Abazange Bazenzele Igama
IBHAYIBHILE ayiwachazi amagama abakhi benqaba eyayidume kakubi yaseBhabheli. Ingxelo ithi: “Bathi, Yizani, sizakhele umzi, nepoma lenqaba elincopho isemazulwini; sizenzele igama, hleze sichithakalele ehlabathini lonke.” (Akekeliswe sithi.)—Genesis 11:4.
Yayingoobani aba “bathi”? Esi siganeko senzeka kwiminyaka emalunga nama-200 emva koMkhukula. Ngelo xesha uNowa, owayeneminyaka emalunga nama-800 ubudala, wayehlala phakathi kwamawaka enzala yakhe. Bonke babethetha ulwimi olunye behlala kunye kwindawo yena noonyana bakhe abahlala kuyo emva koMkhukula. (Genesis 11:1) Ethubeni, inxalenye yabantu abasindileyo yaya empumalanga yaza ‘yafumana ithafa ezweni laseShinare.’—Genesis 11:2.
Ukusilela Okulihlazo
Kwakukule ntlambo apho eli qela lagqiba kwelokuba livukele uThixo. Lakwenza njani oko? Kaloku, uYehova uThixo wayeyivakalisile injongo yakhe xa wayalela isibini sokuqala esingabantu ukuba ‘siqhame sande size siwuzalise umhlaba.’ (Genesis 1:28) Oku kwaphindwa kuNowa nakoonyana bakhe emva koMkhukula. UThixo wabayalela: “Nina ke, qhamani nande, nilizalise ihlabathi, nande kulo.” (Genesis 9:7) Bechasa ulwalathiso lukaYehova, abantu bakha isixeko ukuze ‘bangachithakali ehlabathini lonke.’
Kwakhona aba bantu baqalisa ukwakha inqaba ngenjongo ‘yokuzenzela igama.’ Kodwa ngokwahlukileyo koko babekulindele, abazange bagqibe ukuyakha loo nqaba. Ingxelo yeBhayibhile ibonisa ukuba uYehova wadubaduba ulwimi lwabo baze abakwazi ukuvana. Ingxelo ephefumlelweyo ithi, “uYehova wabachithachitha kwalapho ehlabathini lonke; bayeka ukwakha loo mzi.”—Genesis 11:7, 8.
Ukungaphumeleli kwalo msebenzi kubalaseliswa sisibakala sokuba abo bakhi abazange “bazenzele igama,” okanye badume. Eneneni, amagama abo akaziwa yaye aye acinywa kwimbali yoluntu. Kodwa kuthekani ngoNimrodi, umzukulwana kaNowa? Ngaba wayengeyiyo inkokeli yeli qela livukela uThixo? Ngaba alidumanga igama lakhe?
UNimrodi—Umvukeli Onekratshi
Alithandabuzeki elokuba uNimrodi wayengoyena uphambili. IGenesis isahluko 10 simchaza ngokuthi “ligorha lezingela elachasa uYehova.” (Genesis 10:9, NW) Kwakhona iZibhalo zithi “yena waqala waba ligorha ehlabathini.” (Genesis 10:8) UNimrodi wayengumlwi, eyindoda ethanda ugonyamelo. Waba ngumntu wokuqala ukulawula abantu emva koMkhukula, ezimisa njengokumkani. Kwakhona uNimrodi wayengumakhi. IBhayibhile ithi nguye umseki wezixeko ezisibhozo, eziquka iBhabheli.—Genesis 10:10-12.
Ngenxa yoko, uNimrodi—ongumchasi kaThixo, ukumkani waseBhabheli, nomakhi wezixeko—ngokungathandabuzekiyo waba nesabelo ekwakhiweni kwenqaba yaseBhabheli. Ngaba akazange azenzele igama? Ngokuphathelele igama elithi Nimrodi, uMfundi ngezinto zaseMpuma uE. F. C. Rosenmüller wabhala: “Eli gama lanikwa uNimrodi lisuka ku[ma·radhʹ], othetha ukuba ‘wavukela,’ ‘wakreqa,’ ngokutsho kwentsingiselo yesiHebhere.” Emva koko uRosenmüller ucacisa esithi “amaxesha amaninzi aBantu baseMpuma baziqhelanisa nokubiza abantu ababalulekileyo ngamagama abawanikwa emva kokufa kwabo, nto leyo ebangela ukuba maxa wambi kubekho ukuvumelana okumangalisayo phakathi kwamagama nezinto ezenziwayo.”
Abaphengululi abaliqela bangqinelana ngengcamango yokuba igama elithi Nimrodi asilogama awalithiywa xa wayezalwa. Kunoko, bacinga ukuba ligama awalinikwa kamva ukuze livumelane nemvukelo yakhe emva kokubonakala kwayo. Ngokomzekelo, uC. F. Keil uthi: “Eli gama lithi, Nimrodi elisuka kwelithi [ma·radhʹ], elithetha ukuba ‘siya kuvukela,’ lalatha ekuvukeleni uThixo ngokuphandle. Limfanele kangangokuba wayenokulinikwa ngabantu awayephila nabo ngelo xesha, yaye ngaloo ndlela laba ligama lakhe.” Kumbhalo osemazantsi, uKeil ucaphula umbhali-mbali uJacob Perizonius esithi: “Ndimele ndiyikholelwe into yokuba le ndoda [uNimrodi], njengomzingeli onengcwangu nowayesoloko eneqela labalandeli, ukuze aliphembelele ekubeni livukele, wayesoloko ethetha ngako waza wavelisa igama elithi ‘nimrodi, nimrodi,’ oko kukuthi, ‘Masivukele! Masivukele!’ Ngenxa yoko, kamva, abanye, kwanoMoses, babembiza ngelo gama njengegama elimfaneleyo.”
Licacile elokuba, uNimrodi akazange azenzele igama. Licace mhlophe elokuba igama awalithiywa ekuzalweni kwakhe alidumanga. Alizange libhalwe kwimbali, njengokuba kuye kwanjalo ngabo baye bamlandela. Akazange ashiye nomntwana owayeza kugcina igama lakhe likho. Kunokuba afumane uzuko nodumo, uye waba lihlazo. Igama elithi Nimrodi limchaza njengomvukeli oqaqadekileyo owathi ngobudenge wacel’ umngeni uYehova uThixo.