Kutheni kukho iinguqulelo ezininzi kangaka zeBhayibhile? Ngaba uzibona ezi nguqulelo ziluncedo okanye zikwenza ungayiqondi kakuhle iBhayibhile? Into eza kukunceda kukwazi apho zisuka khona.

Kodwa ke, ngubani owabhala iBhayibhile ibe wayibhala nini?

IBhayibhile yahlulwe kabini. Iincwadi zayo zokuqala eziyi-39 ‘zinezibhengezo ezingcwele zikaThixo.’ (Roma 3:2) UThixo waphefumlela amadoda athembekileyo ukuba abhale ezi ncwadi malunga neminyaka eyi-1 100, ukuqala ngo-1513 B.C.E. ukuya emva ko-443 B.C.E. Ekubeni uninzi lwazo lubhalwe ngesiHebhere, ezi ncwadi zibizwa ngokuba ziZibhalo ZesiHebhere, zaziwa nangokuba yiTestamente Endala.

Iincwadi ezilandelayo eziyi-27 nazo ‘zililizwi likaThixo.’ (1 Tesalonika 2:13) UThixo waphefumlela abafundi bakaYesu Kristu abathembekileyo ukuba babhale ezi ncwadi malunga neminyaka eyi-60, ukuqala ngo-41 C.E. ukuya ku-98 C.E. Ekubeni uninzi lwezi ncwadi lubhalwe ngesiGrike, zibizwa ngokuba ziZibhalo ZamaKristu ZesiGrike, zaziwa nangokuba yiTestamente Entsha.

IBhayibhile, enomyalezo kaThixo oya ebantwini yenziwa zezi ncwadi ziyi-66. Kodwa yintoni eyenza kubekho ezinye iinguqulelo zeBhayibhile? Nazi izizathu:

• Ukuze abantu bayifunde ngolwimi lwabo.

• Ukuze kulungiswe iimpazamo ezenziwa ngabantu ababeyikhuphela, ize ibhalwe ngendlela eyayibhalwe ngayo ekuqaleni.

• Ukuze ibhalwe ngolwimi lwale mihla.

Masijonge ukuba ezi ndlela zasetyenziswa njani kwiinguqulelo ezimbini zakudala.

Kwiminyaka eyi-300 ngaphambi kokuba uYesu eze emhlabeni, abaphengululi abangamaYuda baqalisa ukuguqulela iZibhalo ZesiHebhere kulwimi lwesiGrike. Le nguqulelo yabizwa ngokuba yiSeptuagint YesiGrike. Babeyenzela ntoni? Ukuze bancede amaYuda awayesazi isiGrike kunesiHebhere azi “imibhalo engcwele.”​—2 Timoti 3:15.

Le Septuagint yanceda nabantu abaninzi ababengengomaYuda nababethetha isiGrike bazi oko kufundiswa yiBhayibhile. Njani? UProfesa uW. F. Howard uthi, “Ngenkulungwane yokuqala, abavangeli beCawa yamaKristu ababeyisebenzisa, babehamba izindlu zesikhungu bebonisa abantu ukuba iZibhalo zithi uYesu unguMesiya.” (IZenzo 17:3, 4; 20:20) Umphengululi weBhayibhile uF. F. Bruce uthi, loo nto yabangela ukuba amaYuda amaninzi “aphelelwe ngumdla kwiSeptuagint.”

Abafundi bakaYesu babefumana iincwadi zeZibhalo ZamaKristu ZesiGrike baze bazidibanise nenguqulelo yeSeptuagint yeZibhalo ZesiHebhere. Ngoko kwaphuma le Bhayibhile siyisebenzisayo namhlanje.

Emva kweminyaka emalunga neyi-300 igqityiwe iBhayibhile, umphengululi wezonqulo uJerome, wenza inguqulelo yeBhayibhile yesiLatini, eyaziwa ngokuba yiVulgate YesiLatini. Zazisele zininzi iinguqulelo zesiLatini ezazikho, ngoko kwakutheni ukuze enze le? IThe International Standard Bible Encyclopedia ithi, uJerome wayefuna ukulungisa “iinguqulelo ezingachananga, iimpazamo ezazikho, akhuphe izinto ezongeziweyo aze afake ezishiyiweyo.”

UJerome wazilungisa ezinye zezo zinto. Ekuhambeni kwexesha, iinkokeli zonqulo zenza umonakalo omkhulu! Kangangeminyaka emininzi, zazixelela abantu ukuba yiVulgate YesiLatini yodwa iBhayibhile eyayifanele isetyenziswe! Le nto yenza ukuba abantu abaqhelekileyo bangayazi iBhayibhile kuba isiLatini sasingaziwa ngabantu abaninzi.

Abanye abantu baqhubeka besenza ezinye iinguqulelo zeBhayibhile, njengePeshitta yesiSiriya eyaziwayo yeminyaka yoo-400. Ngeminyaka yoo-1300 kwenziwa imizamo yokuba abantu abaqhelekileyo bafumane iZibhalo ngolwimi abalwaziyo.

Ngasekupheleni kweminyaka yoo-1300, uJohn Wycliffe waseNgilani wenza eyakhe inguqulelo yesiNgesi, ulwimi olwalusaziwa nangabantu abaqhelekileyo. Kungekudala emva koko, indlela awayesebenza ngayo umatshini wokuprinta kaJohannes Gutenberg yanceda abaphengululi beBhayibhile bakwazi ukwenza nokusasaza iinguqulelo zabo kulo lonke elaseYurophu ngeelwimi ezaziwayo.

Zathi zakuba ninzi ezi nguqulelo zesiNgesi, abagxeki bafuna ukuqonda isizathu sokuba kubekho iinguqulelo ezininzi ngolwimi olunye. Umfundisi uJohn Lewis, owayephila ngeminyaka yoo-1700 wabhala wathi: “Ulwimi luyaphelelwa luze lungavakali, ngoko kubalulekile ukuba kuphinde kuhlolwe iinguqulelo ezindala kuze kusetyenziswe ulwimi olwaziwayo.”

Abaphengululi beBhayibhile banamhlanje banethuba elihle lokuhlola iinguqulelo ezindala. Ngabona baluqondayo ulwimi lweeBhayibhile zakudala ibe baneeBhayibhile zakudala ezisandufunyanwa nezinokubanceda. Zona zibanceda bayazi kakuhle eyona nto yayithethwa yiBhayibhile yokuqala.

Ngoko ezi nguqulelo zeBhayibhile zintsha ziluncedo nyhani. Kodwa ke, ezinye zazo kufuneka sizilumkele. * Ezona zinokusinceda zezo ziguqulelwe ngabantu abamthandayo uThixo.