I-“Septuagint”—Yayiluncedo Ngaphambili Yaye Iselulo Nangoku

INDODA ethile eyaziwayo engumTiyopiya yayiseluhambeni isinge eYerusalem. Ngoxa ihamba kwindlela eyinkqantosi ikhwele ihashe layo, yayifunda ngokuvakalayo umsongo wezibhalo. Inkcazelo yoko yakufundayo yabutshintsha ngokupheleleyo ubomi bayo ukususela ngelo xesha. (IZenzo 8:26-38) Le ndoda yayifunda uIsaya 53:7, 8 kwinguqulelo yokuqala yeBhayibhile—iSeptuagint yesiGrike. Le ncwadi yaba nendima ebalulekileyo ekusasazeni isigidimi seBhayibhile ukutyhubela iinkulungwane kangangokuba iye yabizwa ngokuba yinguqulelo yeBhayibhile eye yaguqula ihlabathi.

ISeptuagint yabhalwa nini naphantsi kwaziphi iimeko? Kwakutheni ukuze kubekho imfuneko yenguqulelo enjengayo? Iye yaluncedo njani ukutyhubela iinkulungwane? Ukuba ikho, yintoni esinokuyifunda kwiSeptuagint namhlanje?

Yayibhalelwe AmaYuda Athetha IsiGrike

Ngowe-332 B.C.E. xa uAleksandire Omkhulu wayengena eYiputa emva kokutshabalalisa isixeko saseFenike yaseTire, wakhahlelwa kusithiwa ngumsindisi. Apho kulapho wasimisa khona isixeko saseAleksandriya, isazulu semfundo kuloo maxesha amandulo. Enomnqweno wokwandisa impucuko yamaGrike kumazwe awayewoyisile, uAleksandire wayalela ukuba kuthethwe isiGrike esiqhelekileyo (isiKoine) kuwo wonke loo mmandla mkhulu.

Kwinkulungwane yesithathu ngaphambi kweXesha Eliqhelekileyo, iAleksandriya yaba nabemi abangamaYuda abaninzi. AmaYuda amaninzi awathi emva kokubuya kwawo ekuthinjweni eBhabhiloni ahlala kumathanga asasazekileyo ngaphandle kwePalestina afudukela eAleksandriya. Loo maYuda ayesazi kangakanani isiHebhere? IMcClintock and Strong’s Cyclopedia ithi: “Yaziwa kakuhle into yokuba emva kokubuya kwamaYuda ekuthinjweni eBhabhiloni, ayengasazi kakuhle isiHebhere samandulo, yaye xa kufundwa iincwadi zikaMoses kwizindlu zesikhungu zasePalestina, kwakufuneka acaciselwe ngolwimi lwamaKhaledi . . . AmaYuda aseAleksandriya ayengasazi kangako isiHebhere; ulwimi awayeqhelene nalo yayisisiGrike esasithethwa eAleksandriya.” Ngokucacileyo, eAleksandriya kwakukho imfuneko enkulu yokuba iZibhalo zesiHebhere ziguqulelwe kwisiGrike.

UAristobulus, umYuda owayephila ngenkulungwane yesibini ngaphambi kweXesha Eliqhelekileyo, wabhala esithi inguqulelo yomthetho wamaHebhere yaguqulelwa kwisiGrike, yaye yagqitywa ebudeni bolawulo lukaPtolemy Philadelphus. (285-246 B.C.E.). Izimvo ziyabethana ngoko kwakuthethwa nguAristobulus “ngomthetho.” Bambi bacinga ukuba wayebhekisela nje kwiPentatiki, ngoxa abanye becinga ukuba wayethetha ngeZibhalo zesiHebhere ziphela.

Enoba kwenzeke ntoni na, imbali ithi yayingabaphengululi abangamaYuda abangama-72 ababebandakanyekile kwinguqulelo yokuqala ebhaliweyo yeZibhalo zesiHebhere xa zaziguqulelwa kwisiGrike. Kamva, kuthiwa aba bantu babengama-70. Ngenxa yoko, le nguqulelo yabizwa ngokuba yiSeptuagint, igama elithetha “ama-70,” yaye yabizwa ngokuthi LXX, inani ngesiRoma elithetha ama-70. Ngasekupheleni kwenkulungwane yesibini ngaphambi kweXesha Eliqhelekileyo, zonke iincwadi zesiHebhere zazinokufundwa ngesiGrike. Ngaloo ndlela, igama elithi Septuagint labhekisela kwiZibhalo zesiHebhere ziphela xa ziguqulelwe kwisiGrike.

Yayiluncedo Ngenkulungwane Yokuqala

AmaYuda awayethetha isiGrike ayisebenzisa gqitha iSeptuagint ngaphambi nasebudeni bexesha likaYesu Kristu nabapostile bakhe. AmaYuda amaninzi nabo babeguqukele ebuYudeni ababehlanganisene eYerusalem ngomhla wePentekoste yowama-33 C.E. babesuka kummandla waseAsiya, eYiputa, eLibhiya, eRoma naseKrete—imimandla ekwakuthethwa kuyo isiGrike. Alithandabuzeki elokuba, kwakudla ngokufundwa iSeptuagint. (IZenzo 2:9-11) Ngaloo ndlela, le nguqulelo yaba negalelo ekusasazeni iindaba ezilungileyo kwinkulungwane yokuqala.

Ngokomzekelo, xa wayethetha namadoda aseKrete, eAleksandriya, eKilikiya naseAsiya, umfundi uStefano wathi: “UYosefu wathumela waza wabiza uYakobi uyise nazo zonke izalamane zakhe kuloo ndawo [kwaKanan], inani lemiphefumlo engamashumi asixhenxe anesihlanu.” (IZenzo 6:8-10; 7:12-14) Umbhalo wesiHebhere kwincwadi yeGenesis isahluko 46 ithi izalamane zikaYosefu zazingamashumi asixhenxe. Kodwa iSeptuagint yona ithi zazingamashumi asixhenxe anesihlanu. Kucacile ke ngoko ukuba uStefano wayecaphula kwiSeptuagint.—Genesis 46:20, 26, 27.

Njengoko umpostile uPawulos walityhutyha lonke elaseAsia Minor nelaseGrisi ebudeni bohambo lwakhe lobuvangeli basemazweni lwesibini nolwesithathu, washumayela kwabeeNtlanga abaninzi ababehlonela uThixo ‘namaGrike awayenqula uThixo.’ (IZenzo 13:16, 26; 17:4) Aba bantu babemhlonela uThixo okanye bamnqula kuba babefumene ulwazi oluthile ngaye ngokusuka kwiSeptuagint. Eshumayela kubantu abathetha isiGrike, uPawulos wayedla ngokucaphula okanye ashwankathele indinyana ezithile kuloo nguqulelo.—Genesis 22:18 umbhalo osemazantsi weNW eneembekiselo; Galati 3:8.

IZibhalo zamaKristu zesiGrike ziqulethe iingcaphulo ezinokuba ngama-320 neengcaphulo neembekiselo xa zizonke ezinokuba ngama-890 eziphuma kwiZibhalo zesiHebhere. Inkoliso yazo isekelwe kwiSeptuagint. Ngenxa yoko, iingcaphulo ezivela kuloo nguqulelo nezingaveli kwimibhalo-ngqangi yesiHebhere zaba yinxalenye yeZibhalo zamaKristu zesiGrike eziphefumlelweyo. Leyo yaba yinto ephawulekayo! UYesu wayexele kwangaphambili ukuba iindaba ezilungileyo zoBukumkani zaziya kushunyayelwa kuwo wonke umhlaba omiweyo. (Mateyu 24:14) Ukuze oku kwenzeke, uYehova wayeya kuvumela ukuba iLizwi lakhe eliphefumlelweyo liguqulelwe kwiilwimi ezahlukahlukeneyo ezifundwa ngabantu ehlabathini lonke.

Iluncedo Namhlanje

ISeptuagint isaxabisekile nanamhlanje yaye iluncedo ekufumaneni iimpazamo zabakhupheli ezisenokuba zafakwa ngempazamo ngabakhupheli bemibhalo-ngqangi yesiHebhere bamva. Ngokomzekelo, ingxelo ekwiGenesis 4:8 ithi: “Emva koko uKayin wathi kuAbheli umntakwabo: [‘Masiye endle.’] Kwathi ke ngoxa babesendle wasuka uKayin wamhlasela uAbheli umntakwabo waza wambulala.”

Ibinzana elikwizibiyeli elithi “masiye endle” alifumaneki kwimibhalo-ngqangi yesiHebhere esusela kwinkulungwane yeshumi kwiXesha Eliqhelekileyo. Noko ke, liqukiwe kwimibhalo-ngqangi emidadlana yeSeptuagint nakwezinye iinguqulelo ezimbalwa zangaphambilana. Umbhalo wesiHebhere unegama elidla ngokusetyenziswa xa kuqaliswa incoko, kodwa akukho wambi amazwi emva koko. Yintoni esenokuba yenzeka? IGenesis 4:8 iqulethe amabinzana amabini aqukumbela ngokuthi “endle.” IMcClintock and Strong’s Cyclopedia ithi: “Umkhupheli wesiHebhere usenokuba wadidwa ligama [elifanayo] . . . eliqukumbela ezi zigaba zentetho zombini.” Ngenxa yoko kusenokwenzeka ukuba umkhupheli uqakathe indawo esivela kuyo okokuqala isigaba sentetho esiqukumbela ngebinzana elithi “masiye endle.” Ngokucacileyo, iSeptuagint, kwakunye neminye imibhalo-ngqangi ekhoyo nemidala isenokuba luncedo ekufumaneni iimpazamo kwimibhalo yamva yesiHebhere.

Kwelinye icala, imibhalo yeSeptuagint nayo isenokuba neempazamo, yaye maxa wambi kuthelekiswa umbhalo wesiHebhere ukulungisa owesiGrike. Ngaloo ndlela, xa kuthelekiswa imibhalo-ngqangi yesiHebhere neyesiGrike nezinye iinguqulelo zezinye iilwimi kufumaneka iimpazamo zabaguquleli nezabakhupheli nto leyo esiqinisekisa ukuba iLizwi likaThixo liguqulelwa ngendlela echanileyo.

Imibhalo epheleleyo yeSeptuagint ekhoyo namhlanje yayikho ukususela kwinkulungwane yesine kwiXesha Eliqhelekileyo. Imibhalo-ngqangi enjalo neminye imibhalo yamva ayinalo igama likaThixo, uYehova, elimelwe yiTetragrammaton, oonobumba abane besiHebhere (YHWH). Le mibhalo ikhutshelweyo iye yasebenzisa igama lesiGrike eliguqulelwa ngokuthi “uThixo” nelithi “iNkosi” nanini na apho kukho iTetragrammaton kumbhalo wesiHebhere. Noko ke, oko kwafunyanwa ePalestine kwiminyaka enokuba ngama-50 eyadlulayo kwayikhanyisa le ngongoma. Iqela labantu elalihlola imiqolomba kufuphi nonxweme olusentshona kuLwandle Olufileyo lafumana iziqwenga zemisongo yamandulo eyenziwe ngofele yeencwadi zabaprofeti abali-12 (uHoseya ukusa kuMalaki) ibhalwe ngesiGrike. Le mibhalo yayikho ukususela ngowe-50 B.C.E. nowe-50 C.E. Kwiziqwenga zangaphambilana, iTetragrammaton yayisekho endaweni yamagama esiGrike amela igama elithi “Thixo” nelithi “Nkosi.” Ngenxa yoko, oku kwaqinisekisa ukusetyenziswa kwegama likaThixo kwinguqulelo yangaphambili yeZibhalo zeSeptuagint.

Ngowe-1971 kwapapashwa isiqwenga sombhalo-ngqangi wamandulo (Umbhalo-ngqangi iFouad 266). Zazityhila ntoni ezi nxalenye zeSeptuagint, ezazikho ukususela ngenkulungwane yesibini okanye yokuqala ngaphambi kweXesha Eliqhelekileyo? Igama likaThixo lalikho nakuzo. Ezi ziqwenga zangaphambilana zeSeptuagint zinikela ubungqina obomeleleyo bokuba uYesu nabafundi bakhe benkulungwane yokuqala babelazi yaye belisebenzisa igama likaThixo.

Namhlanje, iBhayibhile yeyona ncwadi iguqulelwe ngokubanzi embalini. Abantu abangaphezu kwama-90 ekhulwini banokuyifunda ubuncinane ngokuyinxalenye ngeelwimi zabo. Sibamba ngazibini ngenguqulelo echanileyo nesebenzisa ulwimi lwezi mini, INguqulelo Yehlabathi Elitsha YeZibhalo Ezingcwele, ngoku efumaneka iphelele okanye iyinxalenye ngeelwimi ezingaphezu kwezingama-40. INew World Translation of the Holy Scriptures—With References iqulethe iimbekiselo ezininzi zemibhalo esemazantsi ezithatyathwe kwiSeptuagint nakweminye imibhalo-ngqangi yamandulo. Eneneni, iSeptuagint isaqhubeka ibangel’ umdla yaye ixabisekile kubafundi beBhayibhile namhlanje.

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 26]

Umfundi uFilipu wacacisa indinyana eyayifundwa kwi-“Septuagint”

[Imifanekiso ekwiphepha 29]

Umpostile uPawulos wayedla ngokucaphula kwi-“Septuagint”