Imibuzo Evela Kubafundi
■ Njengoba iHubo 37:29 lihunyushwe ngokuthi “Abalungileyo bazakudla ifa lomhlaba, bahlale kuwo njalonjalo,” ingabe limane libhekisela ekuhlaleni phakade kwamaIsrayeli eZweni Lesithembiso?
Cha, leyoncazelo ibiyoba umngcele ongenasisekelo wesithembiso esiphefumlelwe. IHubo 37 libeka phambi kwabalungileyo ithemba lokuphila phakade emhlabeni wethu.
Ukuhunyushwa okungenhla kweHubo 37:29 kuvela kuyiKing James Version. Njengoba kunjalo nangezinye izinguqulo eziningi, ihumusha igama lesiHeberu elithi ‘eʹrets ngelithi “umhlaba.” Elithi ‘eʹrets lingabhekisela ezweni elimi lodwa noma endaweni yesizwe, ‘njengezwe laseShineyari’ noma “izwe laseGibithe.”—Genesise 10:10, 11; 21:21; IHubo 78:12; Jeremiya 25:20.
Ngakho iHubo 37:11, 29 lingase lisho ukuthi amaIsrayeli ayengaba futhi kwakumelwe abe yizakhamuzi zaphakade eZweni Lesithembiso. Ngokuvumelana nesivumelwano sikaNkulunkulu noAbrahama, babengahlala kuleyondawo uNkulunkulu ayebanikeze yona, izizukulwane ngezizukulwane zijabulela izibusiso zakhe lapho. Nokho, akwenzekanga ngaleyondlela, ngoba amaIsrayeli awazange athembeke kuNkulunkulu.—Genesise 15:18-21; 17:8; Duteronomi 7:12-16, 22; 28:7-14; 31:7; Joshuwa 21:43-45.
Nokho, asikho isizathu esingokomBhalo sokulinganisela elithi ‘eʹrets elikumaHubo 37:11, 29 ezweni uNkulunkulu alinikeza amaIsrayeli kuphela.
NgokweA Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (kaGesenius, Brown, Driver, no-Briggs; 1951) elithi ‘eʹrets lisho: “1. a. umhlaba, umhlaba wonke ([ngokuphambene] nengxenye) . . . b. umhlaba, [ngokuphambene] nezulu, isibhakabhaka . . . c. umhlaba=izakhamuzi zomhlaba . . . 2. izwe=a. indawo . . . b. isigodi, isifunda 3. a. umhlaba, indawo yakulowomhlaba . . . b. umhlabathi, njengoba ulinywa.” IOld Testament Word Studies kaWilliam Wilson ithi ngelithi ‘eʹrets: “Umhlaba ngomqondo obanzi, izingxenye ezihlalwa ngabantu nezingahlalwa muntu; uma lihambisana negama elithile elinomngcele, lisetshenziselwa engxenyeni ethile yengaphezulu lomhlaba, izwe noma indawo.” Ngakho incazelo yokuqala neyinhloko yegama lesiHeberu ithi unozungezilanga wethu, noma imbulunga, umhlaba.
Ngokunengqondo, lapho iHubo 37:11, 29 lihunyushelwa esiGrekini kuyiSeptuagint, igama lesiHeberu elithi ‘eʹrets lahunyushwa ngelesiGreki elithi ge, “elisho umhlaba njengendawo noma umhlabathi olinywayo.” Elithi ge liyigama elisetshenziswe esiprofethweni esibalulekile sikaJesu esikuMathewu 5:5: “Babusisiwe abamnene, ngokuba bayakudla ifa lomhlaba.”
Ngokuqinisekile uJesu, lapho ecaphuna isiprofetho seHubo 37:11, wayengakhulumi nje ngeZwe Lesithembiso. Abalandeli bakhe abagcotshiwe bazoba abapristi abangamakhosi ezulwini kanye naye ukuze bahlanganyele ukubuswa kwayo yonke imbulunga engumhlaba. (IsAmbulo 5:10) Ngokufanayo, abamnene abazuza ukuphila okuphakade njengabantu bazosiza ekubuyiseleni izimo zePharadesi emhlabeni wonke. (IsAmbulo 21:4; Genesise 1:28) Ngakho-ke, sonke singabheka kokumangalisayo ukugcwaliseka okuzayo kwesithembiso: “Abalungileyo bazakudla ifa lomhlaba, bahlale kuwo njalonjalo.”—IHubo 37:29.