Ngesikhatsi saKhisimusi, bantfu labanyenti bakhuluma ngetati taseMphumalanga noma emakhosi lamatsatfu lavakashela Jesu nasatelwe. Kodvwa liBhayibheli lisho lokwehlukile ngaletivakashi. (Matewu 2:1) Umbhali weliVangeli Matewu wasebentisa ligama lesiGriki lelitsi ma’goi kuze achaze labo labavakashela Jesu. Leligama kungenteka libhekisela kubantfu lababochwephesha ekufundzeni tinkhanyeti kanye naleminye imikhuba lehambisana nebudimoni. a Emahumusho lambalwa eliBhayibheli ababita ngekutsi “bafundzi betinkhanyeti” noma “magi.” b

•  Betitingakhi ‘letati taseMphumalanga’?

•  ‘Letati’ betingemakhosi yini?

•  Bekubobani emabito ‘aletati’?

•  ‘Letati’ tamvakashela nini Jesu?

•  NguNkulunkulu yini lowabangela kutsi “letati” tilandzele “inkhanyeti” yaseBetlehema?

 Betitingakhi ‘letati taseMphumalanga’?

 LiBhayibheli alisitjeli, futsi kunemibono leyehlukahlukene kutsi letati betitingakhi. Ngekwe-Encyclopedia Britannica, “bantfu labanyenti labahlala e-Asia bakholelwa kutsi lama-Magi bekangu-12 kantsi, bantfu labahlala e-Europe naseMelika bakholelwa kutsi abematsatfu mhlawumbe ngenca yekutsi liBhayibheli litsi bekunetipho letintsatfu ‘teligolide nemakha esihlahla semphepho newemure’ (Matewu 2:11) letaphiwa lomntfwana.”

 ‘Letati’ betingemakhosi yini?

 Ngisho noma ngelisiko laKhisimusi letivakashi tivetwa njengemakhosi, kute lapho liBhayibheli litiveta njengemakhosi. I-Encyclopedia Britannica itsi ngemuva kweminyaka lengaba ngu-100 Jesu atalwa, bantfu bengeta imininingwane leminyenti endzabeni yekutalwa kwaJesu futsi labanyenti bacala kutsi letivakashi betingemakhosi.

 Bekubobani emabito ‘aletati’?

 LiBhayibheli alisitjeli emabito aletati. I-The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, itsi kunetinganekwane/tindzaba/tindzaba letingemanga letitsi emagama aletati bekubo-Gaspar, Melchior, kanye naBalthasar.

 ‘Letati’ tamvakashela nini Jesu?

 Kungenteka letati tavakashela Jesu ngemuva kwetinyanga letimbalwa atelwe. Loku sikwati ngoba iNkhosi Herodi leyayifuna kubalala Jesu, yakhipha umyalo wekutsi kubalawe bantfwana labaneminyaka lemibili kuya phansi. Herodi watsi akubulawe bantfwana labaneminyaka lemibili kuyaphansi ngoba abesebentisa labekutjelwe nguletati.—Matewu 2:16.

 Letati atizange tivakashele Jesu ngebusuku latalwa ngabo. LiBhayibheli litsi: “Natingena endlini, tambona lomntfwana anaMariya unina.” (Matewu 2:11) Loku kusikhombisa kutsi lomndeni besewuhlala endlini futsi naJesu abangasesilo luswane lolulele emkhombeni.—Lukha 2:16.

 NguNkulunkulu yini lowabangela kutsi “letati” tilandzele “inkhanyeti” yaseBetlehema?

 Labanye bantfu bakholelwa kutsi Nkulunkulu watfumela lenkhanyeti lebitwa ngekutsi yinkhanyeti yaseBetlehema kuze icondzise letati lapho kunaJesu khona. Naka naku lokwenta loku kungabi liciniso.

•   Loku bekubonakala kuyinkhanyeti kwaholela letati kutsi tiye eJerusalema kucala. LiBhayibheli litsi: “Tati lebetivela eMphumalanga tefika eJerusalema, tabuta tatsi: ‘Uphi lomntfwana lotelwe, loyinkhosi yemaJuda? Sibone inkhanyeti nasiseMphumalanga, futsi site lapha kuze simkhotsamele.’”—Matewu 2:1, 2.

•   YiNkhosi Herodi, hhayi “inkhanyeti,” leyaba yekucala kucondzisa letati kutsi tiye eBhetlehema. Nakeva ‘ngalenkhosi yemaJuda’ letawuba yimbangi, Herodi waphenya kutsi loKhristu lotsenjisiwe abetawutalelwa kuphi. (Matewu 2:3-6) Nakatfola kutsi utawutalelwa eBhetlehema, watjela letati kutsi tiye khona, tifune lomntfwana titsi tingamtfola bese tiyambikela.

   Nguloko lokwenta letati taya eBhetlehema. LiBhayibheli litsi: “Nasetiyivile inkhosi tahamba, kwatsi kusenjalo lenkhanyeti lebetiyibone natiseMphumalanga yaphindze yavela, yatihola yate yema lapho bekunalomntfwana khona.”—Matewu 2:9.

•   Kuvela kwalenkhanyeti kwabangela tentakalo letabeka kuphila kwaJesu engotini futsi kwaphumela ekubulaweni kwebantfwana labangenacala. Letati natisuka eBhetlehema, Nkulunkulu watecwayisa kutsi tingabuyeli kuHerodi.—Matewu 2:12.

 Wasabela njani Herodi? LiBhayibheli litsi: “Herodi asabonile kutsi tati timyengile, watfukutsela wagcwala kokana, watfumela kutsi akubulawe bonkhe bantfwana labadvuna baseBhetlehema nakuto tonkhe tindzawo tangakhona lababeneminyaka lemibili nome ngephansi, kwaya ngesikhatsi labesibutisise etatini.” (Matewu 2:16) Nkulunkulu abengeke abangele intfo lembi kangaka kutsi yenteke.—Jobe 34:10.