Yintoni Umphefumlo?
Impendulo esuka eBhayibhileni
Igama elithi “umphefumlo” eliseBhayibhileni liguqulelwe kwelesiHebhere elithi neʹphesh nelesiGrike elithi psy·kheʹ. Eli lesiHebhere lithetha “isidalwa esiphefumlayo,” ibe elesiGrike lona lithetha “isidalwa esiphilayo.”a Ngoko umphefumlo sisidalwa uqobo, kungekhona into engaphakathi esindayo xa umzimba usifa. Khawubone indlela iBhayibhile ewucacisa ngawo lo mba:
UAdam akazange anikwe mphefumlo, kunoko “waba ngumphefumlo ophilayo”
Xa uYehova uThixo wadala umntu wokuqala uAdam, iBhayibhile ithi, “umntu ke waba ngumphefumlo ophilayo.” (Genesis 2:7) UAdam akazange anikwe mphefumlo, kunoko wayengumphefumlo okanye umntu.
IBhayibhile ithi umphefumlo uyakwazi ukusebenza, ulambe, utye, uthobele imithetho uze uchukumise nesidumbu. (Levitikus 5:2; 7:20; 23:30; Duteronomi 12:20; Roma 13:1) Ezi zizinto ebezinokwenziwa ngumntu.
Ngaba umphefumlo awufi?
Akunjalo, umphefumlo unako ukufa. Kukho iivesi zeBhayibhile ezininzi ezibonisa ukuba umphefumlo uyafa. Nantsi imizekelo:
“Umphefumlo owonayo—kuya kufa wona.”—Hezekile 18:4, 20.
KuSirayeli wamandulo, esona sigwebo sasiqatha somntu owenze isono esinzulu yayikukuba “unqunyulwe loo mphefumlo.” (Eksodus 12:15, 19; Levitikus 7:20, 21, 27; 19:8) Loo mntu ‘wayebulawa afe.’—Eksodus 31:14.
Emva kokuba umntu efile, ezinye iivesi zeBhayibhile zisebenzisa igama elithi “umphefumlo ofileyo,” xa zibhekisa kwisidumbu. (Levitikus 21:11; Numeri 6:6) Nangona iinguqulelo ezininzi zeBhayibhile zisebenzisa igama elithi “umzimba ofileyo” okanye “umntu ofileyo” kwezi vesi, isiHebhere sona sisebenzise igama elithi neʹphesh okanye “umphefumlo.”
“Umphefumlo” unokuthetha ubomi
IBhayibhile isebenzisa igama elithi “umphefumlo” njengesithetha-ntonye segama elithi “ubomi.” Ngokomzekelo uYobhi 33:22 usebenzisa igama lesiHebhere elithi “umphefumlo” (neʹphesh) ngendlela efanayo nelithi “ubomi.” IBhayibhile iphinde ibonise ukuba umphefumlo womntu uyakwazi ukuba sengozini okanye umntu aphulukane nawo.—Eksodus 4:19; ABagwebi 9:17; Filipi 2:30.
Le ndlela lisetyenziswe ngayo eli gama isinceda siqonde nezinye iindinyana ezithetha ngomphefumlo ‘ophumayo emntwini.’ (Genesis 35:18) La mazwi abonisa ukuba ubomi bomntu buyaphela. Ezinye iinguqulelo ziyibeka ngolu hlobo incwadi yeGenesis 35:18, “xa uphumayo umphefumlo.”—IBhayibhile YesiXhosa Ka-1996.
Ivela phi inkolelo yomphefumlo ongafiyo?
Iinkonzo zamaKristu ezikholelwa kumphefumlo ongafiyo aziyifumani eBhayibhileni le mfundiso kodwa ziyifumana kwintanda-bulumko yamaGrike. IEncyclopædia Britannica ithi: “Xa iBhayibhile ithetha ngomphefumlo, ivame ukudibanisa eli gama kunye nengcamango yokuphefumla, kwaye ayichazi mahluko phakathi kwesidumbu kunye nomphefumlo. AmaKristu angakholelwayo ukuba umphefumlo ngumzimba aphenjelelwe ziimfundiso zamaGrike.”
UThixo akayithandi into yokudityaniswa kweemfundiso zeBhayibhile kunye nezentanda-bulumko, njengakule meko yomphefumlo ongafiyo. Endaweni yoko, iBhayibhile ilumkisa ithi: “Lumkani, ningathabatheki ziintanda-bulumko nayinkohliso elambathayo esekelwe kwizithethe zabantu.”—Kolose 2:8.
a Bona iThe New Brown, Driver, and Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament, iphepha 659, neLexicon in Veteris Testamenti Libros, iphepha 627. IiBhayibhile ezininzi ziliguqulela ngokwahlukileyo igama elithi neʹphesh nelithi psy·kheʹ, kuxhomekeka kumongo woko kuthethwayo, zisebenzisa amagama athi “umphefumlo,” “ubomi,” “umntu,” “isidalwa,” okanye “umzimba.”