Indlela IBhayibhile Eyeza Ngayo Kuthi—Icandelo Lokuqalaa
KWIGUNJANA lokusebenzela, umshicileli kunye nabafana abaqeqeshayo ngesingqi esithile basebenzisa umatshini wabo wokushicilela owakhelwe eplangeni, befaka amaphepha angabhalwanga ngenyameko kwindawo yokuchwetheza. Njengoko bewakhupha, bahlola amagama ashicilelweyo. Ukuze ome, la maphepha asongiweyo bawaxhoma kwintambo ebotshelelwe ukunqamleza udonga.
Ngequbuliso, kunkqonkqozwa ngamandla emnyango. Othukile, lo mshicileli uvula ucango, ibe iqela lamajoni axhobe af’ amacala limbonzeleka ngaphakathi. Aqalisa ukufuna eyona ncwadi ingafunwayo kwezingekho mthethweni—iBhayibhile ngolwimi olwaziwa ngabantu!
Afike sekophulwe. Ekubeni elunyukisiwe ngengozi, umguquleli nomnye omncedisayo sele bebaleke baya kufika kweli gunjana lokusebenzela, baqoqosha yonke loo mfumba yamaphepha, ibe ngoku bayasaba benyusa uMlambo iRhine. Ubuncinane bayisindisile inxalenye yomsebenzi wabo.
Lo mguquleli yayinguWilliam Tyndale, ezama ukushicilela “iTestamente Entsha” yakhe yesiNgesi eyayingamkelekanga ngokusemthethweni eCologne, eJamani, ngowe-1525. Kwathi kanti asinguye yedwa owayeza kujamelana namava anjalo. Ukutyhubela iminyaka ephantse ibe li-1900 ukususela ekugqityweni kokubhalwa kweBhayibhile, amadoda namabhinqa amaninzi aye azibeka engozini yokulahlekelwa yinto yonke ukuze aguqulele yaye asasaze iLizwi likaThixo. Nathi namhlanje siyangenelwa ngenxa yomsebenzi wawo. Enza ntoni? Ezi Bhayibhile siziphetheyo ngoku zeza njani kuthi?
Ukukhutshelwa Nokuguqulelwa KweBhayibhile Mandulo
Abakhonzi bokwenene bakaThixo bebesoloko beligqala njengento ebalulekileyo iLizwi lakhe. INew Catholic Encyclopedia iyavuma: “Njengookhokho bawo ababengamaYuda, amaKristu okuqala ayekuxabisa ukulesa iiNcwadi Ezingcwele. Belandela umzekelo kaYesu (Mat 4.4; 5.18; Luk 24.44; Yoh 5.39), abaPostile babeqhelene ne[Testamente Endala] nto leyo ebonisa ukuba babeyilesa yaye beyifundisisa ngenyameko, ibe babongoza abafundi babo ukuba benjenjalo (Rom 15.4; 2 Tim 3.15-17).”
Ngenxa yoko, kwafuneka iBhayibhile ikhutshelwe. Kumaxesha angaphambi kobuKristu, inkoliso yalo msebenzi yayisenziwa ngoompondo-zihlanjiwe ‘babakhupheli abanobuchule’ ababekoyika gqitha ukwenza impazamo. (Ezra 7:6, 11, 12, NW) Bezabalazela ukwenza umsebenzi ogqibeleleyo, bamisela umgangatho ophakamileyo kamva owawuza kulandelwa ngabo bonke abakhupheli beBhayibhile.
Noko ke, kwaphakama ucelomngeni oluthile ebudeni benkulungwane yesine ngaphambi kweXesha Eliqhelekileyo. UAlesandire Omkhulu wayefuna bonke abantu abasehlabathini bafundiswe inkcubeko yamaGrike. Ukuthimba kwakhe imihlaba kwabangela ukuba ekugqibeleni isiGrike esiqhelekileyo, okanye isiKoine, sibe lulwimi olwaluthethwa kuwo wonke uMbindi Mpuma. Ngenxa yoko, amaYuda amaninzi akhula engazange akwazi ukufunda isiHebhere ibe ngoko ayengakwazi ukufunda iZibhalo. Ngoko ke, malunga nowama-280 B.C.E., iqela labaphengululi abangamaHebhere lahlanganisana eAlexandria, eYiputa, ukuze liguqulele iBhayibhile yesiHebhere kulwimi oluqhelekileyo lwesiKoine. Inguqulelo yalo ekugqibeleni yabizwa ngokuba yiSeptuagint, igama lesiLatini elithetha “Amashumi asixhenxe,” libhekisela kwinani labaguquleli ekucingelwa ukuba babebandakanyekile. Yagqitywa malunga nowe-150 B.C.E.
Ngexesha likaYesu, isiHebhere sasisasetyenziswa ePalestina. Kodwa olona lwimi lwaluqhelekile apho nakumaphondo akude amaRoma yayisisiKoine. Ngenxa yoko, ababhali beBhayibhile ababengamaKristu basebenzisa olu hlobo luqhelekileyo lwesiGrike ukuze bafikelele abantu beentlanga abaninzi kangangoko kunokwenzeka. Kwakhona, bacaphula ngokukhululekileyo kwiSeptuagint baza basebenzisa uninzi lwesigama sayo.
Ekubeni amaKristu okuqala ayengabavangeli abanenzondelelo, kungekudala baba ziincutshe ekusebenziseni iSeptuagint ukuze banikele ubungqina bokuba uYesu wayenguMesiya ekwakukudala elindelwe. Oku kwawacaphukisa amaYuda kwaza kwawabangela ukuba avelise iinguqulelo ezithile ezintsha zesiGrike, ezazenzelwe ukuphikisana neenkolelo zamaKristu ngokuguqula iindinyana awayezisebenzisa ukuxhasa iimfundiso zawo. Ngokomzekelo, kuIsaya 7:14 iSeptuagint yayisebenzise igama lesiGrike elithetha “intombi enyulu,” ngokwesiprofeto ibhekisela kunina kaMesiya. Iinguqulelo ezintsha zasebenzisa igama elahlukileyo lesiGrike, elithetha “ibhinqa eliselula.” Ukuqhubeka kwamaKristu esebenzisa iSeptuagint ekugqibeleni kwabangela ukuba amaYuda alilahle ngokupheleleyo eli qhinga lawo aze akhuthaze ukusetyenziswa kwesiHebhere kwakhona. Ekugqibeleni, esi senzo saba luncedo kamva ekuguqulelweni kweBhayibhile kuba sanceda ekulondolozeni ulwimi lwesiHebhere.
Abapapashi Bokuqala Beencwadi ZamaKristu
AmaKristu okuqala awayenenzondelelo aqalisa ukuvelisa imibhalo yeBhayibhile emininzi kangangoko kunokwenzeka, yonke ikhutshelwa ngesandla. Kwakhona aba ngawokuqala ukusebenzisa umbhalo-ngqangi, owawunamaphepha afana nawencwadi yale mihla, kunokuqhubeka esebenzisa imisongo. Ngaphandle kokuba luncedo ekufumaneni izibhalo ngokukhawuleza, umbhalo-ngqangi wawunokuba nenkcazelo engakumbi kuneyayinokubhalwa kumsongo omnye—ngokomzekelo, wawunokuqulatha zonke iZibhalo zesiGrike okanye kwaneBhayibhile iphela.
Uluhlu lweencwadi zeZibhalo zamaKristu zesiGrike lwagqitywa malunga nowama-98 C.E. ngencwadi yompostile wokugqibela owayesaphila, uYohane. Kukho inxalenye ethile yombhalo wencwadi yeVangeli kaYohane, ebizwa ngokuba yiRylands Papyrus 457 (P52), esusela ngaphambi kowe-125 C.E. Ukususela kowe-150 ukusa kowe-170 C.E., uTatian, umfundi kaJustin Martyr, wavelisa iDiatessaron, ingxelo eyintlanganisela yobomi bukaYesu eyayithatyathwe kwiincwadi ezine zeVangeli ezifumaneka kwezi Bhayibhile sizisebenzisayo ngoku.b Oku kubonisa ukuba zezo ncwadi zeVangeli kuphela awayezigqala njengezichanileyo ibe zazisele zifundwa ngabantu. Malunga nowe-170 C.E., uludwe lokuqala ngqa olwaziwayo lweencwadi “zeTestamente Entsha,” olwalubizwa ngokuba yiMuratorian Fragment, lwaveliswa. Ludwelisa inkoliso yeencwadi zeZibhalo zamaKristu zesiGrike.
Ukunwenwa kweenkolelo zamaKristu kungekudala kwabangela ukuba kufuneke iinguqulelo zeZibhalo zamaKristu zesiGrike kunye neZibhalo zesiHebhere. Ekugqibeleni kwaveliswa iinguqulelo ezininzi ngesiArmenia, isiCoptic, isiGeorgia nesiSyriac. Ngokufuthi kwakusenziwa oonobumba abathile ukuze kufezwe loo njongo. Ngokomzekelo, kuthiwa u-Ulfilas, ubhishopu wenkulungwane yesine weCawa yamaRoma, wayila oonobumba besiGothic ukuze aguqulele iBhayibhile. Kodwa wazishiya iincwadi zooKumkani kuba wayecinga ukuba zaziza kukukhuthaza ukuthanda ukulwa kwamaGoth. Noko ke, loo nto ayizange iwathintele amaGoth “awayeguqulelwe ebuKristwini” ekubeni aphange iRoma ngowama-410 C.E.!
IBhayibhile YesiLatini NeyesiSlavonic
Ngelo xesha, isiLatini saba lulwimi olubalulekileyo, ibe kwavela iinguqulelo eziliqela zesiLatini Samandulo. Kodwa zazahlukile ngendlela ezazibhalwe ngayo nangokuchana kwazo. Ngoko ngowama-382 C.E., uPopu Damasus wathuma unobhala wakhe, uJerome, ukuba aguqulele iBhayibhile yesiLatini esemthethweni.
UJerome waqala ngokuhlaziya iinguqulelo zesiLatini zeZibhalo zamaKristu zesiGrike. Noko ke, kwiZibhalo zesiHebhere wagxininisa ekubeni aziguqulele ngokusuka kwisiHebhere santlandlolo. Ngaloo ndlela, ngowama-386 C.E., wafudukela eBhetelehem ukuze afunde isiHebhere aze afumane uncedo kurabhi othile. Le nto yaphakamisa imbambano enkulu ecaweni. Bambi, kuquka uAugustine owayephila ngexesha likaJerome, babekholelwa kwelokuba iSeptuagint yayiphefumlelwe, yaye bamgxeka uJerome ngenxa “yokubhenela emaYudeni.” Ethe chu, uJerome wawugqiba umsebenzi wakhe malunga nowama-400 C.E. Ngokusondela kumthombo weelwimi nemibhalo yantlandlolo nangokuyiguqulela kulwimi olwalusetyenziswa ngelo xesha, uJerome wayephambili ngewaka leminyaka kwiinkqubo zokuguqulela zala maxesha. Inguqulelo yakhe yabizwa ngokuba yiVulgate, okanye iNguqulelo Eqhelekileyo, ibe yaba yingenelo ebantwini kangangeenkulungwane.
KwiNgqobhoko esempuma abaninzi babesayifunda iSeptuagint neZibhalo zamaKristu zesiGrike. Noko ke, iilwimi neziyelelane zesiSlavonic okanye isiSlavic, zaya zisetyenziswa ngumntu wonke kwimimandla ekwimpuma Yurophu. Ngowama-863 C.E., uCyril noMethodius ababethetha isiGrike nababezalwa ngumntu omnye, baya eMoravia, ngoku ekwiCzech Republic. Baqalisa ukuguqulela iBhayibhile kwisiSlavonic Esidala. Ukuze benze oku, bayila oonobumba beGlagolica, kamva abathi bathatyathelw’ indawo ngoonobumba beCyrillic, ababethiywe ngoCyril. Aba nobumba baba ngumthombo woonobumba bale mihla besiRashiya, isiUkraine, isiSerb nesiBulgaria. IBhayibhile yesiSlavonic yasetyenziswa zizizukulwana ngezizukulwana zabantu abahlala kuloo mmandla. Noko ke, ethubeni, njengoko iilwimi zitshintsha, kwaba nzima ukuyiqonda kumntu oqhelekileyo.
IBhayibhile YesiHebhere Iyasinda
Ebudeni beli xesha, ukususela malunga nenkulungwane yesithandathu ukusa kweyeshumi yeXesha lethu Eliqhelekileyo, iqela lamaYuda elalisaziwa ngokuba ngamaMasorete lenza inkqubo ethile yokukhuphela ukuze lilondoloze iZibhalo zesiHebhere. Ayede abale yonke imigca ebhaliweyo kwanoonobumba ngabanye, ehlola umahluko okhoyo phakathi kwemibhalo-ngqangi, yonke le nto eyenza kuba ezama ukulondoloza umbhalo ochanileyo. Umgudu walo awuzange ube lilize. Ngokomzekelo, xa kuthelekiswa imibhalo yamaMasorete yale mihla nemiSongo yoLwandle Olufileyo, eyabhalwa phakathi kowama-250 B.C.E. nowama-50 C.E., kufunyaniswa ukuba akubangakho tshintsho luphathelele imfundiso kwiminyaka engaphezu kwe-1000.c
EYurophu amaXesha Aphakathi ngokuqhelekileyo ayefana namaXesha Obumnyama. Ukulesa nokufunda kwakungeyonto iphambili eluntwini. Ekugqibeleni, kwanenkoliso yabefundisi ayizange ikwazi ukufunda isiLatini secawa ibe ngokufuthi yayingakwazi nokufunda ulwimi lwayo. EYurophu eli yayikwalixesha apho amaYuda ayefudukela emaphandleni. Oku kuhlala kwawo odwa kwaba sesinye sezizathu zokuba uphengululo lweBhayibhile ngesiHebhere lulondolozwe. Noko ke, ngenxa yekhethe nokungathembi mntu, ngokufuthi wawungenakulufumana ulwazi lwamaYuda xa ungekho kwelo phandle. Entshona Yurophu, lwalusiya luphela ulwazi lwesiGrike. Le meko yenziwa yambi ngakumbi kukuhlonelwa kweVulgate kaJerome yesiLatini ziiCawa zaseNtshona. Yayigqalwa ngokubanzi njengekuphela kwenguqulelo esemthethweni, nangona ngasekupheleni kwexesha lamaMasorete, isiLatini sasisiba lulwimi olungasetyenziswayo. Ngaloo ndlela, njengoko umnqweno wokwazi iBhayibhile wawuqalisa ukukhula ngokuthe ngcembe, kwaqalisa idabi elikhulu.
Ukuguqulelwa KweBhayibhile Kuhlangabezana Nentshutshiso
Ngowe-1079, uPopu Gregory VII wakhupha owokuqala kwimiyalelo emininzi yecawa yamaxesha aphakathi yokuvalwa kokuveliswa yaye maxa wambi nokuba nenguqulelo yeelwimi zomthonyama. Wasitshintsha isigqibo sakhe sokuvumela ukuba iMisa iqhutywe ngesiSlavonic ngenxa yokuba kwakuza kufuneka kuguqulelwe iinxalenye ezithile zeZibhalo Ezingcwele. Ephikisana ngokupheleleyo nengcamango yamaKristu okuqala, wabhala: “Kuye kwamkholisa uThixo uSomandla ukuba izibhalo ezingcwele zibe yimfihlo kwezinye iindawo.” Ekubeni esi yayisisigqibo esingokwasemthethweni secawa, abo babexhasa ukuleswa kweBhayibhile babesiya begqalwa njengabantu abanobungozi.
Phezu kwazo nje iimeko ezingentle, iBhayibhile yaqhubeka ikhutshelwa yaye iguqulelwa ukusa kwiilwimi eziqhelekileyo. Iinguqulelo zeelwimi ezininzi zazisasazwa ngokufihlakeleyo eYurophu. Zonke ezi zazikhutshelwe ngesandla, ekubeni oomatshini bokushicilela eYurophu benziwa phakathi kweminyaka yee-1400. Kodwa ekubeni ixabiso lale mibhalo laliphezulu yaye imbalwa, ummi oqhelekileyo wayezigqala njengonoyolo xa enenxalenye nje yencwadi enye yeBhayibhile okanye enamaphepha ambalwa nje. Bambi babezicengceleza ngentloko iinxalenye ezinkulu zayo, kwaneZibhalo zamaKristu zesiGrike ziphela!
Noko ke, ethubeni yanda imizabalazo yokuhlaziya icawa. Enye yezinto ezazibangela le mizabalazo yayikukuqonda indlela elibaluleke ngayo iLizwi likaThixo kubomi bemihla ngemihla. Le mizabalazo kunye nokwanda kokushicilela kwakuza kuyichaphazela njani iBhayibhile? Ibe kwenzeka ntoni kuWilliam Tyndale nenguqulelo yakhe, ekhankanywe ekuqaleni? Siza kuqhubeka neli bali lichukumisayo ukuza kuthi ga kwixesha lethu kwiinkupho ezilandelayo.
[Imibhalo esemazantsi]
a Icandelo 2 nelesi-3 aza kuvela kwinkupho kaSeptemba 15 nekaOktobha 15 ngokokulandelelana kwazo.
b Incwadi ethi Oyena Mntu Ubalaseleyo Wakha Waphila, epapashwe yiWatchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc., ingumzekelo wale mihla wokungqinelana kwezi ncwadi zine zeVangeli.
c Bona i-Insight on the Scriptures, uMqulu 2, iphepha 315, epapashwe yiWatchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc.
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 8, 9]
Imihla Ebalulekileyo Ukuguqulelwa KweBhayibhile
(Ukuba ufuna inkcazelo ehlahlelwe kakuhle, yiya kwimpapasho)
NGAPHAMBI KWEXESHA ELIQHELEKILEYO (B.C.E.)
Ukugqitywa kweZibhalo zesiHebhere c. 443 B.C.E.
400 B.C.E.
UAlesandire Omkhulu (d. 323 B.C.E.)
300 B.C.E.
Ukuqaliswa kweSeptuagint c. 280 B.C.E.
200 B.C.E.
100 B.C.E. Inkoliso YeMisongo YoLwandle Olufileyo c. 100 B.C.E. ukusa kowama-68 C.E.
NGEXESHA ELIQHELEKILEYO (C.E.)
Ukutshatyalaliswa kweYerusalem 70 C.E.
Ukugqitywa kweZibhalo zesiGrike 98 C.E.
100 C.E.
IRylands Papyrus KaYohane (b. 125 C.E.)
200 C.E.
300 C.E.
400 C.E. IVulgate yesiLatini kaJerome c. 400 C.E.
500 C.E.
600 C.E.
Ukulungiswa Kombhalo WamaMasorete
700 C.E.
800 C.E.
UCyril eMoravia 863 C.E.
900 C.E.
1000 C.E.
Umyalelo onxamnye neeBhayibhile zolwimi lomthonyama 1079 C.E.
1100 C.E.
1200 C.E.
1300 C.E.
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 9]
NgamaKristu okuqala awaqalisa ukusebenzisa umbhalo-ngqangi
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 10]
UJerome waya eBhetelehem ukuya kufunda isiHebhere