Inguqulo YeBhayibheli Eyashintsha Izwe

Lapho umprofethi kaNkulunkulu uMose eqala ukubhala iBhayibheli eminyakeni engaphezu kuka-3 500 edlule, kwakunesizwe esisodwa nje esincane esasingalifunda. (Duteronomi 7:7) Lokho kwakungenxa yokuthi imiBhalo yayitholakala ngolimi lwaleso sizwe kuphela, isiHeberu sokuqala. Nokho, lokho kwakuyoshintsha ngokuhamba kwesikhathi.

UKUSAKAZEKA kwesigijimi seBhayibheli nethonya laso elihle emakhulwini eminyaka ngokwezinga elikhulu kwabangelwa inguqulo yokuqala yalesi sigijimi—i-Septuagint. Kungani yenziwa? Futhi ingabe kungashiwo ngokufanelekile ukuthi leli iBhayibheli elashintsha izwe?

Ingabe Iyinguqulo Ephefumulelwe?

Ngemva kokudingiselwa kwawo eBabiloni phakathi nekhulu lesikhombisa nelesithupha leminyaka B.C.E., amaJuda amaningi aqhubeka engaphandle kwezwe lasendulo lakwa-Israyeli nelakwaJuda. AmaJuda ayezalelwe ekudingisweni ayazi ulimi lwezwe ayekulo kangcono kunesiHeberu. Ngekhulu lesithathu leminyaka B.C.E., kwase kunomphakathi wamaJuda e-Alexandria, eGibithe—okwakuyisikhungo esiyinhloko samasiko oMbuso WamaGreki. Lawo maJuda abona kunesidingo sokuba kuhunyushelwe imiBhalo Engcwele esiGrekini, ngaleso sikhathi esasiwulimi lwawo.

Kuze kube yileso sikhathi, isigijimi esiphefumulelwe seBhayibheli sasibhalwe ngesiHeberu, nezingxenye ezincane ngesi-Aramu esisondelene eduze naso. Ingabe ukubeka iZwi likaNkulunkulu ngolimi oluhlukile kwakuzonciphisa ithonya elinamandla lokuba kwalo eliphefumulelwe ngokwaphezulu, mhlawumbe kuze kuholele nasekuchazweni kwalo ngendlela okungeyona? Ingabe amaJuda, ayephathiswe iZwi eliphefumulelwe, ayezovuma ukufaka leso sigijimi engozini yokuchazwa ngokungafanele lapho sihunyushwa?—IHubo 147:19, 20; Roma 3:1, 2.

Lezi zindaba ezibucayi zabangela ukwesaba. Nokho, ukukhathazeka ngokuthi amaJuda ayengasayikukwazi ukuliqonda iZwi likaNkulunkulu ekugcineni kwaba namandla ngaphezu kwakho konke okwakucatshangwa. Kwenziwa isinqumo sokuba kwenziwe inguqulo yesiGreki yeTorah—izincwadi ezinhlanu zokuqala zeBhayibheli, ezalotshwa uMose. Inqubo yangempela yokuhumusha ayiqondakali kahle ngenxa yezindaba zasendulo. Ngokwe-Letter of Aristeas, umbusi waseGibithe uPtolemy II (285-246 B.C.E.) wayefuna ukuba ikhophi yePentateuch (noma, iTorah) ihunyushelwe esiGrekini ukuze abe nayo emtatsheni wakhe wezincwadi wasebukhosini. Wajuba izazi ezingamaJuda ezingu-72, ezeza eGibithe zivela kwa-Israyeli, futhi zaqeda ukuhumusha ngezinsuku ezingu-72. Le nguqulo yabe isifundelwa umphakathi wamaJuda, lowo owathi yinhle futhi inembile. Ukunongwa kwakamuva kwale ndaba kwabonisa ukuthi umhumushi ngamunye wayebekwe egunjini elihlukile, kodwa izindlela ababehumushe ngazo zazifana ncamashí, uhlamvu nohlamvu. Ngenxa yale ndaba yasendulo yabahumushi abangu-72, le nguqulo yeBhayibheli yesiGreki yaziwa ngokuthi i-Septuagint, okuyigama elisekelwe kwelesiLatini elisho “Amashumi Ayisikhombisa.”

Izazi eziningi zosuku lwanamuhla ziyavuma ukuthi i-Letter of Aristeas iwumbhalo ongenakwethenjelwa. Zikholelwa nawukuthi oweza nombono wokuba kwenziwe inguqulo, kwakungeyena uPtolemy II, kodwa kwakungabaholi bomphakathi wamaJuda wase-Alexandria. Kodwa umbhalo wesazi sefilosofi esingumJuda uPhilo nowesazi-mlando esingumJuda uJosephus kanye neTalmud konke kubonisa inkolelo eyayivamile kumaJuda ekhulu lokuqala, yokuthi i-Septuagint yayiphefumulelwe ngezinga elifanayo nemiBhalo yokuqala. Akungabazeki ukuthi izinkolelo ezinjalo zazibangelwa umzamo wokwenza i-Septuagint yamukeleke emphakathini wamaJuda emhlabeni wonke.

Nakuba inguqulo yokuqala yayihilela izincwadi ezinhlanu kuphela zikaMose, igama elithi Septuagint liye laziwa njengelibhekisela kuyo yonke imiBhalo YesiHeberu ehunyushelwe esiGrekini. Izincwadi ezazisele zahunyushwa cishe phakathi neminyaka eyikhulu eyalandela. Kunokuba kube umzamo wokubambisana, i-Septuagint isiyonke yenziwa ngamancozuncozu. Abahumushi babengafani ngamakhono nangolwazi lwesiHeberu. Izincwadi eziningi zazihunyushwe ngokwezwi nezwi, ngezinye izikhathi kwakweqiswa kakhulu, kuyilapho ezinye izinguqulo zazihunyushwa ngendlela yokukhuluma evamile. Kunezimbalwa ezitholakala kokubili ngezinguqulo ezinde nezimfushane. Lapho kuphela ikhulu lesibili leminyaka B.C.E., zonke izincwadi zemiBhalo YesiHeberu zase zingafundwa ngesiGreki. Naphezu kokungafani kwendlela eyasetshenziswa, umphumela wokuhumushela imiBhalo YesiHeberu esiGrekini wadlulela ngalé kwalokho umhumushi ayengakulindela.

UJafete Ematendeni KaShemi?

Lapho ikhuluma nge-Septuagint, iTalmud icaphuna uGenesise 9:27 othi: “UJafete, ahlale ematendeni kaShemi.” (Megillah 9b, Babylonian Talmud) ITalmud ibonisa ngokomfanekiso ukuthi ngenxa yobuhle bolimi lwesiGreki lwe-Septuagint, uJafete (uyise kaJavani, okwavela kuye amaGreki) wahlala ematendeni kaShemi (ubabamkhulu wesizwe sama-Israyeli). Nokho, nge-Septuagint, kungashiwo futhi ukuthi uShemi wahlala ematendeni kaJafete. Kanjani?

Ngemva kokunqoba kuka-Alexander Omkhulu, engxenyeni yokugcina yekhulu lesine leminyaka B.C.E., kwenziwa umzamo omkhulu wokuba kusakazwe ulimi nesiko lamaGreki kuwo wonke amazwe ayenqotshiwe. Lesi simiso sabizwa ngokuthi i-Hellenization (ukuGuqulela EbuGrekini). AmaJuda azizwa ehlaselwa ngokuqhubekayo ngokwesiko. Uma isiko lamaGreki nefilosofi yawo kwakuzokwanda, inkolo yamaJuda yayizobukelwa phansi. Yini eyayingavimba lokhu kuhlaselwa?

Ngokuphathelene nokunye okwakungase kube isisusa samaJuda sokuhumusha i-Septuagint, umhumushi weBhayibheli ongumJuda uMax Margolis uyaphawula: “Ukube bekungacatshangelwa ukuthi leli cebo lavela emphakathini wamaJuda, bekuyohileleka esinye isisusa, okuwukuthi, ukwenza abantu beZizwe bakwazi ukuhlola uMthetho wamaJuda nokukholisa izwe ukuthi amaJuda anesiko elalibekela ukuhlakanipha kwaseHellas [iGreece] inselele.” Ngakho-ke, ukwenza imiBhalo YesiHeberu itholakale emphakathini wabantu abakhuluma isiGreki kwakuyobe kuyindlela yokuzivikela nokuphindisela ekuhlaselweni.

Isimiso sika-Alexander sokuGuqulela EbuGrekini sasenze isiGreki saba ulimi lwezizwe zonke. Ngisho nalapho umbuso wakhe uthathwa amaRoma, isiGreki esivamile (noma, isiKoine) saqhubeka siwulimi olusetshenziswa kwezentengiselwano futhi lusetshenziswa izizwe ekuxhumaneni. Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi lokhu kwakubangelwe umzamo ohlosiwe noma kwakumane kwazenzakalela, inguqulo ye-Septuagint yemiBhalo YesiHeberu yasheshe yamukelwa futhi yathandwa abantu abangewona amaJuda ngaphambili ababengazi lutho ngoNkulunkulu nangoMthetho wamaJuda. Kwaba nemiphumela emangalisayo.

Amaproselithe Nabantu Abesaba UNkulunkulu

Ngekhulu lokuqala leminyaka C.E., uPhilo wayengabhala ukuthi “ubuhle nesizotha somthetho kaMose akuhlonishwa ngamaJuda kuphela, kodwa [kuhlonishwa] nayizo zonke ezinye izizwe.” Ngokuphathelene namaJuda ayehlala ngaphandle kwePalestine ekhulwini lokuqala leminyaka, isazi-mlando esingumJuda uJoseph Klausner sithi: “Kunzima ukukholelwa ukuthi zonke lezi zigidi zamaJuda zivela ePalestine encane kuphela. Umuntu uphoqeleka ukuba athi lokhu kwanda okukhulu kwabangelwa nawukwamukela inani elikhulu labesilisa nabesifazane abangamaproselithe.”

Nokho, la maphuzu ahlaba umxhwele awayivezi yonke indaba. Umlobi uShaye J. D. Cohen, uprofesa womlando wamaJuda, uthi: “Abezizwe abaningi, kokubili abesilisa nabesifazane, baguqukela ebuJudeni phakathi namakhulu okugcina eminyaka B.C.E. namakhulu amabili okuqala eminyaka C.E. Nokho, ababebaningi nakakhulu kwakungabezizwe abamukela izici ezithile zobuJuda kodwa abangazange baguqukele kubo.” Bobabili uKlausner noCohen babhekisela kulabo abangazange baguquke ngokuthi abantu abesaba uNkulunkulu, okungamazwi avela kaningi ezincwadini zesiGreki zangaleso sikhathi.

Uyini umehluko phakathi kwamaproselithe nabantu abesaba uNkulunkulu? Amaproselithe ayengabaguquke ngokuphelele, ababebhekwa njengamaJuda ngazo zonke izindlela ngoba babemukele uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli (balahla bonke abanye onkulunkulu), basokwa babe sebezihlanganisa nesizwe sama-Israyeli. Ngokuphambene, uCohen uthi ngokuphathelene nabantu abesaba uNkulunkulu: “Nakuba laba bantu bezizwe babegcina imikhuba eminingi yamaJuda futhi bemhlonipha ngandlela-thile uNkulunkulu wamaJuda, babengazibheki njengamaJuda futhi nabanye babengababheki njengamaJuda.” UKlausner ubachaza ‘njengabami phakathi nendawo,’ ngoba babebamukela ubuJuda futhi “begcina ingxenye yamasiko abo, kodwa . . . babengabi amaJuda ngokuphelele.”

Mhlawumbe abanye baba nesithakazelo kuNkulunkulu ngenxa yezingxoxo ababa nazo namaJuda ayesebenza njengezithunywa zevangeli noma ngokuphawula indlela ayehluke ngayo ngokokuziphatha nangesiko. Nokho, i-Septuagint yayiyithuluzi eliyinhloko elalisiza laba bantu abesaba uNkulunkulu ukuba bafunde ngoJehova uNkulunkulu. Nakuba ingekho indlela yokwazi inani eliqondile labantu abesaba uNkulunkulu bangekhulu lokuqala leminyaka, akungatshazwa ukuthi i-Septuagint yasakaza ulwazi oluthile ngoNkulunkulu kuwo wonke uMbuso WaseRoma. Nge-Septuagint, kwabekwa nesisekelo esibalulekile.

I-Septuagint Yasiza Ekuhlahleni Indlela

I-Septuagint yaba ngevelele ekusakazeni isigijimi sobuKristu. AmaJuda amaningi akhuluma isiGreki ayephakathi kwababekhona lapho kumiswa ibandla lamaKristu ngePhentekoste lika-33 C.E. Amaproselithe nawo ayephakathi kwalabo ababa abafundi bakaKristu ekuqaleni ngaleso sikhathi. (IzEnzo 2:5-11; 6:1-6; 8:26-38) Njengoba imibhalo ephefumulelwe yabaphostoli bakaJesu neyabanye abafundi bakuqala yayenzelwe ukuba ifundwe abaningi ngangokunokwenzeka, yalotshwa ngesiGreki.a Ngakho-ke, izingcaphuno eziningi ezazithathwa emiBhalweni YesiHeberu ezazisemiBhalweni YamaKristu YesiGreki zazisekelwe kuyi-Septuagint.

Abanye, ngaphandle kwamaJuda emvelo namaproselithe, babekulungele ukwamukela isigijimi soMbuso. UKorneliyu ongoweZizwe ‘wayengumuntu ozinikele nowesaba uNkulunkulu kanye nayo yonke indlu yakhe, futhi wayenzela abantu izipho eziningi zesihe futhi enxusa njalo kuNkulunkulu.’ Ngo-36 C.E., uKorneliyu, umkhaya wakhe, nabanye ababehlangene emzini wakhe baba abeZizwe bokuqala ababhapathizwa njengabalandeli bakaKristu. (IzEnzo 10:1, 2, 24, 44-48; qhathanisa noLuka 7:2-10.) Lapho umphostoli uPawulu ehamba kulo lonke elase-Asia Minor nelaseGrisi, washumayela kwabeZizwe abaningi kakade ababemesaba uNkulunkulu kanye ‘nakumaGreki ayekhulekela uNkulunkulu.’ (IzEnzo 13:16, 26; 17:4) Kungani uKorneliyu nabanye abeZizwe babekulungele ukwamukela izindaba ezinhle? I-Septuagint yayisizile ekuhlahleni indlela. Esinye isazi sicabanga ukuthi i-Septuagint “iyincwadi ebaluleke kakhulu kangangokuthi ngaphandle kwayo kokubili ubuKristu nempucuko yasentshonalanga kwakungeke kuqondakale.”

I-Septuagint Ilahlekelwa “Ukuphefumulelwa” Kwayo

Ukusetshenziswa kakhulu kwe-Septuagint ekugcineni kwabangela ukusabela okungekuhle phakathi kwamaJuda. Ngokwesibonelo, ezingxoxweni ayeba nazo namaKristu, amaJuda ayethi i-Septuagint yayingahunyushiwe ngendlela efanele. Ngekhulu lesibili leminyaka C.E., umphakathi wamaJuda wawusuyilahle ngokuphelele le nguqulo owawuke wayincoma njengephefumulelwe. Orabi benqaba indaba yasendulo yabahumushi abangu-72, bethi: “Ngesinye isikhathi abadala abahlanu babhalela iNkosi uPtolemy iTorah ngesiGreki, futhi lolo suku lwaba olweshwa ku-Israyeli njengosuku okwenziwa ngalo ithole legolide, njengoba iTorah ingazange ihunyushwe ngokunembile.” Ukuze benze ukuba kuvunyelwane ngokuqinile nale mibono yabo, orabi bagunyaza ukuba kuhunyushelwe kabusha esiGrekini. Lokho kwenziwa ngekhulu lesibili C.E. ngumJuda ongumproselithe okuthiwa u-Aquila, owayengumfundi karabi u-Akiba.

I-Septuagint ayibange isasetshenziswa amaJuda, kodwa yaba “iTestamente Elidala” elivamile leSonto LamaKatolika elalisafufusa kwaze kwaba yilapho ithathelwa indawo i-Vulgate kaJerome yesiLatini. Nakuba inguqulo ingeke nanini ithathe isikhundla sombhalo wokuqala, i-Septuagint yaba nendima ebalulekile ekusakazeni ulwazi ngoJehova uNkulunkulu nangoMbuso wakhe ongaphansi kukaJesu Kristu. Ngempela, i-Septuagint inguqulo yeBhayibheli eyashintsha izwe.

[Umbhalo waphansi]

[Isithombe ekhasini 31]

I-“Septuagint” yayiqondwa abantu abaningi uPawulu ayeshumayela kubo

[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 29]

Courtesy of Israel Antiquities Authority