Imibuzo Evela Kubafundi

Ingabe iBhayibheli liyakusekela ukuba khona kwama“unicorn,” okukhulunywa ngawo kwezinye izinguqulo?

IKing James, iDouay, nezinye izinguqulo, ziyakhuluma ngamaunicorn. Kodwa akunjalo ngezinguqulo zanamuhla ezisihumusha ngokuqondile isiHeberu.—IHubo 22:21; 29:6; 92:10 (21:22; 28:6; 91:11, Douay).

Phakathi namakhulu eminyaka kuye kwaba nezinganekwane eziningi mayelana nesilwane esinomzimba nekhanda lehhashi kodwa esinezinyawo zenyamazane nomsila wengonyama. Mhlawumbe isici esivelele kakhulu salesidalwa esiyinganekwane uphondo olulodwa oluphothene olusebunzini laso.a

“Abantu bake bakholelwa ukuthi uphondo lweunicorn lwalunomuthi ovikelayo kushevu, futhi phakathi neNkathi Ephakathi, izimpushana okuthiwa zazenziwe ngezimpondo ezinjalo zazibiza amanani aphakeme kakhulu. Izazi eziningi zikholelwa ukuthi umqondo weunicorn ususelwa ezindabeni zaseYurophu zikabhejane eziyinzwabethi.” (The World Book Encyclopedia) Imifanekiso ethile ebaziwe yaseAsiriya naseBabiloni yayibonisa izilwane ezinophondo olulodwa. Lezi manje seziqondwa njengezindluzele, izimbuzi zasendle, izinkomo, nezinkunzi ezivezwe ngohlangothi, umfanekiso owawungazibonisi zombili izimpondo.

Lokhu kuyathakazelisa kubafundi beBhayibheli ngoba izikhathi eziyisishiyagalolunye imiBhalo ibhekisela esilwaneni esithile ngegama lesiHeberu elithi reʼemʹ. (Numeri 23:22; 24:8; Duteronomi 33:17; Jobe 39:9, 10; IHubo 22:21; 29:6; 92:10; Isaya 34:7) Isikhathi eside abahumushi babengaqondi ukuthi yisiphi isilwane okwakubhekiselwe kuso. ISeptuagint yesiGreki ihumusha ureʼemʹ ngomqondo ‘wophondo olulodwa’ noma weunicorn. IVulgate yesiLatini kaningi ilihumusha ngokuthi “ubhejane.” Ezinye izinguqulo zisebenzisa elithi ‘inkabi yasendle,’ ‘izilo zasendle,’ noma ‘inyathi,’ URobert Young umane nje aguqulele isiHeberu esiNgisini ngokwezwi nezwi ngokuthi “Reem,” ngokuyisisekelo eshiya umfundi engaqondi lutho.

Nokho, izazi eziningi zanamuhla ziye zanciphisa ukudideka okuningi ngegama elithi reʼemʹ. Abalobi bezichazamazwi uLudwig Koehler noWalter Baumgartner babonisa ukuthi lisho “izinkabi zasendle,” ngokuvumelana nencazelo engokwesayensi ethi Bos primigenius. Leli “yiqembu elingaphansi kweqembu lezilwane ezidabula inselo ezinezimpondo.” INew Encyclopædia Britannica iyachaza:

“Ezinye izindaba ezisankondlo zeTestamente Elisha zibhekisela esilwaneni esinamandla ezinezimpondo ezinhle okuthiwa yireʼemʹ. Leligama lihunyushwe ngokuthi ‘unicorn’ noma ‘ubhejane’ ezinguqulweni eziningi, kodwa izinguqulo eziningi zanamuhla zikhetha elithi ‘inkabi yasendle’ (aurochs),okuyincazelo eqondile yegama lesiHeberu elithi reʼemʹ.”

Njengoba ngesiNgisi samanje igama elithi “ox” (inkabi) lisho inkomo etheniwe, iNew World Translation of the Holy Scriptures ihumusha ngokungaguquguquki nangokunembile igama elithi reʼemʹ ngokuthi “inkunzi yasendle.” Iauroch (inkabi yasendle, noma inkunzi) kubonakala sengathi yayisinyamalele ngekhulu le-17 leminyaka, kodwa ososayensi baye bathola ukuthi yayihluke kakhulu kuyiunicorn eyinganekwane. Iauroch yasendulo yayiphakeme cishe ngamamitha angu-1,8, iyinde ngamamitha amathathu. Yayingaba nesisindo samakhilogremu angu-900, futhi ngalunye lwezimpondo zayo ezimbili lwalungaba amasentimitha angaphezu kuka-75 ubude.

Lokhu ngokuqinisekile kuyavumelana nokukhuluma kweBhayibheli ngereʼemʹ, noma inkunzi yasendle. Yayiphawuleka ngamandla ayo nesimo sayo esingalawuleki (Jobe 39:10, 11) kanye nejubane layo. (Numeri 23:22; 24:8) Ngokusobala yayinezimpondo ezimbili, hhayi uphondo olulodwa njengalolo lweunicorn eyinganekwane. UMose wabhekisela ezimpondweni zayo lapho echaza izizwe ezimbili ezinamandla ezaziyovela emadodaneni amabili kaJosefa.—Duteronomi 33:17.

Ngakho iBhayibheli aliwusekeli umbono wamaunicorn njengoba uvamile ezinganekwaneni. Liyawunikeza umbono oqondile, nokho olinganiselwe ngeauroch enkulu nesabisayo, noma inkunzi yasendle, eyake yaba-khona ezikhathini zeBhayibheli kuze kube sesikhathini esingekude esedlule.

[Umbhalo waphansi]

[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 31]

Treasury of Fantastic and Mythological Creatures: 1,087 Renderings from Historic Sources, kaRichard Huber/Dover Publications, Inc.