Indlela IBhayibheli Elafika Ngayo Kithia—Ingxenye Yokuqala

ESHABHU elincane, umnyathelisi no-mfundi osemusha ba-sebenzisa ngokuphindaphindiwe umshini wabo wokunyathelisa onezinsika zokhuni, bebeka ngokucophelela amakhasi ephepha angabhaliwe phezu kwezinhlamvu zokunyathelisa. Lapho bewakhipha, bahlola umbhalo onyathelisiwe. Ezintanjeni eziboshwe zavundliswa odongeni, baneka amakhasi agotshiwe ukuze ome.

Kungazelelwe, kungqongqozwa ngokhahlo emnyango. Ethukile, umnyathelisi uvula umnyango, futhi kutheleka ibutho lamasosha ahlomile. Liqala ukucinga incwadi engavunyelwe ngokomthetho nengafunwa kunazo zonke—iBhayibheli ngolimi lwabantu abavamile!

Leli butho lase lephuze kakhulu. Beqashelisiwe ngengozi, umhumushi nomsizi wakhe base begijimele kuleli shabhu, babutha amakhasi agcwala izingalo zabo, futhi manje bayabaleka bakhuphuka ngoMfula iRhine. Okungenani baye basindisa ingxenye yomsebenzi wabo.

Umhumushi kulokhu kwakunguWilliam Tyndale, owayezama ukunyathelisa “iTestamente Elisha” lesiNgisi elenqatshelwe eCologne, eJalimane, ngo-1525. Okuhlangenwe nakho kwakhe kwakungekusha. Kuyo yonke iminyaka ecishe ibe ngu-1 900 kusukela iBhayibheli laqedwa ukubhalwa, abesilisa nabesifazane abaningi baye bafaka yonke into engozini ukuze bahumushe futhi basakaze iZwi likaNkulunkulu. Namuhla sisazuza emsebenzini wabo. Bénzani? Afika kanjani kithi amaBhayibheli esinawo manje?

Ukukopishwa Nokuhunyushwa KweBhayibheli Kwasendulo

Izinceku zikaNkulunkulu zeqiniso bezilokhu zilazisa iZwi lakhe. I-New Catholic Encyclopedia iyavuma: “Njengokhokho bawo abangamaJuda, amaKristu akuqala ayekwazisa ukufunda Izincwadi Ezingcwele. Belandela isibonelo sikaJesu (Mt 4.4; 5.18; Lk 24.44; Jn 5.39), abaPhostoli babejwayelene [neTestamente Elidala] okubonisa ukuthi babechitha isikhathi eside belifunda futhi belitadisha ngokucophelela, futhi lokhu bakugxilisa kubafundi babo (Rom 15.4; 2 Tim 3.15-17).”

Ukuze bakwazi ukwenza kanjalo, kwakudingeka kwenziwe amakhophi eBhayibheli. Ezikhathini zangaphambi kobuKristu, omningi walomsebenzi wawenziwa ‘abakopishi abanekhono’ abaqeqeshwe kahle, ababekusaba ukwenza amaphutha. (Ezra 7:6, 11, 12) Ngokuzama ukugwema amaphutha, babekela bonke abakopishi beBhayibheli bamuva inselele yokwenza umsebenzi wezinga eliphezulu.

Nokho, phakathi nekhulu lesine B.C.E., kwaphakama inselele. U-Alexander Omkhulu wayefuna ukuba bonke abantu bomhlaba bafundiswe ngempucuko yamaGreki. Ukunqoba kwakhe kwagunyaza isiGreki esivamile, noma isiKoine, njengolimi lwendawo yonke kulo lonke elaseMpumalanga Ephakathi. Ngenxa yalokho, amaJuda amaningi akhula engazange afunde ukufunda isiHeberu, ngakho ayengakwazi ukufunda imiBhalo. Ngakho-ke, cishe ngo-280 B.C.E., iqembu lezazi zesiHeberu lahlangana e-Alexandria, eGibithe, ukuze lihumushele iBhayibheli lesiHeberu olimini oluvamile lwesiKoine. Inguqulo yalo yaziwa ngokuthi i-Septuagint, okuyigama lesiLatini elisho “Amashumi Ayisikhombisa,” elibhekisela enanini elisondele labahumushi okukholelwa ukuthi babehilelekile. Yaqedwa cishe ngo-150 B.C.E.

Ngesikhathi sikaJesu, isiHeberu sasisasetshenziswa ePalestina. Nokho kwakwande isiKoine lapho nakuzo zonke izifunda eziqhelile zezwe laseRoma. Ngakho-ke, abalobi beBhayibheli abangamaKristu basebenzisa lolu hlobo oluvamile lwesiGreki ukuze bafinyelele abantu bezizwe abaningi ngangokunokwenzeka. Futhi, babecaphuna ngokukhululeka kuyi-Septuagint futhi besebenzisa inkulumo yayo kakhulu.

Njengoba amaKristu okuqala ayeyizithunywa zevangeli ezishisekayo, asheshe aba ochwepheshe ekusebenziseni i-Septuagint ukuze afakazele ukuthi uJesu wayenguMesiya okwase kuyisikhathi eside elindelwe. Lokhu kwawacasula amaJuda futhi kwawashukumisela ekubeni enze izinguqulo ezithile ezintsha zesiGreki, ezaziklanyelwe ukwenza amaKristu angabi nabo ubufakazi ngokubukeza imibhalo ayithandayo ayesekela ngayo izimfundiso zawo. Ngokwesibonelo, ku-Isaya 7:14 i-Septuagint yasebenzisa igama lesiGreki elisho “incasakazi,” elibhekisela ngokwesiprofetho kunina kaMesiya. Izinguqulo ezintsha zasebenzisa igama lesiGreki elihlukile, elisho “owesifazane osemusha.” Ukuqhubeka kwamaKristu esebenzisa i-Septuagint ekugcineni kwashukumisela amaJuda ukuba alilahle ngokuphelele isu lawo futhi akhuthaze ukuba kubuyelwe olimini lwesiHeberu. Ekugcineni, lesi senzo saba isibusiso ekuhunyushweni kweBhayibheli kwamuva ngoba sasiza ekugcineni ulimi lwesiHeberu lusetshenziswa.

Abanyathelisi Bezincwadi Zokuqala ZamaKristu

AmaKristu okuqala ashisekayo aqala ukukhiqiza amakhophi eBhayibheli amaningi ngangokusemandleni awo, wonke ekopishwa ngesandla. Futhi aba awokuqala ukusebenzisa i-codex, eyayinamakhasi afana nawencwadi yanamuhla, kunokuqhubeka esebenzisa imiqulu. Ngaphandle kokwenza kube lula ukuthola imibhalo ngokushesha, kwakungafakwa imibhalo eyengeziwe emqulwini owodwa we-codex kunaleyo engalotshwa emqulwini ogoqwayo—ngokwesibonelo, yonke imiBhalo YesiGreki noma ngisho nalo lonke iBhayibheli.

Iqoqo lemiBhalo YamaKristu YesiGreki laqedwa cishe ngo-98 C.E. ngezincwadi zomphostoli wokugcina owayesaphila, uJohane. Kunocezu lwekhophi yeVangeli LikaJohane, okuthiwa iRylands Papyrus 457 (P⁵²), lwakudala, ngaphambi kuka-125 C.E. Emuva ngo-150 kuya ku-170 C.E., uTatian, umfundi kaJustin Martyr, wenza i-Diatessaron, umbhalo ovumelanayo olandisa ngokuphila kukaJesu okwenziwe ngawo kanye lamaVangeli amane atholakala emaBhayibhelini ethu anamuhla.b Lokhu kwabonisa ukuthi wayebheka lamaVangeli njengawukuphela kwanembile nokuthi ayesesetshenziswa kakade. Cishe ngo-170 C.E., kwenziwa uhlu lwezincwadi ‘zeTestamente Elisha’ oludala kakhulu olwaziwayo, okuthiwa uCezu LukaMuratori. Luhlanganisa eziningi zezincwadi zemiBhalo YamaKristu YesiGreki.

Kungakabiphi, ukusakazeka kwezinkolelo zobuKristu kwenza kwaba nesidingo sezinguqulo zemiBhalo YamaKristu YesiGreki nemiBhalo YesiHeberu. Ekugcineni kwenziwa izinguqulo eziningana ngezilimi ezinjengesi-Armenia, isiCopt, isiGeorgia nesiSiriya. Ngokuvamile kwakudingeka kwenziwe uhlu lwezinhlamvu ukuze kufezwe leyo njongo. Ngokwesibonelo, u-Ulfilas, umbhishobhi wekhulu lesine weSonto LamaRoma, kuthiwa wasungula uhlu lwezinhlamvu zesiGoth ukuze ahumushe iBhayibheli. Kodwa washiya izincwadi zamaKhosi ngoba wayecabanga ukuthi zazizokhuthaza isimo samaGoth sokuthambekela empini. Nokho, lesi senzo asizange sivimbele amaGoth “aguqulelwe ebuKristwini” ukuba aphange iRoma ngo-410 C.E.!

IBhayibheli LesiLatini NeleSlavonic

Phakathi naleso sikhathi, isiLatini savelela, futhi kwavela izinguqulo eziningana zesiLatini Esidala. Kodwa zazihluka ngokwendlela yokubhala nokunemba. Ngakho ngo-382 C.E., uPapa Damasus wayala unobhala wakhe, uJerome, ukuba alungiselele iBhayibheli lesiLatini elalizogunyazwa.

UJerome waqala ngokubukeza izinguqulo zesiLatini zemiBhalo YamaKristu YesiGreki. Nokho, wagcizelela ukuba imiBhalo YesiHeberu ihunyushwe isuka esiHeberwini sakuqala. Ngakho, ngo-386 C.E., wathuthela eBethlehema eyofunda isiHeberu afune nosizo lukarabi. Ngenxa yalokho, waphakamisa impikiswano enkulu emaqenjini amasonto. Abanye, kuhlanganise nalowo owayephila ngesikhathi sikaJerome u-Augustine, babekholelwa ukuthi i-Septuagint iphefumulelwe, futhi basola uJerome ‘ngokuya kumaJuda.’ Ephokophele phambili, uJerome waphothula umsebenzi wakhe cishe ngo-400 C.E. Ngokusondela emthonjeni wezilimi nezincwadi zakuqala nangokuzihumushela olimini olwalusetshenziswa ngaleso sikhathi, uJerome wazidlula ngezinkulungwane zeminyaka izindlela zokuhumusha zamuva. Inguqulo yakhe yaziwa ngokuthi i-Vulgate, noma iNguqulo Evamile, futhi yazuzisa abantu amakhulu eminyaka.

KweLobukholwa empumalanga, abaningi babesakwazi ukufunda i-Septuagint nemiBhalo YamaKristu YesiGreki. Nokho, izilimi zeSlavonic, noma zamaSlav zavama ezingxenyeni ezisempumalanga yeYurophu. Ngo-863 C.E., uCyril noMethodius ababengabandawonye futhi bekhuluma isiGreki, baya eMoravia, manje eseCzech Republic. Baqala ukuhumushela iBhayibheli olimini lweSlavonic Esidala. Ukuze benze kanjalo, basungula uhlu lwezinhlamvu zeGlagol, kamuva olwathathelwa indawo uhlu lwezinhlamvu okuthiwa iCyrillic, oluqanjwe ngoCyril. Loluhlu lwaba umthombo wohlu lwezinhlamvu zesiRashiya, isi-Ukraine, isiSerbia nesiBulgaria. IBhayibheli leSlavonic lasetshenziswa abantu baleyo ndawo izizukulwane ngezizukulwane. Nokho, ngokuhamba kwesikhathi njengoba izilimi zishintsha, abantu abavamile ababange besaliqonda.

IBhayibheli LesiHeberu Liyasinda

Phakathi nalesi sikhathi, cishe kusukela ekhulwini lesithupha kuya kweleshumi C.E., iqembu lamaJuda elaziwa ngokuthi amaMasorete lasungula izindlela ezihlelekile zokukopisha ukuze lilondoloze umBhalo WesiHeberu. Lalize libale yonke imigqa ngisho nezinhlamvu ngazinye, liphawula umehluko okulemibhalo yesandla, lenza konke lokhu ngenjongo yokuzama ukulondoloza amagama anembile. Imizamo yalo ayibanga yize. Uma sibhekisela esibonelweni esisodwa, ukuqhathanisa imibhalo yanamuhla yamaMasorete neMiqulu Yolwandle Olufile, eyabhalwa phakathi kuka-250 B.C.E. no-50 C.E., akubonisi shintsho olungokwemfundiso eminyakeni engaphezu kwenkulungwane.c

EYurophu iNkathi Ephakathi yayifana kakhulu neNkathi Yobumnyama. Ukufunda nokungenisa ulwazi kwakwehlile phakathi kwabantu. Ekugcineni, ngisho neningi labefundisi, lalihluleka ukufunda isiLatini sesonto futhi ngokuvamile lingakwazi ngisho nokufunda ulimi lwalo siqu. Futhi lesi kwakuyisikhathi lapho amaJuda ahlaliswa wodwa eYurophu. Ngokwengxenye ngenxa yalokhu kuhlukaniswa, ulwazi lwesiHeberu seBhayibheli lwalondolozwa. Nokho, ngenxa yobandlululo nokungathembi, ngokuvamile ulwazi lwamaJuda lwalungatholakali ngaphandle kwendawo yawo. Entshonalanga Yurophu, ulwazi lwesiGreki nalo lwaluncipha. Isimo senziwa saba sibi nakakhulu ukuhlonishwa kwe-Vulgate yesiLatini kaJerome yiSonto laseNtshonalanga. Ngokuvamile yayibhekwa njengewukuphela kwenguqulo egunyaziwe, nakuba ekupheleni kwenkathi yamaMasorete, isiLatini sase siba ulimi olwalungasasetshenziswa. Ngakho, njengoba isifiso sokwazi iBhayibheli siqala ukukhula, kwakheka isisekelo sempikiswano enkulu.

Ukuhunyushwa KweBhayibheli Kubhekana Nokuphikiswa

Ngo-1079, uPapa Gregory VII wakhipha umyalo wesonto wokuqala kweminingi yeNkathi Ephakathi ovimbela ukukhiqizwa futhi ngezinye izikhathi ngisho nokuba nezinguqulo zolimi oluvamile. Wahoxisa imvume yokuba kugujwe iMisa ngesiSlavonic ngenxa yokuthi kwakuyodingeka kuhunyushwe izingxenye zomBhalo Ongcwele. Ephambene ngokuphelele nokuma kwamaKristu okuqala, wabhala: “[Kuye] kwamjabulisa uNkulunkulu uMninimandla onke ukuba umbhalo ongcwele ube imfihlo ezindaweni ezithile.” Ngenxa yalokhu kuma okungokomthetho kwesonto, abantu abakhuthaza ukufundwa kweBhayibheli babebhekwa njengabayingozi ngokwandayo.

Naphezu kwesimo esingesihle, ukukopishwa nokuhunyushelwa kweBhayibheli ezilimini ezivamile kwaqhubeka. Izinguqulo zezilimi eziningi zasakazwa ngomshoshaphansi eYurophu. Zonke lezo zinguqulo zazikopishwe ngesandla, njengoba ukunyathelisa ngemishini ehlelwa izinhlamvu kwasungulwa phakathi nawo-1400 eYurophu. Kodwa njengoba amakhophi ayebiza futhi elinganiselwe ngenani, isakhamuzi esivamile sasingase sizibheke njengesijabulayo ngokuba nengxenye nje yencwadi eyodwa yeBhayibheli noma amakhasi ambalwa nje. Abanye babamba ngekhanda izingxenye ezinkulu, ngisho nayo yonke imiBhalo YamaKristu YesiGreki!

Nokho, ngokuhamba kwesikhathi kwaqalwa imisebenzi yokuhlelwa kabusha kwesonto eyasakazeka kabanzi. Lokhu kwabangelwa ngokwengxenye ukuqashelwa kabusha kokubaluleka kweZwi likaNkulunkulu ekuphileni kwansuku zonke. Lemisebenzi nokusungulwa kwezindlela zokunyathelisa kwakuyolithinta kanjani iBhayibheli? Futhi kwenzekani ngoWilliam Tyndale nomsebenzi ayewuhumushile, okukhulunywe ngaye ekuqaleni? Lendaba ethakazelisayo sizoyilandelela kuze kube sesikhathini sethu komagazini abalandelayo.

[Imibhalo yaphansi]

[Ishadi ekhasini 8, 9]

(Ukuze ubone ukuthi indaba ihlelwe kanjani, bheka encwadini)

Izikhathi Ezisemqoka Ukulungiselelwa KweBhayibheli

NGAPHAMBI KWENKATHI EVAMILE (B.C.E.)

ImiBhalo YesiHeberu yaqedwa cishe ngo-443 B.C.E.

400 B.C.E.

U-Alexander Omkhulu (wafa ngo-323 B.C.E.)

300 B.C.E.

I-Septuagint yaqalwa cishe ngo-280 B.C.E.

200 B.C.E.

INKATHI EVAMILE (C.E.)

IJerusalema labhujiswa ngo-70 C.E.

ImiBhalo YesiGreki yaqedwa ngo-98 C.E.

100 C.E.

200 C.E.

300 C.E.

400 C.E. I-Vulgate yesiLatini kaJerome cishe ngo-400 C.E.

500 C.E.

600 C.E.

Ukulungiselelwa Kombhalo WamaMasorete

700 C.E.

800 C.E.

UCyril eMoravia ngo-863 C.E.

900 C.E.

1000 C.E.

1100 C.E.

1200 C.E.

1300 C.E.

[Isithombe ekhasini 9]

AmaKristu Okuqala aba awokuqala ukusebenzisa i-“codex”

[Isithombe ekhasini 10]

UJerome waya eBethlehema eyofunda isiHeberu