Imibuzo Evela Kubafundi

Ingabe i-Tetragrammaton (izinhlamvu ezine zesiHeberu zegama likaNkulunkulu) iyatholakala embhalweni kaMathewu wesiHeberu owakopishwa udokotela ongumJuda wekhulu le-14 uShem-Tob ben Isaac Ibn Shaprut?

Cha, ayitholakali. Nokho, lombhalo kaMathewu usebenzisa elithi hash·Shem’ (elibhalwe ngokuphelele noma elifushanisiwe) izikhathi ezingu-19, njengoba kuvezwe ekhasini 13 le-Nqabayokulinda ka-August 15, 1996.

Igama lesiHeberu elithi hash·Shem’ lisho “Igama,” ngokuqinisekile elibhekisela egameni laphezulu. Ngokwesibonelo, embhalweni kaShem-Tob, isifushaniso segama elithi hash·Shem’ sivela kuMathewu 3:3, indima uMathewu acaphune kuyo u-Isaya 40:3. Kunengqondo ukuphetha ngokuthi lapho uMathewu ecaphuna ivesi elisemiBhalweni YesiHeberu lapho i-Tetragrammaton itholakala khona, wafaka igama laphezulu eVangelini lakhe. Ngakho nakuba umbhalo wesiHeberu uShem-Tob awethula ungayisebenzisi i-Tetragrammaton, ukusebenzisa kwawo elithi “Igama,” njengakuMathewu 3:3, kusekela ukusetshenziswa kwelithi “Jehova” emiBhalweni YamaKristu YesiGreki.

UShem-Tob wakopisha umbhalo kaMathewu wesiHeberu encwadini yakhe ephikisayo ethi ʼEʹven boʹchan. Nokho, wawuyini umthombo walombhalo wesiHeberu? UProfesa George Howard, oye wacwaninga lendaba kabanzi, usikisela ukuthi “umbhalo kaMathewu wesiHeberu kaShem-Tob [obhalwe ngesiHeberu] wabhalwa kudala ngesikhathi esithile phakathi namakhulu okuqala amane enkathi yobuKristu.”a Abanye bangase bangavumelani naye kulokhu.

UHoward uyaphawula: “Umbhalo kaMathewu wesiHeberu ofakwe kulombhalo ubonakala ngokukhethekile ngokungafani kwawo okuningi nencwadi kaMathewu yesiGreki.” Ngokwesibonelo, ngokombhalo kaShem-Tob, uJesu wathi ngoJohane: “Ngiqinisile, ngithi kini, kubo bonke labo abazelwe abesifazane akuvelanga omkhulu kunoJohane uMbhapathizi.” Uyawashiya amazwi kaJesu alandelayo athi: “Kodwa umuntu omncane embusweni wamazulu mkhulu kunaye.” (Mathewu 11:11) Ngendlela efanayo, kunokungafani okuningi phakathi kombhalo okhona wesiHeberu wemiBhalo YesiHeberu namagama akulomBhalo ohambelana nawo wenguqulo yesiGreki i-Septuagint. Nakuba sikuvuma ukungafani kwayo, imibhalo enjalo yamandulo ibalulekile lapho kwenziwa ukuqhathanisa.

Njengoba kuphawuliwe, umbhalo kaMathewu kaShem-Tob uhlanganisa elithi “Igama” lapho kunesizathu esizwakalayo sokukholelwa ukuthi uMathewu wasebenzisa i-Tetragrammaton. Ngakho, kusukela ngo-1950, umbhalo kaShem-Tob uye wasetshenziselwa ukusekela ukusetshenziswa kwegama laphezulu emiBhalweni YamaKristu YesiGreki, futhi kubhekiselwa kuyo kuyi-New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures—With References.b

[Imibhalo yaphansi]