Ngisho Nangolimi Olungasasetshenziswa IBhayibheli Liyaphila

KULA makhulu eminyaka ambalwa adlule, cishe ingxenye yezilimi ezikhulunywa emhlabeni iye yashabalala. Ulimi luyafa uma bengasekho abantu bomdabu abalukhulumayo. Ngalowo mqondo, isiLatini ngokuvamile sichazwa ngokuthi “ulimi oselwafa,” nakuba lusafundwa kabanzi futhi lusewulimi olungokomthetho eVatican City.

IsiLatini sibuye sibe ulimi lwabanye babahumushi bokuqala beBhayibheli abavelele. Ingabe izinguqulo ezinjalo zolimi olungasasetshenziswa “zingaphila” namuhla, zithinte abafundi beBhayibheli abaphila manje? Umlando othakazelisayo wezinguqulo ezinjalo uyasiza ekuphenduleni lowo mbuzo.

Izinguqulo ZesiLatini Ezindala Kakhulu

IsiLatini sasiwulimi lokuqala lwaseRoma. Kodwa ngesikhathi umphostoli uPawulu ebhalela amaKristu kulowo muzi, wawabhalela ngesiGreki.a Lokho kwakungeyona inkinga, ngoba kwakuvamile ngabantu balapho ukuba bazikhulume zombili lezi zilimi. Ngenxa yokuthi abantu abaningi baseRoma babedabuka emazweni aseMpumalanga akhuluma isiGreki, kwakuthiwa lo muzi usuphenduke owamaGreki. Izilimi ezazikhulunywa eMbusweni WaseRoma zazihlukahluka kuye ngezifunda, kodwa njengoba lo mbuso ukhula, nokubaluleka kwesiLatini kwakhula. Ngenxa yalokho, imiBhalo Engcwele yahunyushelwa olimini lwesiLatini isuselwa esiGrekini. Kubonakala sengathi le nqubo yaqala ekhulwini lesibili C.E. eNyakatho Afrika.

Imibhalo ehlukahlukene eyabhalwa yaziwa ngokuthi iVetus Latina, noma inguqulo yesiLatini Esidala. Awukho umbhalo wesandla wasendulo onayo yonke inguqulo yemiBhalo yesiLatini esinawo namuhla. Izingxenye ezisekhona kanye nezingxenye ezicashunwa abalobi basendulo zibonisa ukuthi iVetus Latina yayingeyona incwadi eyodwa ehlangene. Kunalokho, cishe yabhalwa abahumushi abaningana ababesebenza ngokwahlukana ngesikhathi nasezindaweni ezihlukene. Ngakho esikhundleni sokuba umbhalo owodwa, empeleni iyiqoqo lezinguqulo ezasuselwa esiGrekini.

Imizamo yabantu ngabanye yokuhumushela izingxenye zemiBhalo olimini lwesiLatini yabangela ukudideka. Ekupheleni kwekhulu lesine C.E., u-Augustine wayekholelwa ukuthi “wonke umuntu owayethola umbhalo wesandla wesiGreki futhi owayecabanga ukuthi unolwazi oluthile—kungakhathaliseki ukuthi luncane kangakanani—lwazo zombili lezi zilimi wayezama ukuhumushela” olimini lwesiLatini. U-Augustine nabanye babecabanga ukuthi kwakunezinguqulo eziningi kakhulu ezazisetshenziswa futhi babengabaza ukuthi zinembile.

Inguqulo KaJerome

Indoda eyazama ukuqeda lokhu kudideka ngezinguqulo uJerome, ngezinye izikhathi owayesebenza njengonobhala kaDamasus, umbhishobhi waseRoma, ngo-382 C.E. Umbhishobhi wacela uJerome ukuba abukeze umbhalo wesiLatini wamaVangeli, futhi uJerome waqeda lowo msebenzi ngeminyaka nje embalwa. Wabe eseqala ukubukeza inguqulo yesiLatini yezinye izincwadi zeBhayibheli.

Inguqulo kaJerome, kamuva eyabizwa ngokuthi i-Vulgate, yayiwumbhalo oyinhlanganisela. UJerome wasekela incwadi yakhe yamaHubo kuyi-Septuagint, inguqulo yesiGreki yemiBhalo YesiHebheru eyaqedwa ekhulwini lesibili B.C.E. Wabukeza amaVangeli, wahumusha nengxenye enkulu yemiBhalo YesiHebheru eyisusela olimini lwesiHebheru sokuqala. Cishe ingxenye esele yemiBhalo yabukezwa abanye abantu. Izingxenye zeVetus Latina ngokuhamba kwesikhathi zabuye zahlanganiswa ne-Vulgate kaJerome.

Umsebenzi kaJerome awuzange wamukelwe kahle ekuqaleni. Ngisho no-Augustine wawugxeka. Kodwa kancane kancane waqala ukubhekwa njengesibonelo okufanele silandelwe amaBhayibheli awumqulu owodwa. Ekhulwini lesi-8 nelesi-9, izazi ezinjengo-Alcuin noTheodulf zaqala ukulungisa amaphutha olimi nawokubhalwa kwamagama ayesenguqulweni kaJerome ngenxa yokukopishwa kaningi. Abanye bahlukanisa lo mbhalo ngezahluko, okwakwenza kwaba lula ukusebenzisa imiBhalo. Lapho kuqala ubuchwepheshe bokunyathelisa ngezinhlamvu, inguqulo kaJerome yaba iBhayibheli lokuqala elanyatheliswa.

ISonto LamaKatolika laqala ukubiza inguqulo kaJerome ngokuthi i-Vulgate eMkhandlwini WaseTrent ngo-1546. Lo mkhandlu wathi leli Bhayibheli “lithembekile,” walenza incwadi eyinhloko yenkolo yamaKatolika. Ngesikhathi esifanayo, umkhandlu wafuna ukuba libukezwe. Lowo msebenzi wawuzokwenganyelwa amakomiti akhethekile, kodwa uPapa Sixtus V, emagange efuna ukuba umsebenzi uqedwe futhi eqiniseka ngokweqile ngamakhono akhe, wanquma ukuqedela lo msebenzi ngokwakhe. Ukunyatheliswa kohlelo lwakhe olubukeziwe kwakusanda kuqala lapho lo papa eshona ngo-1590. Ngokushesha okhadinali bayenqaba le ncwadi ababeyibheka njengegcwele amaphutha, futhi bakuhoxisa ukunyatheliswa kwayo.

Inguqulo entsha eyanyatheliswa ngo-1592 ngaphansi kukaPapa Clement VIII yagcina yaziwa ngokuthi uhlelo lukaSixtus noClementine. Yahlala iyinguqulo engokomthetho yeSonto LamaKatolika iminyaka eminingi. I-Vulgate kaSixtus noClementine nayo yaba isisekelo sezinguqulo zamaKatolika ezahunyushelwa ezilimini zendabuko, njengenguqulo ka-Antonio Martini yesiNtaliyane, eyaqedwa ngo-1781.

IBhayibheli Lesimanje NgesiLatini

Ukucusumbulwa kwemibhalo ekhulwini lama-20 kwakwenza kwacaca ukuthi i-Vulgate, njengezinye izinguqulo, kwakudingeka ibukezwe. Ukuze kwenziwe lokho, ngo-1965 iSonto LamaKatolika lasungula iKhomishane Ye-Vulgate Entsha futhi layinika umthwalo wokubukeza inguqulo yesiLatini ngesisekelo solwazi oseluthuthukisiwe. Lo mbhalo omusha wawuzosetshenziswa ezinkonzweni zamaKatolika eziqhutshwa ngesiLatini.

Ingxenye yokuqala yale nguqulo yatholakala ngo-1969, kanti ngo-1979, uPapa John Paul II wagunyaza i-Nova Vulgata. Uhlelo lokuqala lwalunegama likaNkulunkulu, elithi Iahveh, emavesini amaningi, kuhlanganise no-Eksodusi 3:15 no-6:3. Kodwa-ke, njengoba elinye ilungu lekomiti lakubeka, uhlelo lwesibili olungokomthetho, olwanyatheliswa ngo-1986, “lwashintsha umqondo . . . kwabuyiselwa elithi Dominus [‘iNkosi’] esikhundleni selithi Iahveh.”

Njengoba nje ne-Vulgate yagxekwa emakhulwini eminyaka ngaphambi kwalokho, i-Nova Vulgata nayo yagxekwa, ngisho nayizazi zamaKatolika. Nakuba ekuqaleni kwakuthiwa iyinguqulo enamandla okuhlanganisa wonke amakholwa, abaningi babeyibheka njengesithiyo ekubonisaneni ngenkolo, ikakhulukazi ngenxa yokuthi kwahlongozwa ukuba kube iyona eshaya umthetho njengesibonelo sezinguqulo zamanje zezinye izilimi. EJalimane, i-Nova Vulgata yabangela impikiswano phakathi kwamaProthestani namaKatolika lapho kuhunyushwa inguqulo eyayizosetshenziswa yizo zombili lezi zinkolo. AmaProthestani amangalela amaKatolika ethi ayephikelela efuna ukuba le nguqulo entsha ivumelane ne-Nova Vulgata.

Nakuba singasakhulunywa kakhulu isiLatini, iBhayibheli lesiLatini liye lathonya izigidi zabafundi ngandlela-thile. Liye lathonya indlela engokwenkolo yokukhuluma ezilimini eziningi. Kodwa kungakhathaliseki ukuthi likhiqizwa ngaluphi ulimi, iZwi likaNkulunkulu lisenamandla, lishintsha ukuphila kwezigidi zabantu ezizama ngokuzimisela ukwenza ngokuvumelana nezimfundiso zalo eziyigugu.—Hebheru 4:12.

[Umbhalo waphansi]

[Amazwi acashunwe esihlokweni ekhasini 23]

UPapa John Paul II wagunyaza i-Nova Vulgata. Uhlelo lokuqala lwalunegama likaNkulunkulu, elithi Iahveh

[Ibhokisi ekhasini 21]

IZINDLELA ZOKUHUMUSHA EZAQOPHA UMLANDO

IVetus Latina, eyahunyushwa isuselwa esiGrekini, yayinezindlela zokuhumusha eziningi ezazizoqopha umlando. Enye yazo kwakuyindlela yokuhumusha igama lesiGreki elithi di·a·theʹke, elisho “isivumelwano,” ngokuthi testamentum, noma “itestamente.” (2 Korinte 3:14) Ngenxa yaleyo ndlela yokuhumusha, abantu abaningi basabiza imiBhalo YesiHebheru neyesiGreki ngokuthi iTestamente Elidala neTestamente Elisha.

[Ibhokisi ekhasini 23]

IZIQONDISO EZIYIMPIKISWANO

Ngo-2001, ngemva kweminyaka emine yokusebenza, iBandla LaseVatican Lokukhulekelwa KukaNkulunkulu Nokuqondiswa Kwesakramente lakhipha iziqondiso zalo ze-Liturgiam authenticam (IMidanti Yokukhulekela Egunyaziwe). Izazi eziningi zamaKatolika ziye zayigxeka kakhulu le midanti.

Ngokwalezi ziqondiso, njengoba i-Nova Vulgata iwuhlelo olungokomthetho lwesonto, kufanele isetshenziswe njengesibonelo sazo zonke ezinye izinguqulo, ngisho noma ikushintsha lokho okutholakala emibhalweni yokuqala yasendulo. Isigungu sabefundisi bamaKatolika samukela iBhayibheli uma livumelana nalezi ziqondiso kuphela. Lezi ziqondiso zithi ezinguqulweni zamaKatolika, “igama likaNkulunkulu umninimandla onke elibhalwe nge-tetragrammaton (YHWH) yesiHebheru” kufanele lihunyushelwe “kunoma iluphi ulimi ngegama elinencazelo efana” neyelithi Dominus, noma “iNkosi,” njengoba kwenza uhlelo lwesibili lwe-Nova Vulgata—nakuba uhlelo lokuqala lwalusebenzisa elithi “Iahveh.”b

[Umbhalo waphansi]

[Isithombe ekhasini 22]

Inguqulo ka-Alcuin yeBhayibheli Lesilatini, yango-800 C.E.

[Umthombo]

From Paléographìe latine, by F. Steffens (www.archivi.beniculturali.it)

[Izithombe ekhasini 22]

I-Vulgate Kasixtus Noclementine, ka-1592

[Izithombe ekhasini 23]

U-Eksodusi 3:15, kuyi-Nova Vulgata, ka-1979

[Umthombo]

© 2008 Libreria Editrice Vaticana