseAsiriya olubonisa ukurhangqwa kweLakishe, okukhankanywe kweyesi-2 yooKumkani 18:13, 14