Uyini Umbhalo WeMasora?

KUNGAKHATHALISEKI ukuthi iBhayibheli ulifunda ngaluphi ulimi, cishe ingxenye yalencwadi yahunyushwa ngokuqondile noma ngokungaqondile isuselwa embhalweni weMasora, owakhiwa imiBhalo YesiHeberu, noma “iTestamente Elidala.” Empeleni, kwakunemibhalo yeMasora engaphezu kowodwa. Khona-ke imuphi owakhethwa, futhi ngani? Eqinisweni, uyini umbhalo weMasora, futhi sazi kanjani ukuthi unokwethenjelwa?

IZwi LikaJehova

Ukubhalwa kweBhayibheli kwaqala eNtabeni yaseSinayi ngo-1513 B.C.E. U-Eksodusi 24:3, 4 uyasitshela: “UMose weza wabatshela abantu onke amazwi kaJehova nezahlulelo zonke; abantu bonke baphendula ngazwi linye, bathi: Onke amazwi uJehova awakhulumileyo siyakuwenza. UMose wabhala onke amazwi kaJehova.”

ImiBhalo YesiHeberu yaqhubeka ilotshwa iminyaka engaphezu kweyinkulungwane, kusukela ngo-1513 B.C.E. kuze kube cishe ngo-443 B.C.E. Njengoba abalobi babephefumulelwe uNkulunkulu, kunengqondo ukuthi wayeyoqondisa izinto ukuze isigijimi sakhe silondolozwe ngokwethembeka. (2 Samuweli 23:2; Isaya 40:8) Nokho, ingabe lokhu kusho ukuthi uJehova wayeyokhipha wonke amaphutha abantu ukuze kungashintshi nohlamvu olulodwa lwegama njengoba kwakwenziwa amakhophi?

Umnyango Oya Ekunganembini Wavuleka Kancane

Nakuba amadoda anenhlonipho ejulile ngeZwi likaNkulunkulu alikopisha ezizukulwaneni ngezizukulwane, naphezu kwalokho amaphutha abantu angena isinyenyela emibhalweni ngezinga elithile. Abalobi beBhayibheli babephefumulelwe, kodwa abakopishi abawenzanga umsebenzi wabo ngaphansi ngokuphefumulelwa kwaphezulu.

Ngemva kokubuya ekuthunjweni eBabiloni ngo-537 B.C.E., amaJuda azithathela indlela entsha yokubhala eyayisebenzisa izinhlamvu eziyisikwele ayeyifunde eBabiloni. Lenguquko enkulu yaletha izinkinga ezingokwemvelo zokuthi izinhlamvu ezithile ezifanayo zazingadidaniswa. Njengoba isiHeberu siwulimi olwakhiwa ngongwaqa, bese kuthi umsindo wonkamisa ufakwe umfundi ngokuvumelana nokuqonda kwakhe umongo, ukushintsha ungwaqa owodwa kalula nje kungashintsha incazelo yegama. Nokho, ezimweni eziningi, amaphutha anjalo ayengatholakala futhi alungiswe.

Iningi lamaJuda alibuyelanga kwa-Israyeli ngemva kokuwa kweBabiloni. Ngenxa yalokho, amasinagoge aba izikhungo ezingokomoya zemiphakathi yamaJuda kulo lonke elaseMpumalanga Ephakathi naseYurophu.a Isinagoge ngalinye lalidinga amakhophi emiqulu yemiBhalo. Njengoba amakhophi ayeba maningi, namathuba okuba abakopishi benze amaphutha anda.

Imizamo Yokuvala Umnyango

Kusukela ngekhulu lokuqala C.E., ababhali baseJerusalema bazama ukwenza umbhalo oyinhloko okwakuyolungiswa ngawo yonke eminye imiqulu yemiBhalo yesiHeberu. Nokho, sasingekho isimiso esiqondile sokuhlukanisa phakathi kombhalo wokuqala nemibhalo yesandla eyayinamaphutha abakopishi. Kusukela ngekhulu lesibili C.E. kuqhubeke, umbhalo wongwaqa wemiBhalo yesiHeberu wabonakala usezingeni elikahle kakhulu, nakuba wawungakagunyazwa. Izingcaphuno zemiBhalo yesiHeberu ezikuyiTalmud (eyenziwa phakathi nekhulu lesibili nelesithupha C.E.) ngokuvamile zibonisa umthombo ohlukile kulokho kamuva okwaziwa ngokuthi umbhalo weMasora.

Igama elithi “isiko” ngesiHeberu lithi ma·soh·rahʹ noma ma·soʹreth. Ngekhulu lesithupha C.E., labo abaligcina isiko lokukopisha ngokucophelela imiBhalo yesiHeberu baziwa ngokuthi amaMasorete. Amakhophi abawenza abizwa ngokuthi imibhalo yeMasora. Yini eyayikhethekile ngomsebenzi wawo nemibhalo ayilungiselela?

IsiHeberu sasesishabalele njengolimi oluphilayo, lwesizwe, futhi amaJuda amaningi ayengasasijwayele. Ngenxa yalokho, kona kanye ukuqonda umbhalo weBhayibheli wongwaqa kwaba sengozini. Ukuze kuvikelwe, amaMasorete akha isimiso sonkamisa abamelelwe amachashazi nemidwa emifushane evundlile noma ongqi. Lokhu kwakubekwa ngaphezulu noma ngaphansi kongwaqa. AmaMasorete abuye akha nesimiso esiyinkimbinkimbi sezimpawu esasisebenza njengohlobo lwezimpawu zenkulumo nanjengesiqondiso sokuphimiswa kwamagama okunembe kakhudlwana.

Lapho amaMasorete enomuzwa wokuthi umbhalo othile wawushintshiwe noma ukopishwe ngokungeyikho izizukulwane ezidlule zababhali, esikhundleni sokushintsha umbhalo, ayebhala amanothi eceleni. Ayephawula ukwakhiwa kwegama okungavamile nokuhlanganiswa kwawo nokuthi ayevela kaningi kangakanani encwadini ngayinye noma kuyo yonke imiBhalo yesiHeberu. Amaphuzu engeziwe okusiza abakopishi lapho sebehlolana nawo ayebhalwa. Kwakhiwa nesimiso “sezimpawu” ezifushanisiwe ukuze lokhukwaziswa kubhalwe ngokufingqiwe. Engxenyeni engaphezulu nengaphansi, uhlobo lwe-concordance encane lwalunohlu lwezingxenye zamavesi ahlobene okwakukhulunywa ngawo emanothini abhalwe emaceleni.

Isimiso esaziwa kakhulu salungiswa amaMasorete eTiberiya, ngasoLwandle LwaseGalile. Umndeni wakwaBen Asher nowakwaBen Naphtali yangekhulu lesi-9 neleshumi C.E., cishe amaKaraite, yaba ngevelele ngokukhethekile.b Nakuba kwakukhona umehluko ezindleleni zokuphimisela nasemanothini alamaqembu, ongwaqa bemibhalo yabo banomehluko ezindaweni ezingaphansi kweziyishumi kuyo yonke imiBhalo yesiHeberu.

Womabili lamaqembu amaMasorete, elikaBen Asher nelikaBen Naphtali, aba neqhaza elikhulu olwazini lwemibhalo esikhathini sawo. Ngemva kokuba uMaimonides (isazi seTalmud esinethonya sekhulu le-12) encome umbhalo kaBen Asher, abanye babe sebekhetha wona kuphela. Lokhu kwenzeka ngezinga lokuba kungabibikho mbhalo wesandla kaBen Naphtali ongatholakala manje. Okusele nje izinhlu zezinto ayehluka ngazo lamaqembu amabili. Kuyahlekisa ukuthi ukukhulumela kukaMaimonides kwakuhlobene nendlela yokubhala, enjengokushiywa kwezikhala phakathi kwezigaba, kungahlobene nezici ezibaluleke kakhulu zokudluliselwa kwesigijimi okunembile.

Singawuthola Umbhalo WeMasora “Omsulwa”?

Kunokuphikisana okuningi phakathi kwezazi ngokuthi iyiphi i-codex ekhona namuhla ewumbhalo “omsulwa” kaBen Asher, njengokungathi wona uyobe ususinikeza umbhalo weMasora “wangempela.” Eqinisweni, akukaze kube khona umbhalo owodwa weMasora oyingqayizivele, “omsulwa,” nonokwethenjelwa. Kunalokho, kwakunemibhalo eminingi yeMasora, ngamunye uthe ukuhluka kancane kweminye. Wonke ama-codex akhona manje ayimibhalo exutshiwe, anemibhalo kaBen Asher noBen Naphtali.

Umsebenzi obhekene nanoma imuphi umhumushi wemiBhalo YesiHeberu namuhla ushayisa uvalo. Kumelwe angazijwayelanisi nje nombhalo wesiHeberu kuphela kodwa futhi nakho konke angase akhethe ukukwenza ngokusemandleni akhe lapho kungenzeka ukuthi umbhalo ushintshiwe ngenxa yephutha labakopishi noma ngesinye isizathu. Nakuba imibhalo yeMasora ehlukahlukene isebenza njengesisekelo, kudingeka ahlole neminye imithombo enegunya engase iveze izinguqulo ezihlehlela emuva kakhulu nezinembe ngokwengeziwe zemibhalo yongwaqa.

Esethulweni sencwadi yakhe ethi The Text of the Old Testament, u-Ernst Würthwein uyachaza: “Lapho sibhekene nendinyana enzima asinakumane nje siqoqele ndawonye imibhalo ehlukahlukene bese sikhetha lowo obonakala unikeza ikhambi elilula kunawo wonke, ngezinye izikhathi sikhethe umbhalo wesiHeberu, ngezinye sikhethe i-Septuagint, kodwa ngezinye izikhathi sikhethe i-Targum yesi-Aramu. Ubufakazi bemibhalo abunakwethenjelwa bonke ngendlela elinganayo. Ngabunye bunesici sabo nomlando wabo ohlukile. Kumelwe sikwazi lokhu uma sifuna ukugwema amakhambi angafaneleki noma angamanga.”

Sinesisekelo esiqinile sokuthemba ngokugcwele ukuthi uJehova ulilondolozile iZwi lakhe. Ngemizamo ehlangene yamadoda amaningi aqotho emakhulwini eminyaka edlule, umongo wesigijimi seBhayibheli, esikuqukethe, ngisho nemininingwane yaso sikwazi kahle. Noma iluphi ushintsho oluncane ohlamvwini noma egameni alulithintanga ikhono lethu lokuqonda imiBhalo. Manje-ke, umbuzo obalulekile uwukuthi, Ingabe siyophila ngokuvumelana neZwi likaNkulunkulu, iBhayibheli?

[Imibhalo yaphansi]

[Isithombe ekhasini 26]

I-Aleppo Codex inombhalo weMasora

[Umthombo]

Bibelmuseum, Münster