Igama LikaNkulunkulu Nabahumushi BeBhayibheli
NGO-1952, iThe Bible Translator yashicilela ingxoxo “yenkinga” yokuveza igama likaNkulunkulu ezinguqulweni zeBhayibheli ezazizosetshenziswa emasimini ezithunywa zeLobukholwa. Abalobeli bamaphephandaba baqaphela ukubaluleka kwegama eBhayibhelini—okuyigama elivela emiBhalweni yesiHeberu cishe izikhathi eziyizi-7 000. Kodwa abakwazanga ukuvumelana ngendlela okwakufanele lihunyushwe ngayo ezilimini zanamuhla. Abanye bathanda igama elinjengelithi “uSimakade.” Abanye bakhetha isiqu esithi “Nkosi.” Akekho owatusa ukuhumusha ngokuthi “Jehova” noma “Yahweh.” Kungani?
Umlobeli wamaphephandaba uH. Rosin waphawula izizathu ezimbili. Okokuqala, wayekholelwa ukuthi lapho iBhayibheli lesiHeberu lihunyushelwa okokuqala esiGrekini (inguqulo yeSeptuagint yangaphambi kobuKristu) abahumushi bahumusha igama likaNkulunkulu ngegama lesiGreki elithi “Nkosi.” Okwesibili, wayesaba ukuthi ukuveza igama elithi Jehova ezinguqulweni “kungase futhi kuhlukanise isonto.” Ngoba, wenezela, “‘ofakazi BakaJehova’ abamelene yini nabakholelwa kuZiqu-zintathu?”
Ngokuphathelene nephuzu lokuqala likaRosin, imivubukulo iye yamveza njengonephutha. Eqinisweni, abahumushi beSeptuagint abazange bafake igama lesiGreki elithi “Nkosi” esikhundleni segama laphezulu. Kunalokho, baliloba ngokuqondile embhalweni wesiGreki ngezinhlamvu zalo zokuqala zesiHeberu, kangangokuba amakhophi enguqulo yeSeptuagint asetshenziswa amaKristu akuqaIa ayequkethe igama laphezulu.
Ngokuthakazelisayo, lapho amaKristu akuqaIa ecaphuna kuyiSeptuagint kungokungenakwenzeka ngempela ukuthi asusa igama engcaphunweni. Kanjalo, imibhalo yakuqala ebhalwe ngesandla yemiBhalo YamaKristu YesiGreki (“iTestamente Elisha”) ngokusobala yayiqukethe igama likaNkulunkulu. UProfesa uGeorge Howard, esihlokweni esivela kuyiBiblical Archaeology Review, March 1978, wanikeza izimpikiswano ezinamandia kulesiphetho. Ngokwesibonelo, uphawula “indinyana eyaziwayo yabefundisi bamaJuda (iTalmud Shabbat 13.5)” ‘esixoxa ngenkinga yokuchitha imibhalo yezihlubuki (ngokunokwenzeka ehlanganisa izincwadi zamaKristu angamaJuda).” Yayiyini inkinga? “Imibhalo yezihlubuki iqukethe igama laphezuIu, futhi ukubhujiswa kwayo ngokuphelele kwakuyohlanganisa nokubhujiswa kwegama laphezulu.”
Kodwa kuthiwani ngokusola kwesibili kukaRosin? Ingabe ukusetshenziswa kwegama likaNkulunkulu kwakuyoletha inkinga kweLobukholwa? Nokho, cabangela lokho okwenzeka lapho kususwa lelogama. Ngemva kwekhulu lokuqala leminyaka, abalobi “abangamaKristu” bafaka amagama anjengathi “Nkulunkulu” nathi “Nkosi” esikhundleni segama likaNkulunkulu, kokubili kuyiSeptuagint nemiBhalo YamaKristu YesiGreki. NgokukaProfesa uHoward, cishe lokhu kwaba nengxenye othuthuveni eLobukholwa elahlangabezana nalo eminyakeni yamuva: “Kungenzeka ukuthi ukususwa kweTetragrammaton [igama likaNkulunkulu ngesiHeberu] kwaba nengxenye ngokuphawulekayo ezinkulumweni-mpikiswano zamuva ngeNcazelo engokwenkolo NgoKristu Nemisebenzi Yakhe nangoZiqu-zintathu ezakhathaza isonto lamakhulu okuqala eminyaka obuKristu.”
Ngokuqinisekile, ukususwa kwegama likaNkulunkulu eBhayibhelini kwenza ukwamukela kweLobukholwa imfundiso kaZiqu-zintathu kwabalula kakhulu. Ngakho-ke, uma eLobukholwa lalizobuyisela leligama eBhayibhelini eliphelele nasekukhulekeleni, kwakuyodala izinkinga. UJehova, njengoba evezwe emiBhalweni YamaKristu YesiHeberu neYesiGreki, uhluke ngokuphelele kuJesu Kristu futhi akayona ingxenye kaZiqu-zintathu.
UProfesa uHoward wenezela ngokuthi: “Ukususwa kweTetragrammaton ngokusobala kwadala isimo semfundiso yenkolo esihIukile kuleso esasikhona phakathi nesikhathi seTestamente Elisha sekhulu lokuqala leminyaka. UNkulunkulu wamaJuda okwakuqikelelwa njalo ukuba ehlukaniswe nabanye ngokusetshenziswa kwegama lakhe lesiHeberu, izici zakhe zokumahlukanisa zalahleka nokupheliswa kweTetragrammaton. “OFakazi BakaJehova baye balibuyisela igama likaNkulunkulu hhayi eBhayibhelini eliphelele nje kuphela kodwa futhi nasekukhulekeleni kwabo kwansuku zonke. Ngalendlela, baqaphela’umehluko obalulekile’ phakathi kukaNkulunkulu weqiniso nonkulunkulu bamanga balelizwe. Ngalendlela baye bakwazi ukubuyisela “isimo semfundiso engokwenkolo” esasikhona ebandleni lamaKristu lekhulu lokuqala leminyaka.