Yayingoobani AmaMasorete?

UYEHOVA, ‘uThixo wenyaniso,’ uye walilondoloza iLizwi lakhe, iBhayibhile. (INdumiso 31:5) Kodwa ekubeni uSathana, utshaba lwenyaniso, eye wazama ukuyonakalisa nokuyitshabalalisa, iBhayibhile yafikelela njani kuthi ngokusisiseko isenjengoko yayibhaliwe?—Bona uMateyu 13:39.

Inxalenye yempendulo inokufunyanwa koko kwathethwa nguNjingalwazi Robert Gordis esithi: “Oko kwafezwa ngababhali abangamaHebhere, ababebizwa ngokuba ngamamasorete okanye ‘abalondolozi besithethe,’ bekungaxatyiswa ngokwaneleyo. Aba babhali bamagama angaziwayo bakhuphela iNcwadi Engcwele ngenyameko enkulu neyothando.” Nangona nanamhla singekawazi amagama enkoliso yaba bakhupheli, igama lenye intsapho yamaMasorete libhalwe ngokucacileyo—eyakwaBen Asher. Sazi ntoni ngayo nangamanye amaMasorete?

Intsapho YakwaBen Asher

Inxalenye yeBhayibhile ntlandlolo eyayibhalwe ngesiHebhere, ngokufuthi ebizwa ngokuba yiTestamente Endala, yakhutshelwa ngokuthembekileyo ngababhali abangamaYuda. Ukususela kwinkulungwane yesithandathu ukusa kweyeshumi yeXesha lethu Eliqhelekileyo, aba bakhupheli babebizwa ngokuba ngamaMasorete. Umsebenzi wabo wawubandakanya ntoni?

Kangangeenkulungwane isiHebhere sasibhalwa ngokusetyenziswa koonobumba bamaqabane kuphela, izikhamiso zifakelwa ngumfundi. Noko ke, ngexesha lamaMasorete, ubizo-magama olululo lwesiHebhere lwalungaqondwa ngokupheleleyo ngenxa yokuba amaYuda amaninzi ayengasalwazi kakuhle olo lwimi. Amaqela amaMasorete eBhabhiloni nakwaSirayeli asungula imiqondiso eyayibhalwa ijikeleze oonobumba bamaqabane ukubonisa indlela yokuthetha nobizo-magama olululo lwezikhamiso. Ubuncinane kwaveliswa iinkqubo ezahlukahlukeneyo ezintathu, kodwa eyona yangqineka inempembelelo yaba yileyo yamaMasorete aseTibheriya, ngakuLwandle lwaseGalili, ikhaya lentsapho yakwaBen Asher.

Imithombo idwelisa izizukulwana ezihlanu zamaMasorete zale ntsapho iphawulekayo, ukuqalela kuAsher Omdala wenkulungwane yesibhozo yeXesha lethu Eliqhelekileyo. Abanye yayinguNehemiah Ben Asher, uAsher Ben Nehemiah, uMoses Ben Asher, yaye, owokugqibela, yayinguAaron Ben Moses Ben Asher wenkulungwane yeshumi yeXesha lethu Eliqhelekileyo.a La madoda ayengawona aphambili kwabo babegqibelelisa iimpawu ezibhaliweyo ezaziya kubonakalisa kakuhle oko babekugqala kulubizo-magama olululo lombhalo weBhayibhile yesiHebhere. Ukuze bavelise ezi mpawu, kwakufuneka bamisele oko isekelwe kuko igrama yesiHebhere. Kwakungekho mithetho icacileyo yomgaqo-ntetho wesiHebhere eyayikhe yabhalwa. Ngoko ke, umntu usenokuthi la maMasorete ayephakathi kweengcali zokuqala zegrama yesiHebhere.

UAaron, umMasorete wokugqibela kwintsapho yakwaBen Asher, waba ngowokuqala ukubhala nokuhlela le nkcazelo. Wakwenza oko kwincwadi eyayinomxholo othi “Sefer Dikdukei ha-Te‘amim,” incwadi yokuqala enemithetho yegrama yesiHebhere. Le ncwadi kwasekelwa kuyo umsebenzi wezinye iingcali zegrama yesiHebhere kwiinkulungwane ezilandelayo. Kodwa lo yayingumphumo nje owongezelelekileyo womsebenzi owawubaluleke ngakumbi wamaMasorete. Yayinguwuphi loo msebenzi?

Kwakufuneka Inkumbulo Ephawulekayo

Into eyayixhalatyelwe kakhulu ngamaMasorete yayikukudluliselwa ngokuchanileyo kwegama ngalinye, kwanonobumba ngamnye, wombhalo weBhayibhile. Ukuze aqinisekise ukuchana, amaMasorete asebenzisa udini olusemacaleni kwiphepha ngalinye ebhala inkcazelo eyayingabonisa naluphi na utshintsho olwenziweyo embhalweni ngempazamo okanye ngabom ngabakhupheli bangaphambili. Kula manqaku aseludinini, amaMasorete akwabhala namagama angaqhelekanga nokuhlanganiswa kwawo, ephawula indlela avela ngokufuthi ngayo kwincwadi enye okanye kuzo zonke iZibhalo zesiHebhere. La magqabaza ayebhalwa ngemiqondiso eshunqulelwe kakhulu, ekubeni isithuba sasisincinane. Njengesixhobo esongezelelekileyo sokuhlola, ayephawula igama nonobumba osembindini kwiincwadi ezithile. Ayede abale nonobumba ngamnye weBhayibhile ukuze aqinisekise ukuba akhuphela ngokuchanileyo.

Eludinini oluphezulu nolusemazantsi ephepha, amaMasorete abhala amagqabaza amaninzi ngakumbi abhekisela kumanqaku athile ashunqulelweyo eludinini olusecaleni.b Oku kwakuluncedo ekuhloleni umsebenzi wawo. Ekubeni ngelo xesha iindinyana zazingaphawulwa ngamanani yaye kungekho zalatha-magama zeBhayibhile, amaMasorete ayebhekisela njani kwezinye iindawo eBhayibhileni ukuze enze oku kuhlola? Eludinini oluphezulu nolusemazantsi, adwelisa inxalenye yendinyana efanayo ukuze iwakhumbuze ukuba lifumaneka phi na elo gama okanye amagama kwenye indawo eBhayibhileni. Ngenxa yesithuba, ngokufuthi ayebhala nje igama elinye elisisikhokelo ukuze liwakhumbuze indinyana nganye efanayo. Ukuze la manqaku aseludinini abe luncedo, kwakuya kufuneka ukuba aba bakhupheli bazi phantse yonke iBhayibhile yesiHebhere ngentloko.

Uludwe olwalulude kakhulu ukuba lubhalwe eludinini lwalubhalwa kwelinye icandelo lombhalo-ngqangi. Ngokomzekelo, kwinqaku leMasora eliseludinini olusecaleni kwiGenesis 18:3 kukho oonobumba abathathu besiHebhere, קלד. Le yindlela yesiHebhere yokubhala inani elili-134. Kwelinye icandelo lombhalo-ngqangi, kukho uludwe olubonisa iindawo ezili-134 apho abakhupheli bexesha langaphambi kwamaMasorete balishenxisa ngabom igama elithi Yehova kumbhalo wesiHebhere, bebhala elithi “Nkosi” endaweni yalo.c Nangona ayelubona olu tshintsho, amaMasorete akazange akhethe ukuwuguqula umbhalo owadluliselwa kuwo. Kunoko, azibonisa ezi nguqulelo kumanqaku awo aseludinini. Kodwa kwakutheni ukuze amaMasorete abonakalise inyameko enkulu ngolo hlobo yokungawuguquli umbhalo xa abakhupheli bangaphambili babewuguqulile? Ngaba inkolelo yawo yesiYuda yayahlukile kuleyo yabo babengaphambi kwawo?

Yintoni Awayeyikholelwa?

Ebudeni beli thuba lenkqubela yamaMasorete, ubuYuda babutshone zwabha kwidabi elendeleyo leengcamango. Ukususela kwinkulungwane yokuqala yeXesha lethu Eliqhelekileyo, ubuYuda boorabhi babulwandisa ulawulo lwabo. Ngokubhalwa kweTalmud nokucaciswa komthetho ngoorabhi, umbhalo weBhayibhile wawugqalwa njengongabalulekanga njengengcaciso yoorabhi yomthetho owanikelwa ngomlomo. Ngoko ke, ukulondolozwa ngenyameko kombhalo weBhayibhile ngekwakuphelelwe kukubaluleka kwako.

Kwinkulungwane yesibhozo, iqela elaziwa ngokuba ngamaKaraite laluvukela olu tyekelo. Ukuze ligxininise ukubaluleka kokuba nesifundo sobuqu seBhayibhile, lalichasa igunya neengcaciso zoorabhi neTalmud. Lamkela umbhalo weBhayibhile kuphela njengegunya lalo. Oku kwayikhulisa imfuneko yokudluliselwa ngokuchanileyo kwaloo mbhalo, yaye izifundo zeMasora zaba namandla avuselelweyo.

Inkolelo yoorabhi okanye yamaKaraite yawuphembelela ngomlinganiselo ongakanani umsebenzi wamaMasorete? UM. H. Goshen-Gottstein, ingcali yemibhalo-ngqangi yeBhayibhile yesiHebhere, uthi: “AmaMasorete ayeyisekile . . . lelokuba ayegcina isithethe samandulo, yaye ukuphazamisana naso ngabom kuwo kwakuya kuba lolona lwaphulo-mthetho lwakha lwalubi.”

AmaMasorete akugqala ukukhuphela ngokufanelekileyo umbhalo weBhayibhile njengomsebenzi ongcwele. Nangona wona ngokobuqu asenokuba ayeshukunyiswe zezinye iingcamango zonqulo, kubonakala ukuba umsebenzi wamaMasorete wona awuzange uphenjelelwe zezo mbambano zeengcamango. Amanqaku amafutshane aseludinini akanikeli thuba lingako lengxoxo yezakwalizwi. Umbhalo weBhayibhile wawuyeyona nto ayeyixhalabele ebomini; ayengenakuphazamisana nawo.

Ukungenelwa Kumsebenzi Wawo

Nangona uSirayeli wemvelo wayengasengobantu bakaThixo abanyuliweyo, aba bakhupheli bangamaYuda babezinikele ngokupheleleyo ekulilondolozeni ngokuchanileyo iLizwi likaThixo. (Mateyu 21:42-44; 23:37, 38) Oko kwafezwa yintsapho yakwaBen Asher namanye amaMasorete kushwankathelwa kakuhle nguRobert Gordis, owabhala oku: “Aba basebenzi bathobekileyo kodwa ababengenakoyiswa . . . benza ngokufihlakeleyo umsebenzi wabo omkhulu nonzima wokulondoloza uMbhalo weBhayibhile ukuze ungalahleki okanye uguqulwe.” (The Biblical Text in the Making) Ngenxa yoko, xa abo balweli boHlaziyo benkulungwane ye-16 abanjengoLuther noTyndale batyeshela igunya lecawa baza baqalisa ukuguqulela iBhayibhile beyisa kwiilwimi eziqhelekileyo ukuze bonke abantu bayifunde, babenombhalo wesiHebhere ogcinwe kakuhle ababenokuwusebenzisa njengesiseko somsebenzi wabo.

Umsebenzi wamaMasorete uyaqhubeka usizisela iingenelo nanamhlanje. Imibhalo yawo yesiHebhere kusekelwe kuyo iZibhalo zesiHebhere zeNew World Translation of the Holy Scriptures. Le nguqulelo iyaqhubeka iguqulelwa kwiilwimi ezininzi ngomoya ofanayo wokuzinikela nokuxhalabela ukuchana owaboniswa ngamaMasorete amandulo. Sifanele sibonise umoya ofanayo ekunikeleni ingqalelo kwiLizwi likaYehova uThixo.—2 Petros 1:19.

[Imibhalo esemazantsi]

[Ibhokisi ekwiphepha 28]

Inkqubo Yobizo-magama LwesiHebhere

UKUFUNA eyona ndlela ilungileyo yokubhala iimpawu zezikhamiso nezokuthetha kwaqhubeka kangangeenkulungwane phakathi kwamaMasorete. Ngenxa yoko, akumangalisi ukufumanisa ukuba kukho inkqubela eqhubekayo kwisizukulwana ngasinye sentsapho yakwaBen Asher. Imibhalo-ngqangi ekhoyo ibonisa izimbo neendlela zokubhala zamaMasorete amabini okugqibela entsapho yakwaBen Asher, uMoses noAaron.d Ukufunda ngokuthelekisa le mibhalo-ngqangi kubonisa ukuba uAaron wavelisa imithetho engeengongoma ezithile ezincinane zobizo-magama nobhalo eyathi yahluka kuleyo kayise, uMoses.

UBen Naphtali wayephila ngexesha lokuphila kuka-Aaron Ben Asher. ICairo Codex kaMoses Ben Asher iqulethe iingcaciso ezininzi ekuthiwa zezikaBen Naphtali. Ngoko ke, isenokuba uBen Naphtali wayefunda phantsi kukaMoses Ben Asher okanye bobabini bagcina isithethe esifanayo esidala ngakumbi. Abaphengululi abaninzi bathetha ngomahluko okhoyo phakathi kweendlela zikaBen Asher noBen Naphtali, kodwa uM. H. Goshen-Gottstein ubhala oku: “Bekungayi kuba kukuyicezela inyaniso ukuthetha ngeenkqubo ezimbini ezingaphantsi kwintsapho yakwaBen Asher nokuwubiza ngolu hlobo umahluko weengcaciso: UBen Asher nxamnye noBen Asher.” Ngoko bekuya kuba akuchananga ukuthetha ngendlela enye kaBen Asher. Asikokuba iindlela zika-Aaron Ben Asher ngokusisiseko zazibalasele okwabangela ukuba zibe yeyona mo yamkelwayo ekugqibeleni. Ekuphela kwesizathu sokuba kukhethwe umbhalo ka-Aaron Ben Asher kukuba umphengululi weTalmud wenkulungwane ye-12 uMoses Maimonides wawuncoma.

[Artwork—Hebrew characters]

Inxalenye ye-Eksodus 6:2 enamachaphaza amele izikhamiso neempawu zokufunda nengenawo

[Umbhalo osemazantsi]

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 26]

ETibheriya, isazulu somsebenzi wamaMasorete ukususela ngenkulungwane yesibhozo ukusa kweyeshumi

[Inkcazelo]

Pictorial Archive (Near Eastern History) Est.