IBhayibheli LikaWilliam Tyndale Ngenzuzo Yabantu
KWAKUNGOSUKU lukaMay ngonyaka ka-1530.a Amagceke esonto laseSt. Paul ayegcwele isixuku sabantu. Esikhundleni sokungunga isitolo esidayisa izincwadi sixoxe nangezindaba zamuva futhi sihlebe njengokuvamile, isixuku sasicasuke ngokusobala. Phakathi nendawo kwakuvutha umlilo. Kodwa kwakungewona umlilo ojwayelekile owawubaswa phakathi nendawo. Amanye amadoda ayethululela emlilweni obhasikidi abagcwele izincwadi. Kwakushiswa izincwadi!
Futhi lezo kwakungezona izincwadi ezivamile. KwakungamaBhayibheli—“iTestamente Elisha” kanye Nezincwadi Ezinhlanu Zokuqala ZeBhayibheli zika William Tyndale—ezokuqala ukuba zinyatheliswe ngesiNgisi. Ngokumangalisayo, isiyalezo sokushiswa kwamaBhayibheli sasikhishwe umBhishobhi waseLondon, uCuthbert Tunstall. Eqinisweni, wayechithe isamba esikhulu semali ethenga wonke amakhophi ayengakwazi ukuwathola. Yini okungenzeka ukuthi yayingalungile ngamaBhayibheli? Kungani uTyndale awakhiqiza? Futhi kungani iziphathimandla zathatha izinyathelo ezinjena ukuze ziwaqede?
IBhayibheli—Incwadi Evaliwe
Ezingxenyeni eziningi zomhlaba namuhla, kuyinto elula kakhulu ukuthenga iBhayibheli. Kodwa lokhu bekungenjalo ngazo zonke izikhathi. Ngisho nange-England yekhulu le-15 nele-16, iBhayibheli lalibhekwa njengempahla yesonto, incwadi okwakumelwe ifundwe kuphela ezinkonzweni zomphakathi futhi ichazwe abapristi kuphela. Nokho, lokho okwakufundwa, ngokuvamile kwakuvela eBhayibhelini lesiLatini, lelo abantu abavamile ababengaliqondi noma balizwisise. Khona-ke, lokho ababekwazi nje kuphela ngeBhayibheli kwakuyizindaba kanye nezifundo zokuziphatha ezazichazwa umfundisi.
Kodwa abantu abavamile kwakungebona nje kuphela ababengenalwazi lweBhayibheli. Ngokombiko, phakathi nokubusa kweNkosi uEdward VI (1547-53) umbhishobhi uGloucester wathola ukuthi phakathi kwabefundisi abangama-311, abayi-168 babengakwazi ukusho iMithetho Eyishumi futhi abangama-31 babengazi ukuthi itholakala kuphi eBhayibhelini. Abangamashumi amane babengenakusho ngekhanda uMthandazo WeNkosi futhi abacishe babe ama-40 babengamazi umsunguli wawo. Kuyiqiniso, uJohn Wycliffe wayekhiphe iBhayibheli lesiNgisi ngo-1384, nezincazelo zezingxenye ezihlukahlukene zemiBhalo, njengama Vangeli namaHubo, okwakukhona ngalololimi. Nokho, eqinisweni iBhayibheli laliyincwadi evaliwe.
Izimo ezinjengalezi zenza ukuba uTyndale enze umzamo wokwenza iBhayibheli litholakale kubantu abakhuluma isiNgisi. Wabhala: “Ngaqaphela indlela okwakunzima ngayo ukubonisa noma yibaphi abantu abangafundile kakhulu noma yiliphi iqiniso, ngaphandle kokuba imiBhalo yendlalwe ngokucacile emehlweni abo ngolimi lwabo.”
Kodwa ngokuhumushela iBhayibheli esiNgisini, uTyndale wavusa ulaka lweziphathimandla. Kungani? Kungenxa yokuthi ekuqaleni ngo-1408 umkhandlu wabefundisi wahlangana eOxford, eNgilandi, ukuze wenze isinqumo sokuthi kumelwe yini abantu abavamile bavunyelwe ukuba namaBhayibheli ngolimi lwabo abazowasebenzisa ngokomuntu siqu. Ngokwengxenye, isinqumo safundeka kanje: “Khona-ke sikhipha isiyalezo nomthetho, wokuthi kusukela manje kuqhubeke akekho umuntu ongagunyaziwe oyohumushela noma iyiphi ingxenye yomBhalo ongcwele esiNgisini noma kunoma yiluphi olunye ulimi . . . isigwebo siyoba ukunqunywa esontweni, kuze kube yilapho leyonguqulo isigunyaziwe umbhishobhi womkhandlu, noma umkhandlu wesifunda njengoba kuyoxhomeka ezimweni.”
Ngemva kwekhulu leminyaka kamuva, umBhishobhi Tunstall wawusebenzisa lomthetho ngokushisa iBhayibheli likaTyndale, ngisho nakuba ngaphambili uTyndale ayeyitholile imvume kuTunstall.b Ngokombono kaTunstall, inguqulo kaTyndale yayinamaphutha ayizi-2 000 futhi khona-ke “yayiyingozi, ihlambalaza, futhi ikhohlisa izingqondo ezingenalwazi.” Kodwa ingabe lokhu kwakuyizaba ngombhishobhi zokuzithethelela kwakhe ngokulishisa? Ingabe ngempela uTyndale wayewumhumushi ongenabuciko, ontula imfundo edingekile ngesiHeberu, isiGreki, nesiNgisi? Wayengumhumushi onobuciko kangakanani uTyndale?
UTyndale—Umhumushi Ongenakhono?
Nakuba ngalesosikhathi ulwazi lwesiHeberu nesiGreki lwalungafani nolwanamuhla, ulwazi lukaTyndale ngale zilimi lwalusezingeni elifanayo nelezinye izifundiswa zosuku lwakhe. Okwenza umsebenzi kaTyndale uvelele ukuthi akazange nje kuphela ahlole iVulgate yesiLatini nenguqulo yesiJalimane kaLuther. Wahlehlela emuva embhalweni wokuqala wesiGreki owakhishwa ngokokuqala uErasmus ngo-1516. UTyndale futhi akazange ayikhohlwe injongo yakhe: ukwenza imiBhalo ibe lula ngokwanele kubantu abangafundile kakhulu ukuba bayifunde, ize ifundwe ngisho ‘nawumfana olima emasimini.’ Ngakho indlela yakhe nezisho zilula futhi zicacile, nakuba zinamandla. Futhi ngokungangabazeki isigqi sakhe esinomfutho sibonisa injabulo ayenayo ngokwenza lomsebenzi.
Ngakho kuyiqiniso ukusho ukuthi “uTyndale wayewumhumushi owayenokwahlulela okuhle ngokungavamile. Esebenza ngaphansi kwezimo ezimbi kakhulu, ngaphansi kokuvinjelwa kosuku lwakhe kolwazi lwezilimi ezingokweBhayibheli, waveza izinguqulo ezababekela isibonelo bonke abahumushi besiNgisi abalandela.”—The Making of the English Bible, ngoGerald Hammond, amakhasi 42, 43.
Inguqulo Eshaya Emhloleni
Ezindabeni zokushaya emhloleni uTyndale futhi wayesezingeni eliphakeme. Ngokwesibonelo, lapho ehumusha esusela esiHeberwini, wazama ukusho njengoba kunjalo kangangokunokwenzeka kuyilapho elondoloza indlela elula, neshelelayo yesiNgisi. Wayecophelela ngisho nokuveza njengoba injalo incazelo ephelele yesiHeberu kanye nokuphindaphinda kwayo okuvamile kwegama elithi “futhi” elihlanganisa umshwana ngamunye emshweni. (Bheka uGenesise isahluko 33 kuKing James Version, esenayo cishe yonke indlela kaTyndale yokusetshenziswa kwamagama.) Wayenakekela kakhulu umongo wendaba futhi egwema ukwenezela noma ukukhipha embhalweni wokuqala, ngisho nakuba ukuchaza kwakusetshenziswa kakhulu abahumushi abaningi bangalesosikhathi.
Ukukhetha amagama kukaTyndale kwakwenziwe futhi ngokucophelela nangokushaya emhloleni. Ngokwesibonelo, wasebenzisa elithi “uthando” esikhundleni selithi “isisa,” “ibandla” kwelithi “isonto,” nelithi “umdala” kunokuba “umpristi” lapho kufanelekile. Lokhu kwathukuthelisa abagxeki abanjengoSir Thomas More ngenxa yokuthi kwashintsha amagama ayesehlonishwa ngenxa yesiko. Lapho umbhalo wokuqala ufuna ukusetshenziswa ngokuphindaphindiwe kwegama, uTyndale wayecophelela ukuba aliveze njengoba linjalo. Ngokwesibonelo: KuGenesise 3:15, inguqulo yakhe ikhuluma kabili ‘ngokunyathela’ okwenziwa yinzalo yowesifazane nayinyoka.c
UTyndale futhi nguyena owaveza igama likaNkulunkulu siqu, elithi Jehova, eBhayibhelini lesiNgisi. Kunjengoba umlobi uJ. F. Mozley ephawula, ukuthi uTyndale walisebenzisa “izikhathi ezingaphezu kwezingamashumi amabili” ezinguqulweni “zakhe zeTestamente Elidala”.
Uma sibheka emuva ethonyeni lemizamo kaTyndale nemiphumela yalo ephikelelayo, lokho esinakho namuhla kuwuchaza kahle umsebenzi wakhe: “Ukwethembeka, nobuqotho bokucubungula, ukushaya kwakhe emhloleni okusobala, ukuqondakala kalula kwamazwi akhe, ukukhanga kokukhuluma kwakhe okunesizotha, kuye kwagunyaza indlela yakhe yokusebenzisa amagama eye yaba nethonya elikhulu kuzo zonke izinguqulo zamuva. . . . Izingxenyana eziyisishiyagalolunye kweziyishumi zeAuthorized New Testament [King James Version] zisengezikaTindale, futhi ezakhe zisengezingcono kakhulu.”—The Bible in Its Ancient and English Versions, ikhasi 160.
Umsebenzi KaTyndale Awusilo Ize
Ukuze abalekele ukushushisa kweziphathimandla, uTyndale wabalekela eYurophu ephakathi ukuze aqhubeke nomsebenzi wakhe. Kodwa ekugcineni wabanjwa. Ebekwa icala lokufundisa amanga, wasontwa intamo futhi washiswa esigxotsheni ngo-October 1536. Umthandazo wakhe wokugcina wawuthi: “Nkosi, vula amehlo eNkosi yaseNgilandi.” Wayengazi ukuthi isimo sasizoshintsha ngokushesha kangakanani. NgoAugust 1537, kungakapheli nonyaka ngemva kokufa kukaTyndale, iNkosi uHenry VIII yakhipha imvume yeBhayibheli ngokuvamile elaziwa ngokuthi yiBhayibheli likaMathewu. Yakhipha isimemezelo sokuthi kumelwe lidayiswe ngokukhululekile futhi lifundwe ezweni layo.
Laliyini iBhayibheli likaMathewu? Uprofesa F. F. Bruce uyachaza: “Ukuhlola kubonisa ukuthi Izincwadi Ezinhlanu Zokuqala ZeBhayibheli zikaTyndale, inguqulo kaTyndale yezincwadi ezingokomlando zeTestamente Elidala kuze kufike kweyesi-2 IziKronike . . . Inguqulo kaCoverdale yezinye izincwadi zeTestamente Elidala neApocrypha, neTestamente Elisha likaTyndale lika-1535.” Khona-ke, umlobi uyaqhubeka, “kwakuyisenzo esibonisa ukwahlulela ngokulunga . . . ukuthi iBhayibheli lesiNgisi lokuqala elikhishwayo ngemvume yenkosi kube yiBhayibheli likaTyndale (ngokwezinga inguqulo kaTyndale eyayisilifinyelele), ngisho nakuba ngalesosikhathi kwakungahlakaniphile ukuba ukhulume ngalo ngokusobala ngokuthi elikaTyndale.”
Eminyakeni embalwa elandelayo, itshe lalisazogaya ngomunye umhlathi. Lapho uhlelo lwenguqulo eyaziwa ngokuthi iGreat Bible—ukubukezwa kweBhayibheli likaMathewu—lukhishwa ngo-1541 futhi kuyalezwa ukuba liyiswe kuwo wonke amasonto aseNgilandi, ikhasi langaphandle lalinalamazwi: “Ngokwesiyalezo esikhishwe yinkosi liye lahlolwa futhi lacutshungulwa, obaba abahloniphekayo kuNkulunkulu, umbhishobhi uCuthbert waseDuresme, nombhishobhi uNicholas waseRochester.” Yebo, ‘lomBhishobhi waseDurham’ ‘kwakunguye kanye uCuthbert Tunstall, owayengumBhishobhi waseLondon. Lowo owayemelene kakhulu nomsebenzi kaTyndale manje wayesegunyaza ukukhishwa kweGreat Bible, ngokuyisisekelo okwakusewumsebenzi kaTyndale.
Ukuqapheleka Kokugcina
Namuhla kungase kumangalise ukufunda ngempikiswano enjengalena ngenxa yeBhayibheli nangenzondo ngabahumushi balo. Kodwa mhlawumbe okuphawuleka ngokwengeziwe yiqiniso lokuthi, naphezu kwemizamo yabo, abaphikisi baye bahluleka ukuvimbela iZwi likaNkulunkulu ekufinyeleleni abantu abangafundile kakhulu. “Utshani buyabuna, imbali iyavuthuluka,” kwasho umprofethi uIsaya, “kepha izwi likaNkulunkulu wethu limi kuze kubephakade.”—Isaya 40:8.
UTyndale nabanye basebenza bezulelwa amanqe. Kodwa ngokwenza iBhayibheli litholakale kubantu abaningi ngolimi lwabo lomdabu, babavulela ithemba, hhayi lokufa, kodwa lokuphila okuphakade. Kunjengoba uJesu Kristu athi: “Ukuphila okuphakade yilokhu ukuba bazi wena-Nkulunkulu wedwa oqinisileyo, nomthumileyo, uJesu Kristu.” (Johane 17:3) Khona-ke, kwangathi singalazisa futhi silitadishe ngenkuthalo iZwi likaNkulunkulu.
[Imibhalo yaphansi]
a Izenzakalo ezifana nalezi ezichazwe lapha zenzeka ngo-1526 nangezinye izikhathi.
b Ukuze uthole imininingwane eyengeziwe ngokuphila nomsebenzi kaTyndale, bheka INqabayokulinda kaMay 15, 1982, amakhasi 10-15.
c Abahumushi abaningi banamuhla bayahluleka ukuphawula lapha isenzo esiphindaphindiwe sesiHeberu kanye nencazelo yaso embaxambili. Ngakho esikhundleni selithi “limaza . . . limaza” (New World Translation; Revised Standard Version), basebenzisa elithi “choboza . . . shaya” (The Jerusalem Bible; New International Version), “choboza . . . luma” (Today’s English Version), “nyathela . . . shaya” (Lamsa), noma “choboza . . . qamekela” (Knox).
[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 21]
Kuthathwe emfanekisweni oqoshiwe kuyiBibliothèque Nationale