UNkulunkulu Unegama!

Ngubani igama likaNkulunkulu? Bonke abantu banamagama abo. Phela, abantu abaningi baze baqambe ngisho nezilwane abazifuyile abazithandayo amagama! Bekungelindeleke yini-ke ukuba uNkulunkulu abe negama? Ukuba negama nokubizwa ngalo akuve kubalulekile ebuhlotsheni nasekusebenzelaneni kwabantu. Ingabe-ke kufanele kuhluke uma kuziwa ebuhlotsheni bethu noNkulunkulu? Kuyisimanga nokho ukuthi izigidi zabantu abathi bakholelwa kuNkulunkulu oseBhayibhelini azilisebenzisi igama lakhe. Kodwa sekungamakhulu amaningi eminyaka igama likaNkulunkulu laziwa. Njengoba ufunda lezi zihloko eziwuchungechunge, uzofunda ngezikhathi lapho igama likaNkulunkulu lalisetshenziswa khona kakhulu. Okubaluleke nakakhulu, uzofunda ukuthi iBhayibheli lithini ngokwazi uNkulunkulu ngegama.

NGEKHULU le-17 izinhlamvu zemali ezazigaywa emazweni amaningana aseYurophu zazinegama likaNkulunkulu. Uhlamvu lwemali yaseJalimane olwagaywa ngonyaka ka-1634 lwalunegama likaJehova libhalwe ngokugqamile. Izinhlamvu ezinjalo zazaziwa kakhulu ngokuthi izinhlamvu zemali ezinoJehova futhi zasetshenziswa amashumi amaningi eminyaka.

Igama elithi Jehovaa lihumusha igama likaNkulunkulu osekungamakhulu amaningi eminyaka liqashelwa. NgesiHebheru, ulimi olufundwa ukusuka kwesokudla uye kwesobunxele, leli gama libhalwa ngongwaqa abane, יהוה. Lezi zinhlamvu ezine zesiHebheru—ezipelwa ngokwezwi nezwi ngokuthi YHWH—zaziwa ngokuthi yi-Tetragrammaton. Igama likaNkulunkulu labhalwa futhi ngale ndlela ezinhlamvwini zemali yaseYurophu amashumi amaningi eminyaka.

Igama likaNkulunkulu litholakala nasezakhiweni, ezikhumbuzweni, nasemidwebweni kanye nasezingomeni eziningi zamasonto. Ngokwe-encyclopedia yesiJalimane i-Brockhaus, ngesinye isikhathi kwakuwumkhuba wezikhulu ezingamaProthestani ukufaka indondo eyayinomfanekiso welanga eliqoshiwe kanye ne-Tetragrammaton. Lolu phawu, olwalusetshenziswa futhi emafulegini nasezinhlamvwini zemali, lwalwaziwa ngokuthi uphawu lukaJehova neLanga. Kuyacaca ukuthi abantu baseYurophu ababeshisekela inkolo bekhulu le-17 nele-18 babazi ukuthi uNkulunkulu uMninimandla onke wayenegama. Okuphawuleka nakakhulu ukuthi babengesabi ukulisebenzisa.

Igama likaNkulunkulu lalingafihlekile nangenkathi iMelika iseyiKoloni. Ngokwesibonelo, cabanga ngo-Ethan Allen, omunye wamasosha eNkathi YeziNguquko YaseMelika. Ngokwemilando yakhe, ngo-1775 wayala izitha zakhe “ngegama likaJehova Omkhulu” ukuba zizinikele kubo. Kamuva ngesikhathi u-Abraham Lincoln engumongameli, abeluleki bakhe abaningana bakhuluma izikhathi eziningi ngoJehova ezincwadini ababembhalele zona. Emitatsheni eminingi umphakathi uvulelwe ukuba uzibone ezinye zalezi zincwadi zomlando waseMelika eziqukethe igama likaNkulunkulu. Lezi kumane kuyizibonelo ezimbalwa zendlela igama likaNkulunkulu eliye lenziwa lavelela ngayo amakhulu amaningi eminyaka.

Kuthiwani namuhla? Ingabe igama likaNkulunkulu lilitshelwe? Lutho neze. Igama likaNkulunkulu liyavela emavesini amaningi ezinguqulo zeBhayibheli ezihlukahlukene. Uma ungase uthi qu emtatsheni noma uma ungazicwaningela ezichazamazwini onazo ungathola ngemizuzu embalwa nje ukuthi igama elithi Jehova lamukelwa kabanzi njengegama lomdabu elimelela i-Tetragrammaton. Ngokwesibonelo, incazelo ecacile ye-Encyclopedia International ngegama elithi Jehova ithi “indlela igama elingcwele likaNkulunkulu lesiHebheru elibizwa ngayo namuhla.” Uhlelo lwamuva lwe-New Encyclopædia Britannica luchaza ukuthi elithi Jehova “igama likaNkulunkulu elisetshenziswa amaJuda namaKristu.”

Ungase uzibuze, ‘Kodwa, ingabe kumelwe abantu bazikhathaze ngegama likaNkulunkulu namuhla?’ Igama likaNkulunkulu lisavela ezindaweni eziningi zomphakathi ngezindlela ezihlukahlukene. Ngokwesibonelo igama likaJehova libhalwe etsheni legumbi lesakhiwo esithile eNew York City. Leli gama liye latholakala futhi kulo lelo dolobha, libhalwe ngesiHebheru emhlobisweni wamatshana amibalabala osesiteshini esimatasa sesitimela esihamba ngaphansi komhlaba. Nokho, singase sisho ukuthi ezinkulungwaneni zabantu abaye bahamba kulezi zindawo, bambalwa abaye baphawula ukubaluleka kwaleli gama kule mifanekiso.

Ingabe igama likaNkulunkulu libalulekile kubantu basezweni lakini? Noma ingabe abaningi babhekisela kuMdali ngokuthi “uNkulunkulu” njengokungathi lesi siqu yisona esiyigama lakhe? Kungenzeka ukuthi uphawulile ukuthi kubantu abaningi awukho ngisho nokubakhona umcabango wokuthi uNkulunkulu unegama. Kuthiwani ngawe? Ingabe uzizwa ukhululekile ukubiza uNkulunkulu ngegama lakhe, elithi Jehova?

[Umbhalo waphansi]

[Ibhokisi/Isithombe ekhasini 4]

Inkosi Eyenza Igama LikaJehova Laziwa

Ngo-1852 iqembu lezithunywa zevangeli lasuka eHawaii labhekisa amabombo eziqhingini zaseMicronesia. Laliphethe incwadi yokulethula eyayinophawu olungokomthetho lweNkosi uKamehameha III, owayeyinkosi eyayibusa ngaleso sikhathi eziqhingini zaseHawaii. Le ncwadi eyayibhalwe ngesiHawaii ekuqaleni futhi eyayibhalelwe ababusi abahlukahlukene beziQhingi zasePacific, ngokwengxenye yayithi: “Kunabafundisi abathile bakaNkulunkulu oPhezukonke, uJehova, abazilungiselela ukuza lapho eziqhingini zenu ngomkhumbi ukuzonazisa iZwi laKhe ukuze nithole insindiso yaphakade. . . . Ngicela ukuba laba bafundisi abahle nibahloniphe futhi nibe nobungane nabo futhi ngininxusa ukuba nilalele iziyalezo zabo. . . . Ngineluleka ukuba nilahle izithombe zenu, namukele iNkosi uJehova njengoNkulunkulu wenu, nimkhulekele futhi nimthande khona uzonibusisa futhi anisindise.”

[Isithombe]

INkosi uKamehameha III

[Umthombo]

Hawaii State Archives

[Isithombe ekhasini 3]

I-Tetragrammaton, okusho ukuthi “izinhlamvu ezine,” ipela igama likaNkulunkulu ngesiHebheru