Okwenza Ukuba Asebenzise Igama Elikhulu Kunawo Wonke
“Ngokomunye wababukezi bami, ngonile ngokufaka igama elithi ‘uJehova’ esikhundleni selithi ‘iNkosi,’ osekungamakhulu eminyaka lijwayeleke njengelisho okufanayo nalo.”
Lawa kwakungamazwi kaJ. J. Stewart Perowne esanduleleni sohlelo lwesibili lwenguqulo yakhe yencwadi yamaHubo, eyakhishwa okokuqala ngo-1864. Lombukezi, ebhala kuyi-Saturday Review ka-July 2, 1864, wakuhlaba ukusetshenziswa kwegama likaNkulunkulu kulenguqulo, njengoba lalingasasetshenziswa kokubili emasontweni amaJuda nakwawamaKristu. Wathi igama elithi Jehova lihlangene kakhulu namaJuda futhi kumelwe kusetshenziswe elinye igama, njengelithi “Nkosi” noma “Nkulunkulu,” “elingahlangene nakancane nendawo noma isizwe esithile.”
UPerowne akavumelananga nalemibono, njengoba ‘ayengafisi ukususa nolulodwa uhlamvu’ lwesambulo sikaNkulunkulu kubantu. Wayeqinisile uma ephikisa ngokuthi abahumushi abahumusha igama laphezulu lesiHeberu ngokuthi “Nkosi” bayahluleka ukuhlukanisa amagama amabili esiHeberu.
Ngaphezu kwalokho, uPerowne wagomela ukuthi kwakunezazi ezigogodile ezazihambisana nokubuyiselwa kwegama laphezulu. Wacaphuna imbongi yaseNgilandi edumile uSamuel Taylor Coleridge:
“Kungani kufanele siqhubeke sihumushela isiHeberu esiNgisini sisusela kokuhunyushiwe, sisebenzisa i-Septuagint? Asamukelanga yini igama lesiHeberu elithi Jehova? Elithi Κύριος, noma Nkosi, kuyi-Septuagint, alifakwa yini yisiGreki esikhundleni selesiHeberu elithi Jehova, ezindaweni eziningi? Pho, kungani singabuyiseli igama lokuqala; futhi eTestamenteni Elidala sihumushe ngokwethembeka elithi Jehova ngoJehova; futhi sihumushe yonke imibhalo eseTestamenteni Elisha, ebhekisela kweliDala, ngegama lesiHeberu elikulowo mbhalo okubhekiselwe kuwo?”
UPerowne wavuma ukuthi indlela eqondile yokuphimisela iTetragrammaton yesiHeberu seyalahleka, kodwa waphawula: “Uma ngenxa nje yezingqinamba eziyizinkolelo-ze leli gama layeka ukusetshenziswa eSontweni lamaJuda, futhi uma ngenxa yokukopishwa kweziNguqulo zesiGreki nesiLatini ngendlela yokugcina icala, iNguqulo yethu [yesiNgisi] yalahlekelwa yileli gama, lezi zizathu azinaso nhlobo isisindo ukuba zingenza kungabuyelwa endleleni yokuqala yokulisebenzisa.” UPerowne wayehambisana nendlela ethi “Jehova” ngoba yayaziwa kakhulu. Kusukela ngaleso sikhathi izinguqulo zanamuhla eziningi nazo ziye zalisebenzisa igama laphezulu. I-New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures isebenzisa igama elithi Jehova izikhathi ezingaphezu kwezingu-7 200 emiBhalweni YesiHeberu neYamaKristu YesiGreki.
Enguqulweni yakhe yamaHubo, uPerowne wazama ukunamathela “ngokuseduze esimweni sesiHeberu, kokubili olimini lwaso nasendleleni esihlela ngayo amagama.” Lapho ehumusha iHubo 69, amavesi 5 no-6, wabona isidingo sokuhlukanisa phakathi kwamagama esiHeberu ahunyushwe ngokuthi “Nkulunkulu” (ʼElo·himʹ), “Nkosi” (ʼAdho·naiʹ), nokuthi “Jehova”: “O Nkulunkulu [ʼElo·himʹ], Wena uyabazi ubuwula bami, nokuba kwami onecala akufihlekile kuWe. Labo abalindela Wena mabangahlazeki ngami, O Nkosi [ʼAdho·naiʹ], Jehova (Nkulunkulu) wamabutho. Mabangakhungathekiswa, ngami, abafuna Wena, O Nkulunkulu ka-Israyeli.”