‘NguJehovah’ Noma ‘NguYahweh’?
“IYINGXUBE,” “iyesabeka.” Yini eyayingabangela izazi zesiHeberu zeBhayibheli ukuba zisebenzise amazwi anamandla kangaka? Kwakuphikiswana ngokuthi, ukuthi “Jehovah” indlela efanele yini yesiNgisi yokuphimisela igama likaNkulunkulu. Sekungaphezu kwekhulu leminyaka le mpikiswano ivutha. Namuhla, izazi eziningi zibonakala zithanda igama elinhlamvumbili elithi “Yahweh.” Kodwa ingabe indlela yokuphimisela ethi “Jehovah” ‘isabeka’ kangako ngempela?
Emsukeni Wempikiswano
NgokweBhayibheli, uNkulunkulu ngokwakhe wambula igama lakhe esintwini. (Eksodusi 3:15) Ubufakazi obungokomBhalo bubonisa ukuthi izinceku zikaNkulunkulu zasendulo zazilisebenzisa ngokukhululekile lelo gama. (Genesise 12:8; Ruthe 2:4) Igama likaNkulunkulu lalaziwa nayezinye izizwe. (Joshuwa 2:9) Kwaba njalo ikakhulukazi ngemva kokuba amaJuda ayebuye ekudingisweni eBabiloni ehlangana nabantu bezizwe eziningi. (IHubo 96:2-10; Isaya 12:4; Malaki 1:11) I-Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible ithi: “Kunobufakazi obuphawulekayo bokuthi ngenkathi yangemva kokudingiswa, abantu abaningi bakwezinye izizwe badonseleka enkolweni yamaJuda.” Nokho, ngekhulu lokuqala C.E., kwase kunenkolelo-ze ngokuphathelene negama likaNkulunkulu. Ekugcineni, isizwe sakwaJuda asizange siyeke ukusebenzisa igama likaNkulunkulu obala kuphela kodwa amanye akwenqabela ngisho nokuphimiselwa kwalo. Ngaleyo ndlela, indlela okuyiyonayona yokuliphimisela yalahleka—kodwa ingabe yalahleka ngempela?
Yini Etholakala Egameni?
Olimini lwesiHeberu, igama likaNkulunkulu libhalwa ngokuthi יהוה. Lezi zinhlamvu ezine, ezifundwa ukusuka kwesokudla kuya kwesokunxele, ngokuvamile zibizwa ngokuthi i-Tetragrammaton. Amagama amaningi abantu nawezindawo okukhulunywa ngawo eBhayibhelini anendlela efushanisiwe yegama laphezulu. Ingabe la mabizo-qho anganikeza isiqondiso esithile sendlela igama likaNkulunkulu elaliphimiselwa ngayo?
NgokukaGeorge Buchanan, uprofesa osethathe umhlala-phansi eWesley Theological Seminary, eWashington, D.C., e-U.S.A., impendulo inguyebo. UProfesa Buchanan uyachaza: “Ezikhathini zasendulo, abazali babevamile ukwetha izingane zabo ngawonkulunkulu babo. Lokhu kusho ukuthi babeyophimisela amagama ezingane zabo ngendlela okwakuphimiselwa ngayo igama lalowo nkulunkulu. I-Tetragrammaton yayisetshenziswa emagameni abantu, futhi njalo babesebenzisa unkamisa ophakathi nendawo.”
Cabangela izibonelo ezimbalwa zamabizo-qho atholakala eBhayibhelini ahlanganisa indlela efushanisiwe yegama likaNkulunkulu. Elithi Jonathani, elivela lingu-Yoh·na·thanʹ nomaYehoh·na·thanʹ eBhayibhelini lesiHeberu, lisho ukuthi “UYaho noma UYahowah unikezile,” kusho uProfesa Buchanan. Igama lomprofethi u-Eliya lingu-ʼE·li·yahʹ noma ʼE·li·yaʹhu ngesiHeberu. NgokukaProfesa Buchanan, lelo gama lisho ukuthi: “UNkulunkulu wami nguYahoo noma Yahoo-wah.” Ngokufanayo, igama lesiHeberu likaJehoshafati ngu-Yehoh-sha·phatʹ, okusho ukuthi “UYaho wahlulele.”
Indlela yokuphimisela i-Tetragrammaton ngezinhlamvu ezimbili ethi “Yahweh” ayikuvumeli ukuba umsindo kankamisa u-o ube yingxenye yegama likaNkulunkulu. Kodwa emagameni amaningi aseBhayibhelini anegama laphezulu, lo msindo kankamisa ophakathi nendawo ukhona kokubili egameni langempela nakwelifushanisiwe, njengakuJehonathan noJonathan. Ngakho, uProfesa Buchanan uthi ngokuphathelene negama laphezulu: “Akukho lapho unkamisa u-oo noma u-oh eqiwa khona. Ngesinye isikhathi leli gama lalifushaniswa ngokuthi ‘Ya,’ kodwa alikaze libe ngu-‘Ya-weh.’ . . . Lapho i-Tetragrammaton iphimiselwa ngohlamvu olulodwa yayingu-‘Yah’ noma ‘Yo.’ Lapho iphimiselwa ngezinhlamvu ezintathu yayiyoba u-‘Yahowah’ noma ‘Yahoowah.’ Uma yayike yafushaniswa yaba izinhlamvu ezimbili yayiyoba u-‘Yaho.’”—Biblical Archaeology Review.
La mazwi asisiza ukuba siqonde lokho okwashiwo isazi sesiHeberu sangekhulu le-19 uGesenius encwadini yaso ethi Hebrew and Chaldee Lexicon to the Old Testament Scriptures: “Labo abacabangela ukuthi ukuthi יְהוָֹה [Ye-ho-wah] kwakuyindlela yangempela yokuphimisela [igama likaNkulunkulu] akukhona ukuthi abanaso ngokuphelele isizathu sokuvikela umbono wabo. Ngale ndlela izinhlamvu ezifushanisiwe ezithi יהוֹ [Ye-ho] noluthi יוֹ [Yo], amabizo-qho amaningi aqala ngazo, zingachazwa ngokwanelisa kakhudlwana.”
Nokho, esethulweni senguqulo yakhe yamuva ye-Five Books of Moses, u-Everett Fox uthi: “Kokubili imizamo yakudala nemisha yokuthola indlela yokuphimisela ‘okuyiyonayona’ yegama lesiHeberu [likaNkulunkulu] ayizange iphumelele; kanti naleyo esetshenziswayo ngezinye izikhathi ethi ‘Jehovah’ noma esetshenziswa izazi ethi ‘Yahweh’ azinakufakazelwa ngokungenakuphikwa.”
Akungabazeki ukuthi impikiswano yezazi isazoqhubeka. AmaJuda ayeka ukuphimisela igama likaNkulunkulu weqiniso ngaphambi kokuba amaMasorete asungule indlela yokuphawula onkamisa. Ngakho, ayikho indlela ethe ngqó yokufakazela ukuthi yibaphi onkamisa ababehambisana nawongwaqa o-YHWH (יהוה). Nokho, wona kanye amagama abantu baseBhayibhelini—angazange alahlekelwe indlela okuyiyonayona yokuphimisela—anikeza isiqondiso esithile esiqinile ngokuphathelene nendlela yasendulo yokuphimisela igama likaNkulunkulu. Ngenxa yalokho, okungenani ezinye izazi ziyavuma ukuthi indlela yokuphimisela ethi “Jehovah” empeleni ‘ayesabeki’ kangako.
[Izithombe ekhasini 31]
Ukuthi “Jehovah” bekulokhu kuyindlela evame kakhulu yokuphimisela igama likaNkulunkulu