IGama LikaNkulunkulu EmiBhalweni YamaKristu

LAPHO uJesu ebiza uNkulunkulu ngokuthi uYise, izilaleli zakhe ezingamaJuda zazimazi Lowo ayekhuluma ngaye. Zazilibona igama likaNkulunkulu emiqulwini yeBhayibheli yesiHeberu eyayisemasinagogeni azo. Umqulu onjalo wanikwa uJesu esinagogeni emzini wakubo, eNazaretha. Wafunda ingxenyana eyayikuIsaya eyayinegama likaNkulunkulu kabili.—Luka 4:16-21.

Abafundi bakaJesu bangaphambili nabo balibona igama likaNkulunkulu kuSeptuagint—inguqulo yeBhayibheli ngesiGreki, eyayisetshenziswa amaKristu akuqala ekufundiseni nasekubhaleni. Kuyiqiniso, ngesinye isikhathi kwake kwacatshangwa ukuthi igama likaNkulunkulu lalingekho kuSeptuagint, kodwa manje kwaziwa ngokuqondile ukuthi leligama lalihlonishwa kangangokuba iTetragrammaton (igama elisetshenziswa abafundi ekubhekiseleni ezinhlamvini ezine zokubhalwa kwegama likaNkulunkulu ngesiHeberu) yayibhalwa ngezinhlamvu zesiHeberu etekisini lesiGreki.

Ekhulwini lesibili uAkwila wabhala igama likaNkulunkulu ngezinhlamvu zesiHeberu etekisini lakhe lesiGreki. Ekhulwini lesithathu uOrigen wabhala ukuthi “emibhalweni elotshwe ngesandla enokwethenjwa kakhulu Leligama libhalwe ngezinhlamvu zesiHeberu.” Ekhulwini lesine umhumushi weBhayibheli uJerome wabhala: “Sithola igama likaNkulunkulu elinezinhlamvu ezine (okungukuthi יהוה) kwezinye izincwadi zesiGreki ngisho nanamuhla libhalwe ngezinhlamvu zakudala.”

UDr. Paul E. Kahle uyabhala: “Manje siyazi ukuthi umbhalo weBhayibheli lesiGreki [iSeptuagint] njengoba lalibhalwe ngamaJuda ebhalela amaJuda awalihumushanga igama likaNkulunkulu ngoKyʹrios [iNkosi], kodwa iTetragrammaton eyayibhalwe ngezinhlamvu zesiHeberu noma zesiGreki yagcinwa kulama-MSS [imibhalo yakuqala elotshwe ngesandla].”—The Cairo Geniza, amakhasi 222, 224.

Kusho ukuthini lokhu? Kusho ukuthi, kungakhathaliseki ukuthi zazikhuluma isiHeberu noma isiGreki, lapho izilaleli zikaJesu zifunda imiBhalo zazilibona igama likaNkulunkulu kuyo. Ngakho, kusobala ukuthi lapho becaphuna lemibhalo babelandela indlela ababeyibonile—befaka izinhlamvu ezine zesiHeberu zegama likaJehova ekubhaleni kwabo imiBhalo yamaKristu yesiGreki.

KuJournal of Biblical Literature, uGeorge Howard, oyisekela likaprofesa wenkolo eYunivesithi yaseGeorgia, wabhala: “Njengoba iTetragram yayisabhaliwe eziboniselweni zeBhayibheli lesiGreki elaliyimiBhalo yebandla lokuqala, kungokunengqondo ukukholelwa ukuthi ababhali beT[estamente] E[lisha], lapho becaphuna emiBhalweni, bayigcina iTetragram etekisini leBhayibheli.”—1977, Umqulu 96, No. 1, ikhasi 77.

Ukukhishwa Kwegama LikaNkulunkulu

Kubonakala sengathi kamuva igama likaNkulunkulu lakhishwa kukho kokubili kuSeptuagint nase“Testamenteni Elisha” lapho amaKristu angewona amaJuda ayengasaziqondi izinhlamvu zesiHeberu. Khona-ke uDr. Kahle uyabhala: “KwakungamaKristu afaka uKy’rios (iNkosi) esikhundleni seTetragrammaton, lapho igama likaNkulunkulu elibhalwe ngezinhlamvu zesiHeberu lalingasaqondwa neze.”—The Cairo Geniza, ikhasi 224.

Kwakubaluleke ngani lokhu kulahleka? UProfesa Howard uthi: “Lokhu kukhishwa kweTetragram, ngombono wethu, kwadala ukudideka ezingqondweni zamaKristu angabeZizwe ngobuhlobo phakathi ‘kweNkosi uNkulunkulu’ kanye ‘neNkosi uKristu.’”—Ikhasi 63 lesihloko esicashunwe ngaphambili.

Ngokwesibonelo, iHubo 110:1 lithi: “UJehova wathi eNkosini yami.” Lokhu kucashunwe kuMathewu 22:44 lapho ngemva kokuba igama elithi Jehova selikhishiwe, izinguqulo eziningi zanamuhla zifundeka kanje: “INkosi yathi enkosini yami.” Ngakho-ke emalungwini amasonto eLobukholwa umehluko oqondile phakathi kukaJehova (“iNkosi”) kanye noJesu (“iNkosi yami”) walahleka.

Kunezinzuzo ezinkulu ekulandeleni isibonelo esingokweBhayibheli sokusebenzisa igama likaNkulunkulu: (1) Kusisiza ukuba sibheke uNkulunkulu njengoMuntu, hhayi nje amandla. (2) Kusisiza ukuba sisondelane eduze naye. (3) Kususa ukudideka, kukhaliphise ukucabanga kwethu ngaye, kulethe imicabango yethu eduze nalokho ngempela iBhayibheli elikufundisayo.

[Isithombe ekhasini 9]

Igama Laphezulu, lalivela ngezinhlamvu zesiHeberu, ezinguqulweni zakuqala zesiGreki zemiBhalo yesiHeberu