Indlela IBhayibhile Eyeza Ngayo Kuthi—Icandelo Lesibini

Amadangatye anyukela phezulu esibhakabhakeni njengoko lo mlilo udangazelayo wawukhwezelwa. Kodwa lo yayingengomlilo uqhelekileyo. Lo mlilokazi wawubaswa ngeeBhayibhile ngoxa abefundisi nabanye abakwizikhundla eziphezulu ecaweni babebukele. Kodwa, ngokuthenga ezo Bhayibhile ukuze azitshabalalise, engaqondi ubhishopu waseLondon wayenceda umguquleli wazo, uWilliam Tyndale, ukuze akwazi ukuba nemali yokuguqulela iintlelo ezingakumbi!

Yintoni eyakhokelela ekubeni la macala mabini alwayo afikelele kweso sigqibo? Kwinqaku elingaphambili, siye sahlolisisa imbali yokupapashwa kweBhayibhile ukuya kuthi ga ngasekupheleni kwamaXesha Aphakathi. Ngoku sifika ekuqaleni kwelinye ixesha esasiza kuthi isigidimi negunya leLizwi likaThixo zibe nempembelelo enkulu kwibutho labantu.

Umhlahl’ Indlela Uyavela

UJohn Wycliffe, umphengululi waseOxford ohlonelwayo, washumayela waza wabhala iincwadi ezabanempembelelo enamandla ezazinxamnye noqheliselo olungasekelwanga Bhayibhileni lweCawa yamaKatolika, esekela igunya lakhe ‘kumthetho kaThixo,’ oko kukuthi iBhayibhile. Wathumela abafundi bakhe, amaLollard, kulo lonke elaseNgilani ukuya kushumayela isigidimi seBhayibhile ngesiNgesi ukuze wonke umntu aphulaphule. Ngaphambi kokufa kwakhe ngowe-1384, waqalisa ukuguqulela iBhayibhile ukusuka kwisiLatini eyisa kwisiNgesi somhla wakhe.

Icawa yaba nezizathu ezininzi zokumcekisa uWycliffe. Esokuqala, wabagxeka abefundisi ngokuba nenkcitho nangehambo yabo yokuziphatha okubi. Kwakhona, uninzi lwabo babevumelana noWycliffe lwazisebenzisa kakubi iimfundiso zakhe ukuze luthethelele imvukelo yalo yezigalo. Abefundisi babek’ ityala uWycliffe, kwanasemva kokuba efile, nangona engazange akhuthaze iimvukelo ezinogonyamelo.

Kwileta eyayisiya kuPopu John XXIII ngowe-1412, uBhishopu Omkhulu uArundel wabhekisela “kuloo mfo unezothe nongathandekiyo onguJohn Wycliffe, okhunjulwa ngokucekiseka kwakhe, elo thole lenyoka yakudala, umthunywa nomntwana wabo bachasene nokristu.” Efikelela kuvuthondaba lweziqalekiso zakhe, uArundel wabhala: “Sel’ eqhaqheke ngeyona ndlela, waqulunqa indlela yokuvelisa inguqulelo entsha yezibhalo yolwimi lwabantu.” Eneneni, eyona nto yayizenza zibhavume ngumsindo iinkokeli zecawa yayikukuba uWycliffe wayefuna ukudlulisela iBhayibhile ebantwini ngolwimi lwabo.

Noko ke, iqaqobana elithile labantu abakwizikhundla eziphambili lakwazi ukuzifumana iZibhalo ngeelwimi zalo. Omnye wabo yayinguAnne waseBohemia, owatshata noKumkani uRichard II waseNgilani ngowe-1382. Wazifumanela iinguqulelo zesiNgesi zikaWycliffe zeencwadi zeVangeli, awathi wazifundisisa ngokuzingisileyo. Xa waba ngukumkanikazi, isimo sengqondo sakhe sokuba nomdla eBhayibhileni saba luncedo kakhulu ekusasazweni kwayo—ibe oko akuzange kuphelele eNgilani. UAnne wakhuthaza abafundi ababekwiYunivesithi yasePrague eBohemia ukuba baze eOxford. Apho bafika bazifundisisa ngomdla iincwadi zikaWycliffe ibe ezinye zazo babuyela nazo ePrague. Ukwaziwa kweemfundiso zikaWycliffe kwiYunivesithi yasePrague kamva kwamomeleza uJan Hus, owafunda waza ekugqibeleni wafundisa kuyo. UHus waguqulela uhlelo olufundeka lula lwesiCzech ngokusuka kwinguqulelo yesiSlavonic esidala. Imigudu yakhe yakhuthaza ukusetyenziswa kweBhayibhile ngumntu wonke eBohemia nakumazwe angabamelwane.

ICawa Iyaziphindezela

Kwakhona abefundisi bacatshukiswa yimfundiso kaWycliffe noHus yokuba “umbhalo onyulu,” iZibhalo eziphefumlelweyo zantlandlolo ezingangxengwanga, zazinegunya elingaphezulu kunelo “lenkcaza,” iingcaciso ezingavakaliyo ezisekelwe kwisithethe eziseludinini lwamaphepha eeBhayibhile ezivunywe yicawa. Aba bashumayeli babenqwenela ukuba abantu bonke bafumane isigidimi esingangxengwanga seLizwi likaThixo.

Ekhohliswe ngokuba uza kukhuselwa, uHus waqhathwa ekubeni aye kuvela ngaphambi kweBhunga lamaKatolika laseConstance, eJamani, ngowe-1414 ukuze athethelele izimvo zakhe. Eli bhunga laliyilwe ngabefundisi, oobhishopu neekhadinali ezingama-2933. UHus wavuma ukuba wayeza kuguquka ukuba iimfundiso zakhe zazinokungqinwa ziZibhalo ukuba ziphosakele. Eli bhunga lalingacingi ngaloo nto lona. Ukucel’ umngeni kwakhe igunya lalo kwakwanele ukuze bamtshisele esibondeni ngowe-1415, njengoko wayethandaza ngokuvakalayo.

Kwaelo bhunga linye lamgweba laza lamnyelisa okokugqibela uJohn Wycliffe ngokuyalela ukuba amathambo akhe ambiwe engcwabeni eNgilani aze atshiswe. Lo myalelo wawubonakalisa inkohlakalo kangangokuba awuzange uphunyezwe de kwangowe-1428, ngenxa yesicelo sikapopu. Noko ke, njengesiqhelo, inkcaso enjalo ukuba krakra ayizange iyidodobalise inzondelelo yabanye abathandi benyaniso. Kunoko, yalwandisa uzimiselo lwabo lokupapasha iLizwi likaThixo.

Impembelelo Yokushicilela

Ngowe-1450, kwiminyaka nje engama-35 emva kokufa kukaHus, uJohannes Gutenberg waqalisa ukushicilela ngomatshini ochwethezayo eJamani. Incwadi yakhe ebalaseleyo yokuqala yayiluhlelo lweVulgate yesiLatini, olwagqitywa malunga nowe-1455. Ngowe-1495 iBhayibhile yonke okanye iinxalenye zayo zazishicilelwe ngesiJamani, isiTaliyane, isiFrentshi, isiCzech, isiDatshi, isiHebhere, isiCatalan, isiGrike, isiSpanish, isiSlavonic, isiPhuthukezi nesiSerbian—ngokokulandelelana kwazo.

Umphengululi ongumDatshi uDesiderius Erasmus wavelisa uhlelo lokuqala olupheleleyo nolushicilelweyo lombhalo wesiGrike ngowe-1516. UErasmus wayenqwenela ukuba iZibhalo “ziguqulelwe kuzo zonke iilwimi zabantu.” Noko ke, akazange afune ukona igama elihle awayenalo kubantu ababekwizikhundla eziphambili ngokuziguqulela ngokwakhe. Noko ke, bakho abanye ababenenkalipho engakumbi abalandelayo. Owayebalasele phakathi kwaba yayinguWilliam Tyndale.

UWilliam Tyndale NeBhayibhile YesiNgesi

UTyndale wafunda eOxford waza malunga nowe-1521 waya kwikhaya likaMhlekazi uJohn Walsh eye kufundisa abantwana bakhe. Ngokufuthi ngamaxesha okutya kwitafile yakwaWalsh eyayinentabalala yokutya uTyndale owayeselula wayexabelana ngamazwi nabefundisi basekuhlaleni. UTyndale wazicel’ umngeni iimbono zabo ngokuvula iBhayibhile aze ababonise izibhalo. Ethubeni, abakwaWalsh boyiseka koko kwakuthethwa nguTyndale, ibe abefundisi babengasamenywa rhoqo yaye bengasamkelwa ngezandla ezishushu. Ngokuqhelekileyo, oku kwenza abefundisi bamcaphukela ngakumbi uTyndale kunye neenkolelo zakhe.

Ngesinye isihlandlo ebudeni bembambano, omnye wabo babephikisana noTyndale ngonqulo wathi: “Kubhetele ukungathobeli imithetho kaThixo kunokungathobeli ekaPopu.” Khawuthelekelele indlela uTyndale awayezimisele ngayo njengoko wayephendula: “Andiyi kumthobela uPopu kunye nayo yonke imithetho yakhe. Ukuba uThixo usandigcinile, kungadlulanga minyaka mininzi ndiza kwenza kwanenkwenkwe le ibamba ikhuba izazi iZibhalo ngaphezu kwenu.” Yayicace okwekat’ emhlophe ehlungwini injongo kaTyndale. Kamva wabhala: “Ngokusuka kumava ndiye ndafumanisa indlela ekungenakwenzeka ngayo ukuba sifundise amarhamente inyaniso, ngaphandle kokuba izibhalo zibekwe ngokucacileyo phambi kwamehlo awo ngolwimi lwawo, ukuze azibonele inkqubo, ulungelelwano nentsingiselo yombhalo.”

Ngelo xesha, kwakungekabikho Bhayibhile ishicilelweyo ngesiNgesi. Ngoko ngowe-1523, uTyndale waya eLondon eye kucela inkxaso kaBhishophu Tunstall yokwenza umsebenzi wokuguqulela. Ekhatywe ngaw’ omane, walishiya elaseNgilani waya kwenza umsebenzi wakhe, engazange aphinde alibeke apho. ECologne, eJamani, indawo yakhe yokuqala yokushicilela yagqogqwa, ibe uTyndale wasinda ngokulambisa waza wasaba namanye amaphepha abalulekileyo awayengekadityaniswa. Noko ke, eWorms, eJamani, ubuncinane imibhalo engama-3000 “yeTestamente Entsha” yakhe yesiNgesi yagqitywa. Le mibhalo yathunyelwa eNgilani yaza yaqalisa ukusasazwa apho ekuqaleni kowe-1526. Eminye yayo yayiphakathi kweeBhayibhile ezathengwa zaza zatshiswa nguBhishophu Tunstall, engazi ukuba wayenceda uTyndale ukuba aqhubeke nomsebenzi wakhe!

Uphando Lwandisa Ukuqonda

Ngokuqinisekileyo uTyndale wayewuthanda umsebenzi wakhe. Kunjengokuba iThe Cambridge History of the Bible ichaza ukuba “iZibhalo zazimonwabisa, ibe isingqi sakhe esikhawulezayo nesidlamkileyo sibonisa ukuba wayonwabile.” Usukelo lukaTyndale yayikukuvumela iZibhalo zithethe nabantu abaqhelekileyo ngendlela echanileyo nelula kangangoko kunokwenzeka. Kuphando lwakhe wafumanisa intsingiselo yamagama asetyenziswa eBhayibhileni eyayifihlwe ziimfundiso zecawa kangangeenkulungwane. Engoyikiswa zizisongelo zokubulawa nazizinto ezimbi ezazibhalwa lutshaba lwakhe olwalunempembelelo enkulu uMhlekazi uThomas More, uTyndale wazifaka kwinguqulelo yakhe izinto awayezifumanise kuphando lwakhe.

Eguqulela ngokusuka kumbhalo wesiGrike wantlandlolo kaErasmus kunokuba asebenzise owesiLatini, uTyndale wakhetha ukusebenzisa igama elithi “uthando” kunokusebenzisa elithi “umsa” xa echaza ngokupheleleyo intsingiselo yebinzana lesiGrike elithi a·gaʹpe. Kwakhona wasebenzisa igama elithi “ibandla” kunelithi “icawa,” wasebenzisa elithi “guquka” kunelithi “zohlwaye,” waza wasebenzisa elithi “abadala” kunokusebenzisa elithi “abefundisi.” (1 Korinte 13:1-3; Kolose 4:15, 16; Luka 13:3, 5; 1 Timoti 5:17, Tyndale) Ezi nguqu zazikhwankqisa kumagosa ecawa kwaye zilunyathelela phantsi uqheliselo lwecawa lwesithethe, olunjengokuchazwa kwezono kubefundisi.

Kwakhona uTyndale wanamathela kwigama elithi “uvuko,” eyikhaba ngaw’ omane imfundiso yentlambululo yemiphefumlo nokuphila emva kokufa njengengasekelwanga eBhayibhileni. Ngokuphathelele abafi, wambhalela oku uMore: “Xa usithi baya ezulwini, esihogweni nakwindawo yentlambululo yemiphefumlo, [wena] uyaziphikisa izibakala awathi uKristu noPawulos bangqina ngazo ngovuko.” Ngokuphathelele lo mba, uTyndale wabhekisela kuMateyu 22:30-32 nakweyoku-1 kwabaseKorinte 15:12-19. Ngokuchanileyo wayekholelwa ukuba abafi bahlala bengaphili de kufike uvuko oluzayo. (INdumiso 146:4; INtshumayeli 9:5; Yohane 11:11, 24, 25) Oku kwakuthetha ukuba lonke ilungiselelo lokuthandaza kuMariya “nakwiingcwele” lalibubuvuvu kuba babengeva yaye bengenakwenza nto kwimeko yabo yokungaphili.

UTyndale Uguqulela IZibhalo ZesiHebhere

Ngowe-1530, uTyndale wavelisa uhlelo lwePentatiki, iincwadi ezintlanu zokuqala zeZibhalo zesiHebhere. Ngaloo ndlela waba ngumntu wokuqala ukuguqulela iBhayibhile ukusuka kwisiHebhere ukuyisa ngokungqalileyo esiNgesini. Kwakhona uTyndale waba ngumguquleli wesiNgesi wokuqala owasebenzisa igama elithi Yehova. Umphengululi waseLondon uDavid Daniell uyabhala: “Ngokuqinisekileyo kumele ukuba kwabothusa kakhulu abo babefunda inguqulelo kaTyndale ukubona igama likaThixo lityhilwa ngokutsha.”

Ezama ukucacisa, uTyndale wasebenzisa amagama ahlukahlukeneyo esiNgesi ukuguqulela igama elinye lesiHebhere. Noko ke, wanamathela ngokusondeleyo kulwimi lwesiHebhere. Umphumo waba kukulondoloza ukungqala kolwimi lwesiHebhere. Wathi: “Iimpawu zolwimi lwesiHebhere zivisisana ngokungaphezulu kaliwaka nezesiNgesi kunezesiLatini. Indlela yokuthetha yezi lwimi zimbini iyafana; kangangokuba kwiindawo ezininzi kufuneka nje usiguqulele esiNgesini, igama ngegama.”

Le ndlela yokuguqulela ingqalileyo yenza inguqulelo kaTyndale yanongeka ngamabinzana esiHebhere. Amanye awo amele ukuba ayevakala engaqhelekanga xa uqala ukuwafunda. Sekunjalo, ekugqibeleni le Bhayibhile yaqheleka kangangokuba uninzi lwala mabinzana ngoku luyinxalenye yolwimi lwesiNgesi. Phakathi kwawo kukho elithi “indoda engantliziyo yayo” (elifumaneka kweyoku-1 kaSamuweli 13:14), “ipasika,” nelithi “umthwali wezono zabantu.” Ngaphezu koko, abo babefunda iBhayibhile yesiNgesi ngaloo ndlela baqhelana nengcamango yesiHebhere, nto leyo eyabenza baziqonda ngakumbi iZibhalo eziphefumlelweyo.

UTyndale Kunye NeBhayibhile Uvalwe Umlomo

Ukukwazi komntu ukufunda iLizwi likaThixo ngolwimi lwakhe kwakubangel’ imincili. AmaNgesi asabela ngokuzithenga zonke ezazinokungeniswa kwilizwe lawo ngokungekho mthethweni, ezifihla ngokuzenza zibonakale ngathi ngamalaphu afunjiweyo okanye ezinye izinto. Ngelo xesha, abefundisi babecinga ngokulahlekelwa sisikhundla sabo ukusa kumlinganiselo othile ukuba iBhayibhile yayinokugqalwa njengelona gunya. Ngenxa yoko, le meko yaba ngumbandela wokufa nokuphila kumguquleli nakubaxhasi bakhe.

UTyndale waqhubeka nomsebenzi wakhe ezifihle eAntwerp, eBelgium, efunwa ngamehlo amnyama yiCawa nanguRhulumente. Sekunjalo, wayenikela iintsuku ezimbini ngeveki koko wayekubiza ngokuba lixesha lakhe lokuphumla—elungiselela kwezinye iimbacu ezazingamaNgesi, kumahlwempu nakwabagulayo. Imali yakhe eninzi wayichitha ngolu hlobo. Ngaphambi kokuba aguqulele isiqingatha sokugqibela seZibhalo zesiHebhere, uTyndale wangcatshwa lelinye iNgesi elalizenza umhlobo wakhe nelaliza kuhlawulwa imali ngokwenza oko. Xa wayebulawa eVilvoorde, eBelgium, ngowe-1536, amazwi akhe okugqibela anzulu ayesithi: “Nkosi! khawuvule amehlo oKumkani waseNgilani.”

Ngowe-1538, uKumkani uHenry VIII ngezizathu zakhe wayalela ukuba iiBhayibhile zibekwe kuzo zonke iicawa zaseNgilani. Nangona uTyndale engazange anconywe, eyona nguqulelo yakhethwayo yeyakhe. Ngale ndlela inguqulelo kaTyndale yaduma yaza yathandwa kangangokuba “yamisela isiseko senkoliso yeentlelo ezaziza kulandela” zesiNgesi. (The Cambridge History of the Bible) Ngama-90 ekhulwini enguqulelo kaTyndale awakhutshelwa ngokungqalileyo asiwa kwiKing James Version yowe-1611.

Ukufumaneka kweBhayibhile ngaphandle kwamakhwiniba eNgilani kwazisa iinguqu ezinkulu. Iingxubusho ezazisekelwe eBhayibhileni ezaziqhutywa ezicaweni zaziba shushu kangangokuba maxa wambi zaziphazamisa neenkonzo zecawa! “Abantu abadala bafunda ukulesa ukuze bakwazi ukuzifundela ngokwabo iLizwi likaThixo, ibe abantwana balandela ekhondweni labantu abadala.” (A Concise History of the English Bible) Kwakhona ebudeni beli xesha landa kakhulu inani leeBhayibhile ezazisasazwa kwamanye amazwe nangezinye iilwimi zaseYurophu. Kodwa ukusasazwa kweBhayibhile eNgilani kwakuza kuba nempembelelo ehlabathini lonke. Kwenzeka njani oko? Yaye izinto ezafunyaniswa kamva nophando olongezelelekileyo lwayichaphazela njani iBhayibhile esiyisebenzisayo namhlanje? Le ngxelo yethu siza kuyiqukumbela ngenqaku lethu elilandelayo kolu ngcelele.

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 26]

“ITestamente Entsha” kaTyndale yowe-1526—ekuphela kombhalo opheleleyo owaziwayo owasinda xa zazitshiswa

[Inkcazelo]

© The British Library Board

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 26, 27]

(Ukuba ufuna inkcazelo ehlahlelwe kakuhle, yiya kwimpapasho)

Imihla Ebalulekileyo Ekusasazweni KweBhayibhile

Ixesha Eliqhelekileyo

Ukuqaliswa KweBhayibhile KaWycliffe (b. 1384)

1400

Ukubulawa kukaHus 1415

UGutenberg— owokuqala ukushicilela iBhayibhile c. 1455

1500

Iilwimi Zokuqala Zabantu Ezashicilelwayo

Umbhalo kaErasmus wesiGrike 1516

“ITestamente Entsha” kaTyndale 1526

Ukubulawa kukaTyndale 1536

UHenry VIII uyalela ukuba iiBhayibhile zibekwe ezicaweni 1538

1600

IKing James Version 1611

[Imifanekiso]

UWycliffe

UHus

UTyndale

UHenry VIII