“Malingcweliswe Igama Lakho”—Liphi Igama?

INGABE ungumuntu okholwayo? Khona-ke ngokungangabazeki, njengabanye abaningi, uyakholelwa kuMuntu oMkhulu kunabo bonke. Futhi cishe uwuhlonipha kakhulu umthandazo owaziwayo othandazwa kulowoMuntu, owafundiswa uJesu kubalandeli bakhe nowaziwa njengoMthandazo WeNkosi, noma uBaba Wethu. Lomthandazo uqala ngalendlela: “Baba wethu osezulwini, malingcweliswe igama lakho.”—Mathewu 6:9.

Wake wazibuza yini ukuthi kungani uJesu ebeka ‘ukungcweliswa’ kwegama likaNkulunkulu kuqala kulomthandazo? Kamuva, waphawula ezinye izinto ezinjengokuza koMbuso kaNkulunkulu, ukwenziwa kwentando kaNkulunkulu emhlabeni nokuthethelelwa kwezono zethu. Ukugcwaliseka kwalezi ezinye izicelo ekugcineni kuyosho ukuthula okuhlala njalo emhlabeni nokuphila okuphakade ngesintu. Ikhona yini into ebaluleke ngaphezu kwalokho ongayicabanga? Nokho, uJesu wasitshela ukuba okokuqala sithandazele ukungcweliswa kwegama likaNkulunkulu.

Akumananga nje kwazenzekela ukuba uJesu afundise abalandeli bakhe ukubeka igama likaNkulunkulu kuqala emithandazweni yabo. Lelogama ngokusobala lalibaluleke kakhulu kuyena, ngoba walithinta ngokuphindaphindiwe emithandazweni yakhe siqu. Ngesinye isikhathi lapho ethandaza kuNkulunkulu obala, wezwakala ethi: “Baba, khazimulisa igama lakho.” Futhi uNkulunkulu ngokwakhe waphendula: “Ngilikhazimulisile, ngobuye ngilikhazimulise.”—Johane 12:28.

Ngaphambi kokuba uJesu afe, ngalobobusuku wayethandaza kuNkulunkulu abafundi bakhe bezwa, baphinda futhi bamuzwa eqokomisa ukubaluleka kwegama likaNkulunkulu. Wathi: “Ngilazisile igama lakho kubantu ongithathele bona ezweni.” Kamuva, waphinda: “Ngibazisile igama lakho futhi ngiyoqhubeka ngilazisa.”—Johane 17:6, 26, JB.

Kungani igama likaNkulunkulu lalibaluleke kangaka kuJesu? Kungani abonisa ukuthi libalulekile nakithina, ngokusitshela ukuba sithandazele ukungcweliswa kwalo? Ukuze sikuqonde lokhu, sidinga ukuqonda ukuthi amagama ayebhekwa kanjani ngezikhathi zeBhayibheli.

Amagama Ngezikhathi ZeBhayibheli

UJehova uNkulunkulu ngokusobala wafaka kumuntu isifiso sokuqamba izinto amagama. Umuntu wokuqala wayenegama, uAdamu. Endabeni yendalo, enye yezinto zokuqala uAdamu okubikwa ukuthi wayenza ukuqamba izilwane amagama. Lapho uNkulunkulu enika uAdamu umfazi, ngokushesha uAdamu wambiza ngokuthi “iNdodakazi” (’Ish·shahʹ, ngesiHeberu). Kamuva, wamqamba igama lokuthi uEva, okusho “oPhilayo,” ngoba “waba ngunina wabo bonke abaphilayo.” (Genesise 2:19, 23; 3:20) Ngisho nanamuhla silandela isiko lokuqamba abantu amagama. Ngempela, kunzima ukucabanga ukuthi besingenze njani ngaphandle kwamagama.

Nokho, ngezikhathi zamaIsrayeli, amagama ayengewona nje angasho lutho. Ayesho okuthile. Ngokwesibonelo, igama likaIsaka, elisho “uHleko,” lalikhumbuza ngokuhleka kwabazali bakhe asebegugile uma bezwa okokuqala ukuthi babezoba nomntwana. (Genesise 17:17, 19; 18:12) Igama likaEsawu lalisho “Onoboya,” lichaza isici somzimba. Elinye igama lakhe, uEdomi, elisho “oBomvu,” laliyisikhumbuzo sokuthi wathengisa ngobuzibulo bakhe ngenxa yesilovela esibomvu. (Genesise 25:25, 30-34; 27:11; 36:1) UJakobe, nakuba ayemncane kancane kunomfowabo ayeyiwele naye, uEsawu, wabuthenga ubuzibulo kuEsawu wathola izibusiso zobuzibulo kuyise. Kusukela ekuzalweni, incazelo yegama likaJakobe yayithi “Obambe isithende” noma “Ongena esikhundleni.” (Genesise 27:36) Ngokufanayo igama likaSolomoni, lowo ngesikhathi sokubusa kwakhe uIsrayeli owayenokuthula nokuchuma, lalisho “Onokuthula.”—1 IziKronike 22:9.

Ngaleyondlela, i-Illustrated Bible Dictionary (Umqulu 1, ikhasi 572) iphawula okulandelayo: “Ukuhlolwa kwezwi elithi ‘igama’ eT[estamenteni] E[lidala] kwembula lokho elikushoyo ngesiHeberu. Igama alilona nje elingasho lutho, kodwa lichaza ubuntu boqobo balowo elingelakhe.”

Iqiniso lokuthi uNkulunkulu ubheka amagama njengabalulekile libonakala ekutheni, ngengelosi, wayala ababezokuba abazali bakaJohane uMbhapathizi nababezokuba abakaJesu ngokuthi amagama amadodana abo ayezoba obani. (Luka 1:13, 31) Futhi ngezinye izikhathi wayewashintsha amagama, noma anikeze abantu amanye amagama, ukuze abonise indima ababezoyifeza enjongweni yakhe. Ngokwesibonelo, lapho uNkulunkulu ebikezela ukuthi inceku yakhe uAbrama (“uYise Wokuphakama”) wayezoba uyise wezizwe eziningi washintsha igama layo laba uAbrahama (“uYise Wezizwe Eziningi”). Futhi washintsha igama lomka-Abrahama, elithi Sarayi (“Onenkani”), kwaba uSara (“Indodakazi Yasebukhosini”), ngoba wayezoba unina wenzalo ka-Abrahama.—Genesise 17:5, 15, 16; qhathanisa noGenesise 32:28; 2 Samuweli 12:24, 25.

NoJesu futhi, wakuqaphela ukubaluleka kwamagama futhi wabhekisela egameni likaPetru lapho emnika ilungelo lenkonzo. (Mathewu 16:16-19) Ngisho nezidalwa zomoya zinamagama. Ezimbili eziphawulwe eBhayibhelini uGabriyeli noMikayeli. (Luka 1:26; Juda 9) Futhi uma umuntu eqamba amagama izinto ezingaphili njengezinkanyezi, onozungezilanga, amadolobha, izintaba nemifula, umane ulingisa uMdali wakhe. Ngokwesibonelo, iBhayibheli lisitshela ukuthi uNkulunkulu ubiza zonke izinkanyezi ngamagama.—Isaya 40:26.

Yebo, amagama abalulekile emehlweni kaNkulunkulu, futhi wafaka kumuntu isifiso sokuhlukanisa abantu kanye nezinto ngamagama. Ngakho izingelosi, abantu, izilwane, kanye nezinkanyezi nezinye izinto ezingaphili, zinamagama. Bekungaba okunengqondo-ke yini ngoMdali wazo zonke lezizinto ukuba yena angabi negama? Yebo bekungeke, ikakhulukazi uma sicabangela amazwi omhubi: “Inyama yonke ibonge igama [likaNkulunkulu] elingcwele kuze kube-phakade.”—IHubo 145:21.

INew International Dictionary of New Testament Theology (Umqulu 2, ikhasi 649) ithi: “Esinye sezici eziyisisekelo nezidingeke kakhulu esambulweni seBhayibheli iqiniso lokuthi uNkulunkulu akayena ongenagama: unegama lakhe siqu, lelo angase, nokumelwe, akhulekelwe ngalo.” Ngokuqinisekile uJesu wayecabanga ngalelogama uma efundisa abalandeli bakhe ukuba bathandaze bathi: “Baba wethu osezulwini, malingcweliswe igama lakho.”—Mathewu 6:9.

Ngenxa yakho konke lokhu, ngokusobala kubalulekile ngathi ukuba silazi igama likaNkulunkulu. Ingabe wena uyalazi igama likaNkulunkulu siqu?

Lingubani Igama LikaNkulunkulu?

Ngokumangalisayo, iningi lamakhulu ezinkulungwane zamalungu amasonto eLobukholwa cishe lingakuthola kunzima ukuphendula lowombuzo. Abanye bangathi igama likaNkulunkulu uJesu Kristu. Kodwa uJesu wayethandaza kothile uma ethi: “Ngibonakalisile igama lakho kubantu ongiphé bona kwabasezweni.” (Johane 17:6) Wayethandaza kuNkulunkulu ezulwini, njengendodana ikhuluma noyise. (Johane 17:1) Kwakuyigama likaYise wasezulwini okwakumelwe ‘lingcweliswe.’

Kodwa amaBhayibheli amaningi amanje awanalo lelogama, futhi alivamile ukusetshenziswa emasontweni. Ngakho-ke, kunokuba ‘lingcweliswe,’ liye lafihlelwa izigidi eziningi zabafundi beBhayibheli. Njengesibonelo sendlela abahumushi beBhayibheli abaye baphatha ngayo igama likaNkulunkulu, cabangela ivesi elilodwa nje lapho livela khona: IHubo 83:18. Nansi indlela lombhalo ohunyushwe ngayo emaBhayibhelini amane ahlukahlukene:

“Mabazi ukuthi wena wedwa, ogama lakho liyiNKOSI, ungoPhezukonke emhlabeni wonke.” (Revised Standard Version ka-1952)

“Ukuba bafundiswe ukuthi wena, oNgunaphakade, unguNkulunkulu oPhezukonke ezweni lonke.” (A New Translation of the Bible, ka-1922, nguJames Moffatt)

“Mabazi lokhu: nguwe wedwa onegama elithi Yahweh, ungoPhezukonke kulo lonke izwe.” (Catholic Jerusalem Bible ka-1966)

“Bazi ukuthi nguwe wedwa ogama lakho LINGUJEHOVA; ungoPhezukonke emhlabeni wonke.” (IBhayibheli LesiZulu)

Kungani igama likaNkulunkulu libonakala lihlukene kangaka kulezinguqulo? Ingabe igama lakhe iNKOSI, oNgunaphakade, uYahweh noma uJehova? Noma ingabe wonke lawa ayamukeleka?

Ukuze siphendule lombuzo, kumelwe sikhumbule ukuthi iBhayibheli lalingabhaliwe ngesiZulu ekuqaleni. Abalobi beBhayibheli babengamaHeberu, futhi babhala ikakhulukazi ngezilimi zosuku lwabo isiHeberu nesiGreki. Abaningi bethu abazikhulumi lezozilimi zasendulo. Kodwa iBhayibheli liye lahunyushelwa ezilimini eziningi zanamuhla, futhi singazisebenzisa lezilimi uma sifuna ukufunda iZwi likaNkulunkulu.

AmaKristu anenhlonipho ejulile ngeBhayibheli futhi ngokufanelekile akholelwa ukuthi “yonke imibhalo iphefumulelwe nguNkulunkulu.” (2 Thimothewu 3:16) Ngakho-ke, ukuhumusha iBhayibheli kungumthwalo osindayo. Uma othile eshintsha ngamabomu noma akhiphe ingxenye yokuqukethwe yiBhayibheli, udlala ngeZwi eliphefumlelwe. Kumuntu onjalo lesixwayiso esingokomBhalo singasebenza: “Uma ekhona owenezela kulokhu, uNkulunkulu uyakwenezela kuye izinhlupho ezilotshiwe kulencwadi; futhi uma ekhona osusa utho kuwo amazwi encwadi yalesisiprofetho, uNkulunkulu uyakususa isabelo sakhe emthini wokuphila.”—IsAmbulo 22:18, 19; bheka futhi uDuteronomi 4:2.

Abahumushi abaningi beBhayibheli ngokungangabazeki bayalihlonipha iBhayibheli futhi ngobuqotho bafuna ukulenza liqondakale kulesikhathi samanje. Kodwa abahumushi abaphefumlelwe. Abaningi babo banemibono enamandla nasezindabeni zenkolo futhi bangase bathonywe imibono yomuntu siqu nokukhetha. Bangase futhi benze amaphutha obuntu ekwahluleleni.

Ngakho-ke, sinelungelo lokubuza imibuzo ethile ebalulekile: Lingubani igama loqobo likaNkulunkulu? Futhi kungani izinguqulo ezihlukahlukene zeBhayibheli zinamagama ahlukene kaNkulunkulu? Uma sesiyitholile impendulo yalemibuzo, singabuyela enkingeni yethu yasekuqaleni: Kungani ukungcweliswa kwegama likaNkulunkulu kubaluleke kangaka?

Ngaphandle kokuba kuboniswe ngenye indlela, izingcaphuno zemiBhalo kule ncwajana engangomagazini zivela eBhayibhelini lesiZulu elivamile. Lapho kuno-NW ngemva kwengcaphuno, kubonisa ukuthi ihunyushwe isuselwa kuyi-New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures yolimi lwamuva, uHlelo luka-1984.

[Amazwi acashunwe esihlokweni ekhasini 4]

Izingelosi, abantu, izilwane, kanye nezinkanyezi nezinye izinto ezingaphili, zinamagama. Bekungafaneleka-ke yini ngoMdali wazo zonke lezizinto ukuba angabi negama?

[Amazwi acashunwe esihlokweni ekhasini 5]

Igama likaNkulunkulu ngokusobala lalibaluleke kakhulu kuJesu, ngoba walithinta ngokuphindaphindiwe emithandazweni yakhe