Umgudu Wokuvelisa IBhayibhile YesiGrike Sanamhlanje

Unokothuka kukufumanisa ukuba eGrisi, ilizwe maxa wambi elibizwa ngokuba ngunozala weengcamango ezahlukahlukeneyo, kuye kwakho iingxwabangxwaba ngenxa yomzamo wokuguqulelwa kweBhayibhile ngolwimi lwabantu abaqhelekileyo. Kodwa ngubani obeya kuthintela ukuveliswa kweBhayibhile yesiGrike eqondakala lula? Sisiphi isizathu esasinokubangela ubani afune ukukuthintela oku?

UBANI usenokucinga ukuba abantu abathetha isiGrike basikelelekile, ekubeni ekuqaleni inxalenye ethile yeZibhalo Ezingcwele yayibhalwe ngolwimi lwabo. Noko ke, isiGrike sanamhlanje sahluke gqitha kwisiGrike esisetyenziswe kwiZibhalo zesiHebhere neZibhalo ZamaKristu ZesiGrike zeSeptuagint. Eneneni, kangangeenkulungwane ezintandathu ezidluleyo, inkoliso yabantu abathetha isiGrike baye bafumanisa ukuba isiGrike esisetyenziswa eBhayibhileni sinzima kangangokuba ingathi lulwimi lwasemzini. Kuye kwasetyenziswa amagama amatsha kunamabinzana amadala, yaye isigama, igrama nendlela yokwakha izivakalisi itshintshile.

Imibhalo-ngqangi yesiGrike eyabhalwa ukususela kwinkulungwane yesi-3 ukusa kweye-16 ibonisa imigudu eyenziwayo ukuze kuguqulelwe iSeptuagint kwisiGrike sanamhlanje. Kwinkulungwane yesithathu, uGregory, ubhishophu waseNeocaesarea (malunga nowama-213 ukusa malunga nowama-270), waguqulela incwadi yeNtshumayeli kwisiGrike esilula ngokusuka kwiSeptuagint. Ngenkulungwane ye-11, uTobias ben Eliezer, umYuda owayehlala eMacedonia waguqulela kwisiGrike esisetyenziswayo iinxalenye zePentatiki yeSeptuagint. Wada wasebenzisa nemibhalo yesiHebhere ukuze amaYuda aseMacedonia athetha isiGrike kuphela kodwa afunda isiHebhere akwazi ukuzuza. IPentatiki epheleleyo elolu hlobo iye yapapashwa eConstantinople ngowe-1547.

Ukukhanya Phakathi Kobumnyama

Emva kokuba imimandla yoBukhosi baseByzantine ekwakuthethwa kuyo isiGrike yathinjwa yiTurkey ngenkulungwane ye-15, inkoliso yabantu ababelapho yayingafundanga. ICawa yobuOthodoki, nangona yayinamalungelo amaninzi kuBukhosi baseTurkey, yavumela ukuba umhlambi wayo ube ngamahlwempu namaqaba. Umbhali ongumGrike uThomas Spelios wathi: “Eyona njongo iyintloko yeCawa yobuOthodoki nenkqubo yayo yemfundo yayikukukhusela amarhamente ayo kwimpembelelo yemfundiso yamaSilamsi neyamaRoma Katolika. Ngenxa yoku, imfundiso yamaGrike ngandlel’ ithile yayingenankqubela.” Kuloo maxesha obunzima, abantu ababethanda iBhayibhile babona imfuneko yokuthuthuzela abantu ababandezelekileyo ngamazwi afumaneka kwincwadi yeBhayibhile yeNdumiso. Ukususela ngowe-1543 ukusa kowe-1835, incwadi yeNdumiso yayifumaneka ngeenguqulelo ezili-18 ngesiGrike esiqhelekileyo.

Inguqulelo yokuqala epheleleyo yesiGrike yeZibhalo ZamaKristu ZesiGrike yabhalwa ngowe-1630 nguMaximus Callipolites, imonki engumGrike yaseCallipolis. Lo msebenzi wokuguqulela wawukhokelwa nguCyril Lucaris, ubhishophu omkhulu waseConstantinople nowayeza kubangela iinguqu kwiCawa yobuOthodoki. Noko ke, uLucaris wayenabachasi kwalapha ecaweni, ababengavumelani neenguqu awayeziceba okanye nazo naziphi na iinguqulelo zeBhayibhile zolwimi oluqhelekileyo.a Ngoko ke, waxhonywa njengomwexuki. Sekunjalo, ngowe-1638 kwashicilelwa imibhalo enokuba li-1 500 yenguqulelo kaMaximus. Ngenxa yale nguqulelo, kwiminyaka engama-34 kamva kwinkomfa yamaOthodoki eyayiseJerusalem kwagqitywa kwelokuba iZibhalo “zifanele zingafundwa nguye nangubani na, kodwa kuphela ngabo baqwalasela izinto ezinzulu zokomoya emva kokuba benze uphando olufanelekileyo.” Oku kwakuthetha ukuba iZibhalo zazifanele zifundwe kuphela ngabefundisi abafundileyo.

Ngowe-1703, uSeraphim, imonki engumGrike kwisiqithi saseLesbos, wazama ukupapasha uhlelo oluhlaziyiweyo lwenguqulelo kaMaximus eLondon. Zakuba zingaphumelelanga izithembiso zokunikela uncedo ngemali zamagosa aseNgilani, walushicilela olu hlelo ngemali yakhe. Kwintshayelelo echukumisayo, uSepharim wagxininisa imfuneko “yomKristu ngamnye ohlonela uThixo” yokufunda iBhayibhile, yaye wabagxeka abefundisi abakhulu becawa “ngomnqweno wabo wokufihla ukuziphatha kwabo okubi ngokugcina abantu besebumnyameni.” Njengoko kwakulindelekile, abachasi bakhe abangamaOthodoki bambambisa eRashiya waza wagxothelwa eSiberia, apho wafela khona ngowe-1735.

Ethetha ngendlala engokomoya yabantu ababethetha isiGrike ngelo xesha, umfundisi othile ongumGrike wathetha la mazwi ngokuphathelele uhlelo lwamva lwenguqulelo kaMaximus: “AmaGrike nabanye abantu bayamkela le Bhayibhile Engcwele ngothando nangolangazelelo. Yaye bayifunda. Yaye amanxeba abo ayengathi ayaphululwa, yaye ukholo lwabo kuThixo . . . lwavutha.” Noko ke, iinkokeli zabo zokomoya zazisoyika ukuba xa abantu beyiqonda iBhayibhile zaziya kubhencwa iinkolelo nezenzo zabo ezingavisisaniyo neZibhalo. Ngoko ke, ngowe-1823 yaye kwakhona ngowe-1836, oobhishophu abakhulu baseConstantinople bayalela ukuba itshiswe yonke imibhalo yeenguqulelo zeBhayibhile ezinjalo.

Umguquleli Onenkalipho

Ebudeni bale nkcaso ikrakra nolangazelelo olukhulu lolwazi lweBhayibhile, kwavela iqhawe elithile elaliza kuba nendima ebalulekileyo ekuguqulelweni kweBhayibhile kwisiGrike sezi mini. Elo khalipha le ndoda yayinguNeofitos Vamvas, iciko elaziwayo nesifundiswa kwezakwaLizwi, owayegqalwa njengomnye “waBafundisi Bohlanga.”

Lo kaVamvas wabona ngokucacileyo ukuba iCawa yobuOthodoki inetyala ngendlala engokomoya yabantu. Wayekholelwa ngokungqongqo ukuba ukuze abantu bondliwe ngokomoya, iBhayibhile ifanele iguqulelwe ngesiGrike esiqhelekileyo sezo mini. Ngowe-1831, encediswa ngabanye abaphengululi waqalisa ukuguqulela iBhayibhile kwisiGrike esiqhelekileyo. Inguqulelo yakhe epheleleyo yapapashwa ngowe-1850. Ekubeni iCawa yamaGrike yobuOthodoki yayingasayi kufak’ isandla kulo msebenzi, wacela uncedo kwiBritish and Foreign Bible Society (BFBS) ukuze apapashe aze asasaze le nguqulelo yakhe. Le cawa yamtyabeka ngokuthi “ungumProtestanti,” yaye kungekudala wazifumanisa sele elikheswa.

Inguqulelo kaVamvas yayihambisana ngokusondeleyo neKing James Version yaye yamkela namakhwiniba aloo nguqulelo ngenxa yokuba abaguquleli bayo babengenalwazi lunzulu lweBhayibhile nolweelwimi zelo xesha. Sekunjalo, kangangeminyaka emininzi yayiyeyona Bhayibhile isemgangathweni abantu ababenokuyifumana yesiGrike sezo mini. Okubangel’ umdla kukuba, le nguqulelo yayinalo kwanegama likaThixo kwiindawo ezine, libhalwe ngokuthi “Ieová.”—Genesis 22:14; Eksodus 6:3; 17:15; ABagwebi 6:24.

Abantu ngokubanzi bayijonga njani le nguqulelo nezinye iinguqulelo eziqondakala lula zeBhayibhile? Babezithanda gqitha! Kwenye inqanawa eyayinduluka isiya kwesinye seziqithi zaseGrisi, omnye umthengisi weeBhayibhile weBFBS “wayexinwe ziinqanawa ezazizaliswe ngabantwana ababeze kufuna [iiBhayibhile], kangangokuba wanyanzeleka . . .ukuba acele umphathi wenqanawa ukuba banduluke kwelo zibuko” kungenjalo wayeza kuphelelwa zizo zonke ezo awayenazo! Kodwa abachasi abazange basong’ izandla.

Abefundisi bamaOthodoki babalumkisa abantu ngeenguqulelo ezinjalo. Ngokomzekelo, eAthens, iiBhayibhile zaxuthwa. Ngowe-1833, ubhishophu ongumOthodoki waseCrete watshisa “iiTestamente Ezintsha” awayezifumene kwindlu yecawa. Omnye umbhalo wawufihlwe apho ngumfundisi othile, yaye abantu kwidolophana ezazikufuphi bayifihla imibhalo yabo de loo mfundisi wahamba kweso siqithi.

Kwiminyaka ethile kamva kwisiqithi saseCorfu, kwiNkomfa Engcwele yeCawa yamaGrike yobuOthodoki inguqulelo yeBhayibhile kaVamvas ayizange yamkelwe. Akuzange kuvunywe ukuba ithengiswe, yaye imibhalo eyayikho yatshatyalaliswa. Kwisiqithi saseChios, eSíros naseMykonos, inkohlakalo yabefundisi basekuhlaleni yakhokelela ekutshisweni kweeBhayibhile. Kodwa kwakuseza ingcinezelo engakumbi ngokuphathelele inguqulelo yeBhayibhile.

UKumkanikazi Ubonakalisa Umdla KwiBhayibhile

Ebudeni beminyaka yee-1870, uKumkanikazi waseGrisi uOlga waphawula ukuba abantu baseGrisi ngokubanzi babesenolwazi oluncinane lweBhayibhile. Ekholelwa ukuba ulwazi lweZibhalo lunokuluthuthuzela luze luluhlaziye olu hlanga, wenza imigudu yokuba iBhayibhile iguqulelwe ngolwimi olulula kunolo lwenguqulelo kaVamvas.

Bucala, ubhishophu omkhulu waseAthens nentsumpa yeNkomfa Engcwele, uProkopios, bamkhuthaza ukumkanikazi kweli phulo lakhe. Noko ke, xa wacela imvume esemthethweni kwiNkomfa Engcwele, akazange ayinikwe. Sekunjalo, wazingisa, ecela kwakhona kodwa nakwisihlandlo sesibini ngowe-1899, akazange ayinikwe. Ekutyeshela oku, wagqiba kwelokuba apapashe imibhalo embalwa ngeendleko zakhe. Oku wakwenza ngowe-1900.

Abachasi Abangoontamo-lukhuni

Ngowe-1901, kwiphephandaba eliphambili laseAthens, iThe Acropolis, kwapapashwa incwadi yeVangeli kaMateyu eyayiguqulelwe ngesiGrike Esiqhelekileyo nguAlexander Pallis, umguquleli owayesebenza eLiverpool, eNgilani. Kubonakala ukuba injongo kaPallis noogxa bakhe ‘yayikukufundisa amaGrike’ “nokunceda olu hlanga lubuyele” kwimeko yalo yangaphambili.

Abafundi bezakwalizwi abangamaOthodoki noonjingalwazi babo babeyigqala le nguqulelo “njengehlazisa ezona zinto zingcwele zesi sizwe,” ukugculelwa kweZibhalo Ezingcwele. Ubhishophu omkhulu uJoakim III waseConstantinople wabhala uxwebhu olwalubonisa ukungayamkeli kwakhe le nguqulelo. Le mbambano yaphumela nakwezobupolitika, yaye ngenkohliso yasetyenziswa ngamaqela alwela ezobupolitika.

Abantu ababephambili kumaphephandaba aseAthens baqalisa ukuhlasela inguqulelo kaPallis, besithi abantu abayixhasayo “abakholelwa kuThixo,” “bangabawexuki” yaye “basebenzelana namanye amazwe” anenjongo yokuphelisa umanyano lwabantu baseGrisi. Ukususela ngoNovemba 5 ukusa kumhla wesi-8, 1901, bephenjelelwa ngamalungu aphambili eCawa yamaGrike yobuOthodoki, abafundi baseAthens baqhankqalaza. Bahlasela iiofisi zeThe Acropolis, nebhotwe, bathimba iYunivesithi yaseAthens, baza bayalela ukuba urhulumente arhoxe. Kolu qhankqalazo, kwafa abantu abasibhozo ababesilwa nomkhosi. Ngosuku olulandelayo, ukumkani wayalela ukuba uBhishophu Omkhulu uProkopios arhoxe kwisikhundla sakhe, yaye kwiintsuku ezimbini kamva onke amalungu ePalamente ashenxa kwizikhundla zawo.

Emva kwenyanga abafundi baphinda baqhankqalaza baza batshisa umbhalo wenguqulelo kaPallis esidlangalaleni. Babetha ngenqindi phantsi bengavumi ukuba iphinde isasazwe le nguqulelo baza bamthembisa ngesigwebo esiqatha nabani na onokuzama ukwenjenjalo kwixesha elizayo. Oku kwaba sisizathu sokuthintelwa kokusetyenziswa kwenguqulelo yeBhayibhile yesiGrike sezi mini. Eli yayilixesha lobumnyama bokwenene!

“Ilizwi LikaYehova Lihlala Likho Ngonaphakade”

Ngowe-1924 umthetho wokuthintela ukusetyenziswa kweBhayibhile yesiGrike sezi mini wapheliswa. Ukususela ngoko, iCawa yamaGrike yobuOthodoki yakatya ngokupheleleyo kumalinge ayo okuzama ukuthintela abantu bangabi nayo iBhayibhile. Ngelo xesha, amaNgqina kaYehova ayehamba phambili ekufundiseni iBhayibhile eGrisi, njengokuba kunjalo nakwamanye amazwe amaninzi. Ukususela ngowe-1905, aye asebenzisa inguqulelo kaVamvas ekuncedeni izigidi zabantu abathetha isiGrike ukuze bafumane ulwazi lwenyaniso yeBhayibhile.

Ukutyhubela iminyaka, abaphengululi noonjingalwazi abaninzi baye benza imigudu encomekayo ukuze bavelise iBhayibhile ngesiGrike sezi mini. Namhlanje, kukho iinguqulelo zeBhayibhile ezinokuba ngama-30, ezipheleleyo okanye inxalenye yazo, ezinokufundwa ngumGrike nje oqhelekileyo. Eyona ibalaseleyo kuzo yiNguqulelo Yehlabathi Elitsha YeZibhalo Ezingcwele yesiGrike, eyafumaneka ngowe-1997 ukuze incede abantu abazizigidi ezili-16 emhlabeni wonke abathetha ulwimi lwesiGrike. Le nguqulelo epapashwe ngamaNgqina kaYehova, iguqulele iLizwi likaThixo ngendlela efundeka lula, eqondakalayo, yaye inamathela ngokuthembekileyo kumbhalo wantlandlolo.

Umgudu wokuveliswa kweBhayibhile ngesiGrike sezi mini ubonisa ingongoma ebalulekileyo. Ngokucacileyo oku kubonisa ukuba phezu kwayo nje imigudu yabantu yenkohlakalo, “ilizwi likaYehova lihlala likho ngonaphakade.”—1 Petros 1:25.

[Umbhalo osemazantsi]

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 27]

UCyril Lucaris wakhokela kwinguqulelo epheleleyo yokuqala yesiGrike yeZibhalo ZamaKristu ZesiGrike ngowe-1630

[Inkcazelo]

Bib. Publ. Univ. de Genève

[Imifanekiso ekwiphepha 28]

Ezinye iinguqulelo zesiGrike esiqhelekileyo zezi: INdumiso eyashicilelwa: (1) ngowe-1828 nguIlarion, (2) ngowe-1832 nguVamvas, (3) ngowe-1643 nguJulianus. “ITestamente Endala” eyashicilelwa: (4) ngowe-1840, nguVamvas

UKumkanikazi uOlga

[Inkcazelo]

Bibles: National Library of Greece; Queen Olga: Culver Pictures

[Inkcazelo Ngomfanekiso okwiphepha 26]

Papyrus: Reproduced by kind permission of The Trustees of the Chester Beatty Library, Dublin

[Inkcazelo Ngomfanekiso okwiphepha 29]

Papyrus: Reproduced by kind permission of The Trustees of the Chester Beatty Library, Dublin