Imibuzo Evela Kubafundi
◼ Ingabe owesifazane osemusha ongumJuda uEsteri waziphatha kabi ngokobulili nenkosi yasePheresiya ukuze athole umusa wayo futhi azuze ukuqashelwa kangcono?
Kungenzeka ukuthi abanye baye baphetha ngalendlela ngenxa yemibiko yezwe, kodwa umlando othembekile weBhayibheli uyakuphikisa lokhu kucabanga.
Isazi-mlando esingumJuda uFlavius Josephus sinikeza umbiko ongokwezwe othi indlovukazi yasePheresiya uVashiti wenqaba ukuvela phambi komyeni wakhe, uAhashiveroshi. Ngenxa yalokho, inkosi, ngokusobala uXerxes I wekhulu lesihlanu B.C.E., ngentukuthelo yamxosha uVashiti futhi yavumelana nokufunwa kwendlovukazi entsha embusweni wonke. Izintombi ezinhle ezisencane zabuthelwa ndawonye futhi zalungiswa isikhathi eside ukuze zibe zinhle.
“Khona-ke, lapho [umthenwa wenkosi] esecabanga ukuthi izintombi zase zinakekelwe ngokwanele . . . futhi manje zase zikulungele ukuya embhedeni wenkosi, wathumela ngayinye nsuku zonke ukuba ilale nenkosi, leyo, ngemva kokuba nobuhlobo bobulili nayo, yayiyiphindisela emuva kumthenwa. Kodwa, lapho uEsteri efika kuyo, yaneliseka ngaye futhi, isimthandile, yamenza umkayo ongokomthetho futhi bashada.”—Jewish Antiquities, Book XI, 184-202, eyahunyushwa nguRalph Marcus, (Book II, isahluko 6, izigaba 1, 2, njengoba yahunyushwa nguWilliam Whiston).
Lokhu kulandisa kwezwe kungaholela umuntu ukuba acabange ukuthi izintombi zahlanganyela nenkosi ekuziphatheni okubi ngokobulili nokuthi ukuphela komehluko endabeni kaEsteri wawuwukuthi ukuziphatha kwakhe okubi kwaholela emshadweni nasekubeni kwakhe yindlovukazi. Nokho, iBhayibheli lisinikeza ukwaziswa okunembe ngokwengeziwe nokwanelisayo.
Ngemva kokuchaza ukulungiswa ukuze zibe zinhle, iBhayibheli lithi: “Intombi [ngayinye] yangena ngaleyondlela enkosini. . . . Yangena khona kusihlwa; ekuseni yabuyela endlini yesibili yabesifazane phansi kwesandla sikaShahashigazi induna [“umthenwa,” NW] yenkosi, umgcini wezancinza, ingaphindi ingene enkosini, uma inkosi ingathokozanga ngayo, ibizwe ngegama.”—Esteri 2:13, 14.
ImiBhalo ithi uEsteri ‘wayiswa’ ‘endlini yabesifazane’ ukuze athole uhlelo lwesikhathi eside olwaluyaleziwe lokulungiswa ukuze abe muhle: “UEsteri wayeseyiswa enkosini uAhashiveroshi . . . Inkosi yamthanda uEsteri phezu kwabo bonke abesifazane, wafumana umusa nesihe emehlweni ayo kunazo zonke izintombi, wamfaka umqhele wobukhosi, wamenza inkosikazi esikhundleni sikaVashiti.”—Esteri 2:8, 9, 16, 17.
Ingabe uphawulile ekulandiseni kweBhayibheli ukuthi abesifazane babeyiswa kuphi ngemva kokuchitha ubusuku nenkosi? ‘Endlini yesibili yabesifazane phansi kwesandla somgcini wezancinza.’ Ngakho base bephenduke izancinza. UMoridekayi, umlobi wencwadi yeBhayibheli kaEsteri, wayengumHeberu, futhi phakathi kwabantu bakubo emuva ngalesosikhathi, isancinza sasinokuhlonipheka komfazi wesibili. Umthetho waphezulu wawulungiselele ukuthi indoda engumIsrayeli yayingayithatha intombazane yakwelinye izwe eyayithunjwe empini, futhi yayiba isancinza sayo, noma umfazi wesibili, inamalungelo nokuvikeleka okungokomthetho. (Duteronomi 21:10-17; qhathanisa noEksodusi 21:7-11.) Abantwana ababezalwa isancinza esinjalo esingokomthetho babengokomthetho futhi babengalizuza ifa. Amadodana kaJakobe angu-12, okhokho bezizwe ezingu-12 zakwaIsrayeli, ayeyinzalo yabafazi bakhe nezancinza ezingokomthetho.—Genesise 30:3-13.
Inqubo yayiwukuthi ngemva kokuba izintombi zibe nenkosi yasePheresiya, zaziya endlini yezancinza. Lokhu kubonisa ukuthi zaziba abafazi bayo besibili.
Kuthiwani ngoEsteri? IBhayibheli alisho ukuthi walala nenkosi futhi ngaleyondlela wazuza umusa wayo. Alikhulumi ngokuyiswa kwakhe endlini yezancinza, kodwa limane lithi: “UEsteri wayeseyiswa eNkosini uAhashiveroshi endlini yakhe yobukhosi . . . Inkosi yamthanda uEsteri phezu kwabo bonke abesifazane.” Khumbula ukuthi ngaphambidlana, ngaphandle kokudela isimo sakhe esimsulwa nesobuntombi ngokobulili, wazizuzela “umusa” ‘kaHegayi, umgcini wabesifazane.’ Ngaphezu kwalokho: “UEsteri wafumana umusa emehlweni abo bonke abambonayo.” (Esteri 2:8, 9, 15-17) Ngakho uEsteri ngokusobala wayihlaba umxhwele inkosi futhi wazuza ukuhlonishwa yiyo, njengoba nje ayezuze ukuhlonishwa abanye.
Yeka ukuthi kumelwe sibonge kangakanani ngokuba namaqiniso nokuqondisisa iBhayibheli elisinikeza khona! Nakuba siqhele ngezinkulungwane zeminyaka ezenzakalweni ngokwazo, ngaleyondlela sinaso isizathu sokwethemba ukuthi uEsteri waziphatha ngobumsulwa bangempela kanye nangokuvumelana nemithetho yokwesaba uNkulunkulu.