Indlela IBhayibheli Elafika Ngayo Kithi—Ingxenye Yesibili

Amalangabi ayenyuka njengoba ikloba lomlilo lalilokhu likhwezelwa. Kodwa lona kwakungewona umlilo ovamile. Leli kloba lalikhwezelwa ngamaBhayibheli njengoba abapristi nezikhulu zesonto zazibukele. Kodwa ngokuthenga amaBhayibheli ukuze awashise, umbhishobhi waseLondon wayengazi ukuthi usiza umhumushi, uWilliam Tyndale, ukuba abe nemali yokwenza izinguqulo ezengeziwe!

Yini eyaholela ekuzimiseleni okungaka ezinhlangothini zombili zempi? Kumagazini odlule, siye sacabangela umlando wokunyatheliswa kweBhayibheli kuze kube ngasekupheleni kweNkathi Ephakathi. Manje sesiza ekuqaleni kwenkathi entsha lapho isigijimi negunya leZwi likaNkulunkulu kwase kuzoba nethonya elinamandla emphakathini.

Kuvela Ivulandlela

UJohn Wycliffe, isazi esihlonishwayo sase-Oxford, washumayela futhi wabhala ngokunamandla ephikisa imikhuba yeSonto LamaKatolika engasekelwe ngokomBhalo, esekela ubufakazi bakhe ‘emthethweni kaNkulunkulu,’ okungukuthi iBhayibheli. Wathuma abafundi bakhe, amaLollard, kuzo zonke izindawo zasemaphandleni aseNgilandi ukuba bayoshumayela isigijimi seBhayibheli ngesiNgisi kunoma ubani owayeyolalela. Ngaphambi kokuba ashone ngo-1384, waqala ukuhunyushelwa kweBhayibheli esiNgisini sosuku lwakhe lisuselwa olimini lwesiLatini.

Isonto lathola izizathu eziningi zokwenyanya uWycliffe. Okokuqala, walahla abefundisi ngenxa yokweqisa nokuziphatha kwabo okubi. Ngaphezu kwalokho, abaningi ababemazisa uWycliffe basebenzisa kabi izimfundiso zakhe ukuze bathethelele ukuvukela kwabo ngezikhali. Abefundisi basola uWycliffe, ngisho nangemva kokufa kwakhe, nakuba ayengazange asekele ukuvukela kobudlova.

Encwadini eya kuPapa John XXIII ngo-1412, uMbhishobhi Omkhulu u-Arundel wakhuluma “ngalowo mfokazi onyanyekayo nocasulayo uJohn Wycliffe, okhumbuleka ngobubi, leyo ndodana yenyoka endala, umanduleli nomntwana womphik’ukristu uqobo lwakhe.” Ephetha amazwi akhe okujivaza, u-Arundel wabhala: “Ukuze agcwalise isilinganiso sonya lwakhe, wakha isu lokuhumushela kabusha imibhalo olimini lwabantu abavamile.” Yebo, okwabathukuthelisa kakhulu abaholi besonto kwakuwukuthi uWycliffe wayefuna ukunika abantu iBhayibheli ngolimi lwabo.

Noma kunjalo, abantu abambalwa abavelele babekwazi ukufunda imiBhalo ngezilimi zabantu abavamile. Omunye kwakungu-Anne waseBohemia, owashada neNkosi uRichard II waseNgilandi ngo-1382. Wayenezinguqulo zikaWycliffe zesiNgisi zamaVangeli, ayehlale ezitadisha. Lapho eba indlovukazi, isimo sakhe sengqondo esihle sasiza ekuqhubekiseleni phambili umkhankaso wokwenza iBhayibheli litholakale—futhi hhayi eNgilandi kuphela. U-Anne wakhuthaza abafundi basePrague University eBohemia ukuba beze e-Oxford. Lapho, bafunda ngentshiseko izinguqulo zikaWycliffe futhi babuyela nezinye zazo ePrague. Ukuthandwa kwezimfundiso zikaWycliffe ePrague University kamuva kwasiza uJan Hus, owafunda futhi wagcina esefundisa lapho. UHus wenza inguqulo efundekayo yesiCzech esebenzisa inguqulo yeSlavonic esidala. Imizamo yakhe yakhuthaza ukuba iBhayibheli livame ukusetshenziswa eBohemia nasemazweni angomakhelwane.

Isonto Liyaphindisela

Abefundisi futhi babethukuthelele uWycliffe noHus ngenxa yokufundisa ukuthi “umbhalo ongaxutshiwe,” okuyimiBhalo yokuqala ephefumulelwe enganezelwe, wawunegunya elikhulu ‘kunezincazelo,’ okuyizincazelo ezingokwesiko eziyinkimbinkimbi ezisemaceleni emakhasini amaBhayibheli agunyazwe isonto. Kwakuyisigijimi esingaxutshiwe seZwi likaNkulunkulu laba bashumayeli ababefisa ukusenza sitholakale kubantu abavamile.

Ekhohliswe ngokuthi wayezovikelwa, uHus wayengelwa ekubeni avele phambi koMkhandlu WamaKatolika WaseConstance, eJalimane, ngo-1414 ezovikela imibono yakhe. Lomkhandlu wawuhlanganisa abapristi, ababhishobhi nawokhadinali abangu-2 933. UHus wavuma ukuthi wayezohoxa uma kwakungavezwa ubufakazi obungokomBhalo bokuthi izimfundiso zakhe zazinephutha. Kulomkhandlu, lokho kwakungekhona okusemqoka. Ukubekela kwakhe igunya lawo inselele kwakuyisizathu esanele sokuba umshise esigxotsheni ngo-1415, njengoba ayethandaza ngokuzwakalayo.

Wona lomkhandlu wabuye wenza isenzo sokugcina esibonisa ukuthi wawumlahla futhi umedelela uJohn Wycliffe ngokukhipha isinqumo sokuthi kwakufanele kumbiwe amathambo akhe eNgilandi futhi ashiswe. Lesi siqondiso sasenyanyeka kangangokuthi asizange silandelwe kwaze kwaba ngu-1428, lapho kuyala upapa. Nokho, njengokuvamile, ukuphikisa okunjalo okunonya akuzange kudambise intshiseko yabanye abathandi beqiniso. Kunalokho, kwandisa ukuzimisela kwabo ukusakaza iZwi likaNkulunkulu.

Igalelo Lokunyathelisa

Ngo-1450, eminyakeni engu-35 kuphela ngemva kokufa kukaHus, uJohannes Gutenberg waqala ukunyathelisa ngomshini wezinhlamvu ezihlelwa ngesandla eJalimane. Umsebenzi wakhe wokuqala omkhulu waba inguqulo yesiLatini i-Vulgate eyaqedwa cishe ngo-1455. Ngo-1495 iBhayibheli lilonke noma ingxenye yalo lase linyatheliswe ngesiJalimane, isiNtaliyane, isiFulentshi, isiCzech, isiDashi, isiHeberu, isiCatalan, isiGreki, iSpanishi, iSlavonic, isiPutukezi nesiSerbia—ngokulandelana kwazo.

Isazi esingumDashi uDesiderius Erasmus senza inguqulo yokuqala ephelele enyathelisiwe yombhalo wesiGreki ngo-1516. U-Erasmus wayefisa ukuba imiBhalo “ihunyushelwe kuzo zonke izilimi zabantu.” Nokho, wanqikaza ukufaka idumela lakhe elihle engozini ngokuyihumusha ngokwakhe. Noma kunjalo, kwalandela abanye ababa nesibindi ngokwengeziwe. Ovelele kulaba kwakunguWilliam Tyndale.

UWilliam Tyndale NeBhayibheli LesiNgisi

UTyndale wafunda e-Oxford futhi cishe ngo-1521 weza emzini kaSir John Walsh ezofundisa izingane zakhe. Ngezikhathi zokudla etafuleni eligcwele ukudla likaWalsh, uTyndale osemusha wayevame ukuba nezinkulumo-mpikiswano nabefundisi bendawo. UTyndale wayeyibekela inselele ngokungagunci imibono yabo ngokuvula iBhayibheli ababonise imiBhalo. Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, abakwaWalsh bakholiseka ngalokho uTyndale ayekusho, futhi abefundisi ababange besamenywa njalo futhi babengasamukelwa ngesasasa elikhulu. Njengokulindelekile, lokhu kwenza abefundisi bamthukuthelela ngokwengeziwe uTyndale nezinkolelo zakhe.

Ngesinye isikhathi phakathi nempikiswano, omunye wabaphikisi bakaTyndale benkolo wagomela: “Ngingamane ngingabi nemithetho kaNkulunkulu kunokungabi nekaPapa.” Cabanga ngokuqiniseka kukaTyndale njengoba ephendula: “Angivumelani noPapa nayo yonke imithetho yakhe. Uma uNkulunkulu engigcina ngiphila, eminyakeni engemingaki ngizokwenza ukuba umfana olimayo azi imiBhalo kangcono kunani.” Ukuzimisela kukaTyndale kwakucacile. Kamuva wabhala: “Ngokwalokho engiye ngabhekana nakho ngiye ngaqonda indlela okungenakwenzeka ngayo ukunikeza abantu abavamile iqiniso, uma imibhalo ingabekwanga ngendlela esobala phambi kwamehlo abo ngolimi lwabo, ukuze bakwazi ukubona umnyombo, ukulandelana, nomqondo wombhalo.”

Ngaleso sikhathi, lalingakabi bikho iBhayibheli elase linyatheliswe ngesiNgisi. Ngakho ngo-1523, uTyndale waya eLondon eyocela imvume kuMbhishobhi uTunstall yokwenza umsebenzi wokuhumusha. Enqatshelwe, walishiya unomphela elaseNgilandi ukuze akwazi ukufeza izinjongo zakhe. ECologne, eJalimane, ihhovisi lakhe lokuqala lokunyathelisa lahlaselwa, futhi uTyndale waphuma ngesamagundane namanye amakhasi akhe ayigugu angahlanganisiwe. Nokho, eWorms, eJalimane, waqeda okungenani amakhophi angu-3000 ‘eTestamente Elisha’ lesiNgisi. Lawa athunyelwa eNgilandi futhi aqala ukusakazwa ekuqaleni kuka-1526. Amanye alawa kwakungamaBhayibheli uMbhishobhi uTunstall awathenga wawashisa, engazi ukuthi usiza uTyndale ukuba aqhubeke nomsebenzi wakhe!

Ukucwaninga Kuletha Ukuqonda Okucace Kakhudlwana

Kusobala ukuthi uTyndale wayewujabulela umsebenzi wakhe. Njengoba ethi The Cambridge History of the Bible ikubeka, “UmBhalo wawumjabulisa, futhi kukhona ukushesha okuthile nokuphila esigqini sakhe okudlulisela injabulo yakhe.” Umgomo kaTyndale kwakuwukwenza ukuba imiBhalo ikhulume nabantu abavamile ngolimi oluqondile nolulula ngangokunokwenzeka. Ukutadisha kwakhe kwakumvezela incazelo yamazwi angokomBhalo eyayifihlwe imfundiso yesonto amakhulu amaningi eminyaka. Engasatshiswa ukusongelwa ngokubulawa noma imibhalo enonya yesitha sakhe esinamandla uSir Thomas More, uTyndale wafaka ayekutholile enguqulweni yakhe.

Esebenzisa isiGreki sakuqala sombhalo ka-Erasmus kunesiLatini, uTyndale wakhetha elithi “uthando” kunelithi “uzwela” ukuze aveze ngokugcwele kakhudlwana incazelo yegama lesiGreki elithi a·gaʹpe. Wasebenzisa nelithi “ibandla” esikhundleni selithi “isonto,” elithi “phenduka” kunelithi “zihlawulise,” nelithi “abadala” kunelithi “abapristi.” (1 Korinte 13:1-3; Kolose 4:15, 16; Luka 13:3, 5; 1 Thimothewu 5:17, Tyndale) Lolu shintsho lwacekela phansi igunya lesonto nemikhuba engokwesiko yesonto, enjengokuvuma kubapristi.

Ngokufanayo uTyndale wabambelela egameni elithi “uvuko,” enqaba isihlanzo nokuphila ngemva kokufa njengokungekhona okungokomBhalo. Ngokuphathelene nabafileyo, wabhalela uMore: “Ngokubabeka ezulwini, esihogweni, noma esihlanzweni, [uchitha] amaphuzu uKristu noPawulu abafakazela ngawo uvuko.” Ngokuphathelene nalokhu, uTyndale wabhekisela kuMathewu 22:30-32 nakweyoku-1 Korinte 15:12-19. Wakholelwa ngokufanele ukuthi abafileyo bahlala bengezwa lutho kuze kube uvuko lwesikhathi esizayo. (IHubo 146:4; UmShumayeli 9:5; Johane 11:11, 24, 25) Lokho kwasho ukuthi lonke ilungiselelo lokuthandaza kuMariya ‘nakosanta’ lalingenangqondo ngoba esimweni sabo sokungezwa lutho abakwazi ukuzwa noma ukuba abalamuleli.

UTyndale Uhumusha ImiBhalo YesiHeberu

Ngo-1530, uTyndale wenza inguqulo yePentateuch, izincwadi ezinhlanu zokuqala zemiBhalo YesiHeberu. Ngakho waba umuntu wokuqala owahumusha iBhayibheli elisusela esiHeberwini eliyisa ngqó esiNgisini. Futhi uTyndale waba umhumushi wokuqala oyiNgisi owasebenzisa igama elithi Jehova. Isazi saseLondon uDavid Daniell siyabhala: “Kumelwe ukuba kwabahlaba umxhwele kakhulu abafundi bakaTyndale ukuthi igama likaNkulunkulu lalembulwe kabusha.”

Emzamweni wakhe wokubeka amazwi ngendlela ecacile, uTyndale wasebenzisa amagama esiNgisi ahlukahlukene ekuhumusheni igama elilodwa lesiHeberu. Nokho, wakulandela ngokuseduze ukwakheka kolimi lwesiHeberu. Lokhu kwaphumela ekulondolozweni kwenkulumo eshelelayo yesiHeberu. Yena ngokwakhe wathi: “Izici zolimi lwesiHeberu zivumelana izikhathi eziyinkulungwane nesiNgisi kunesiLatini. Indlela yokukhuluma iyafana; kangangokuthi ezindaweni eziningi kudingeka umane usihumushele esiNgisini, ngokwezwi nezwi.”

Lendlela yokuhumusha ngokwezwi nezwi yanonga inguqulo kaTyndale ngamagama esiHeberu. Amanye awo kumelwe ukuba abonakala engavamile lapho efundwa okokuqala. Nokho, leli Bhayibheli lajwayeleka kakhulu kangangokuba amaningi alamagama manje aseyingxenye yolimi lwesiNgisi. Izibonelo zalokhu zihlanganisa ukuthi “a man after his own heart [umuntu ovumelana nenhliziyo yakhe]” (njengakweyo-1 Samuweli 13:14), “passover [iphasika]” nokuthi “scapegoat [imbuzi eyisisulelo].” Ngaphezu kwalokho, abafundi beBhayibheli lesiNgisi bakwazi ukujwayelana nendlela yokucabanga yesiHeberu, okwenza bayiqonda kangcono imiBhalo ephefumulelwe.

IBhayibheli Nokuvinjelwa KukaTyndale

Kwakuthakazelisa ukuba umuntu akwazi ukufunda iZwi likaNkulunkulu ngolimi lwakhe. Abantu abakhuluma isiNgisi basabela ngokuba bawathenge wonke amaBhayibheli ayengangeniswa ngesinyenyela ezweni, kushaywa sengathi imishuqulu yezingubo noma ezinye izinto. Ngesikhathi esifanayo, abefundisi babecabanga ngokulahlekelwa isikhundla okuqinisekile uma iBhayibheli lingase libhekwe njengegunya lokugcina. Ngenxa yalokho, umhumushi nabalandeli bakhe baba sesimweni esiyingozi ngokwengeziwe.

Njengoba ayehlale ezingelwa iSonto noMbuso, uTyndale waqhubeka esebenza ebhace e-Antwerp, eBelgium. Noma kunjalo, wanikela izinsuku ezimbili ngesonto kulokho ayekubiza ngokuthi okokuzilibazisa—ekhonza abanye ababaleki abangamaNgisi, abampofu nabagulayo. Wasebenzisa eningi yemali yakhe ngalendlela. Ngaphambi kokuba ahumushe ingxenye yokugcina yomBhalo WesiHeberu, uTyndale wakhashelwa ngemali yiNgisi elalizenza umngane. Lapho ebulawa eVilvoorde, eBelgium, ngo-1536, amazwi akhe okugcina entshiseko ayethi, “Nkosi! vula amehlo eNkosi yaseNgilandi.”

Ngo-1538, iNkosi uHenry VIII ngezizathu zayo ezithile yayiyale ukuba kubekwe amaBhayibheli kuwo wonke amasonto aseNgilandi. Nakuba uTyndale engazange anikwe udumo, inguqulo eyakhethwa ngokuyinhloko kwakungeyakhe. Ngalendlela inguqulo kaTyndale yaziwa kakhulu futhi yathandwa kangangokuthi “yanquma isimo esiyinhloko sezinguqulo eziningi ezalandela” zesiNgisi. (The Cambridge History of the Bible) Amaphesenti alinganiselwa ku-90 enguqulo kaTyndale afakwa njengoba enjalo kuyi-King James Version ka-1611.

Ukukwazi ukufunda iBhayibheli ngokukhululekile kwasho ushintsho olukhulu eNgilandi. Izingxoxo ezaziphathelene namaBhayibheli asemasontweni zaba namandla kangangokuba ngezinye izikhathi zaziphazamisa izinkonzo zesonto! “Abantu asebekhulile bafunda ukufunda ukuze bakwazi ukufunda ngokuqondile eZwini likaNkulunkulu, futhi izingane zazihlala nabantu abadala ukuze zilalele.” (A Concise History of the English Bible) Ngalenkathi kwaba nokwanda okukhulu nasekusakazweni kweBhayibheli kwamanye amazwe nangezinye izilimi zaseYurophu. Kodwa umkhankaso waseNgilandi wokwenza iBhayibheli litholakale wawuzothonya umhlaba wonke. Kwenzeka kanjani lokhu? Futhi okwengeziwe okwatholakala kanye nokucwaninga kuye kwawathinta kanjani amaBhayibheli esiwasebenzisa namuhla? Sizophetha indaba yethu esihlokweni esilandelayo kulolu chungechunge.

[Isithombe ekhasini 26]

“ITestamente Elisha” likaTyndale lango-1526—ukuphela kwekhophi ephelele eyaziwayo eyasinda emalangabini

[Umthombo]

© The British Library Board

[Ishadi/Izithombe ekhasin 26, 27]

(Ukuze ubone ukuthi indaba ihlelwe kanjani, bheka encwadini)

IZIKHATHI EZISEMQOKA EKULUNGISELELWENI KWEBHAYIBHELI

Inkathi Evamile

Ukuqalwa kweBhayibheli likaWycliffe (ngaphambi kuka-1384)

1400

UHus wabulawa ngo-1415

1500

Umbhalo wesiGreki ka-Erasmus ngo-1516

“ITestamente Elisha” likaTyndale lango-1526

UTyndale wabulawa ngo-1536

1600

I-King James Version ngo-1611

[Izithombe]

UWYCLIFFE

UHUS

UTYNDALE

UHENRY VIII