UHLUPHO: Izitha lokubola kanye lokuguga kwehluleka ukulitshabalalisa iBhayibhili. Kodwa abanye omabhalane labahumutshi bake bazama ukuthi bantshintshe umlayezo oseBhayibhilini. Kwezinye izikhathi babezama ukuthi bantshintshe okuseBhayibhilini ukuze kuvumelane lezimfundiso zabo kulokuthi iBhayibhili kube yilo elintshintsha lokho abakukholwayo. Ake sihlole ezinye izibonelo:

• Indawo yokukhonzela: Phakathi kwekhulu lesine lelesibili B.C.E. abalobi be-Samaritan Pentateuch (imibhalo yakuqala emihlanu eseBhayibhilini yesiSamariya) bengezelela u-Eksodusi 20:17 ngamazwi athi “eNtabeni iGerizimi. Kulapho okuzamele lakhe i-alithare.” Lapha amaSamariya ayezama ukuthi iMibhalo isekele imfundiso yabo yokuthi kumele kwakhiwe ithempeli eNtabeni iGerizimi.

• Ubuthathu bukaNkulunkulu: Kwathi sekudlule iminyaka engu-300 iBhayibhili libhaliwe, umlobi we-Trinitarian wengezelela ku-1 Johane 5:7 amazwi athi; “ezulwini, uYise, uLizwi loMoya oNgcwele, laba bathathu banye.” Amazwi la ayengekho emibhalweni yakuqala. Isifundiswa seBhayibhili uBruce Metzger uthi “kusukela ngekhulu lesine” amazwi la “ayesetholakala kakhulu emibhalweni yesiLathini sakudala kanye laseBhayibhilini lesiLathini.”

• Ibizo likaNkulunkulu: Abahumutshi abanengi bakhetha ukukhipha ibizo likaNkulunkulu eMibhalweni belandela isiko lamaJuda. Esikhundleni salo bafaka amabizo okuhlonipha anjengokuthi “Nkulunkulu” loba “Nkosi.” EBhayibhilini amabizo la kawasetshenziswa nxa kukhulunywa ngoMdali kuphela kodwa ayasetshenziswa lanxa kukhulunywa ngabantu lezinto ezikhonzwayo kanye loSathane.—UJohane 10:34, 35; 1 KwabaseKhorinte 8:5, 6; 2 KwabaseKhorinte 4:4. *

OKWENZA LANGATSHABALALI: Okokuqala, abanye omabhalane babengakunaki lokho ababekubhala besenza  ubuqili kodwa inengi labo laliqeqetshwe kuhle liwenza ngobunono umsebenzi lo. Phakathi lekhulu lesithupha leletshumi C.E. omabhalane ababebizwa ngokuthi ngama-Masoretes bakopa iMibhalo yesiHebheru eyaziwa ngokuthi yi-Masoretic. Ukuze babone ukuthi akwenzakali ngitsho lephutha elilodwa babebala ibala ngebala kanye lenhlamvu zawo. Njengoba babekopa besusela emibhalweni yakuqala babesithi bangafika lapho abacabangela khona ukuthi kulephutha bafake uphawu eceleni. Omabhalane laba bala ukuntshintsha lokho okwakuseBhayibhilini. Usikhwicamfundo u-Moshe Goshen-Gottstein wathi: “Babekubona kulicala elikhulu ukuntshintsha umqondo ngabomu.”

Okwesibili, imibhalo yakuqala eminengi incede kakhulu izifundiswa zeBhayibhili ukuthi zibone lapho okulamaphutha khona. Ngokwesibonelo abakhokheli bamasonto bathatha iminyaka leminyaka befundisa ukuthi amaBhayibhili esiLathini yiwo ayeleqiniso, lanxa umbhalo ka-1 Johane 5:7 ulamazwi engezelelwayo. Iphutha leli laselitholakala laseBhayibhilini lesikhiwa okuthiwa yi-King James Version. Kodwa imibhalo emidala abayivumbululayo yona yavezani? U-Bruce Metzger wathi: “Amazwi atholakala [ku-1 Johane 5:7] awakho emibhalweni emidala (njengeyesi-Syriac, Coptic, Armenian, Ethiopic, Arabic, Slavonic) ngaphandle kweyesiLathini.” Lokhu kwenza ukuthi ngesikhathi belungisisa i-King James Version lamanye amaBhayibhili bawakhupha amazwi la.

Imibhalo emidala iyakufakazela yini ukuthi umlayezo oseBhayibhilini ulondoloziwe sibili? Kwathi sokuvunjululwe ama-Dead Sea Scrolls ngo-1947 izifundiswa zahle zaqathanisa i-Masoretic yesi-Hebheru lalokho okwatholakala kuncwadimgoqwa yeBhayibhili eyayisileminyaka engadlula inkulungwane yabhalwa. Elinye ilunga leqembu elalibhala kutsha ama-Dead Sea Scrolls laphetha ngokuthi incwadimgoqwa eyodwa nje kuphela “isinika ubufakazi esingeke sibuphike bokuthi umsebenzi owenziwa ngomabhalane abangamaJuda phakathi leminyaka edlula inkulungwane bawenza ngokuthembeka langonanzelelo.”

E-Chester Beatty Library ese-Dublin, e-Ireland kulemibhalo ye-papyri emela phose ibhuku ngalinye leMibhalo YamaKhristu YesiGiriki kanye lemibhalo emidala okungenzeka ukuthi yabhalwa sekwadlula iminyaka engu-100 iBhayibhili laqedwa ukubhalwa. I-The Anchor Bible Dictionary ithi: “I-Papyri ilemilayezo emitsha yalokho okwakukhona njalo isinika lobufakazi bokuthi umlayezo oseBhayibhilini awuzange untshintshe.”

IMPUMELA: Ubunengi beminyaka kanye lokutholakala kwemibhalo emidala akuzange kuphambanise umlayezo oseBhayibhilini kodwa kulenze lathuthuka. Ngesikhathi ebhala ngeMibhalo YamaKhristu YesiGiriki u-Frederic Kenyon wathi: “Akula elinye ibhuku lasendulo elifakazelwa ngeminye imibhalo yakudala ukuthi liliqiniso njalo asikho isifundiswa esingaphika ukuthi umlayezo otholakala phakathi uliqiniso.” Isifundiswa u-William Henry Green sakhuluma ngeMibhalo YesiHebheru sathi: “Awukho omunye umsebenzi wendulo owenziwa kuhle kangaka.”