ABUNGERI bavuzweho kenshi muri Bibiliya, uhereye ku gitabo cya mbere cy’Intangiriro kugeza ku cya nyuma cy’Ibyahishuwe (Intangiriro 4:2; Ibyahishuwe 12:5). Abagabo bakomeye nka Aburahamu, Mose n’Umwami Dawidi bari abungeri. Umwanditsi wa zaburi Dawidi yasobanuye neza inshingano n’imihangayiko by’umwungeri mwiza. Hari na zaburi ivugwaho kuba yaranditswe na Asafu igaragaza ko Dawidi yari umwungeri w’ubwoko bw’Imana bwo mu bihe bya kera.—Zaburi 78:70-72.

Mu gihe cya Yesu nabwo, umurimo wo kuragira wahabwaga agaciro cyane. Yesu yavuze ko ari ‘umwungeri mwiza,’ kandi akenshi yagiye avuga ibirebana n’imico y’umwungeri mwiza ashaka kwigisha amasomo y’ingenzi (Yohana 10:2-4, 11). Na Yehova Imana Ishoborabyose agereranywa n’“umwungeri.”—Yesaya 40:10, 11; Zaburi 23:1-4.

Ni ayahe matungo umwungeri yaragiraga? Akazi ke kabaga gakubiyemo iki? Ni iki twakwigira kuri uwo mukozi w’umunyamwete?

Mu matungo abungeri bo muri Isirayeli ya kera baragiraga, hashobora kuba harimo amoko atandukanye y’intama zo muri Siriya, agira ibisembe binini n’ubwoya bwinshi. Amasekurume yo muri ubwo bwoko aba afite amahembe, naho amashashi ntayagire. Kuyobora intama biroroha kuko zihora zituje. Icyakora, ziba zishobora  kugerwaho n’akaga igihe icyo ari cyo cyose kandi zikibasirwa n’inyamaswa.

Abungeri baragiraga n’ihene. Ihene zose zabaga ari umukara cyangwa umutamu. Amatwi yazo maremare atendera yashoboraga gukomeretswa n’amahwa cyangwa imishubi, iyo zabaga zurira imisozi iriho ibibuye zigiye kurisha ibihuru.

Umwungeri yahoraga afite akazi katoroshye ko kwigisha intama n’ihene kumvira amabwiriza ye. Nubwo byabaga bimeze bityo ariko, abungeri beza bitaga cyane ku matungo baragiraga, ndetse bakayita amazina bayahamagaragamo maze akabasanga.—Yohana 10:14, 16.

Mu gihe cy’urugaryi, buri munsi umwungeri yavanaga amatungo mu kiraro cyabaga kiri hafi y’urugo rwe, akayajyana kurisha mu nzuri zo hafi aho, zabaga zifite ubwatsi bwiza butoshye. Kubera ko muri icyo gihe intama zabyaraga, umukumbi wariyongeraga. Muri icyo gihe nanone, abakozi bakemuraga ubwoya bw’intama bwabaga bwarameze mu gihe cy’ubukonje, kandi cyabaga ari igihe cy’ibyishimo.

Hari ubwo umuturage yabaga afite intama nkeya. Ku bw’ibyo, yashoboraga kuriha umwungeri agafata izo ntama ze akaziragirana n’izindi. Byari bizwi ko abungeri nk’abo batitaga kuri izo ntama nk’uko bitaga ku zabo.—Yohana 10:12, 13.

Iyo imirima yabaga imaze gusarurwa, umwungeri yahuragamo intama ze zikajya kurisha imishibuka cyangwa kurya impeke zabaga zarasigaye mu murima. Iyo ubushyuhe bwo mu mpeshyi bwatangiraga, abungeri bimuraga imikumbi yabo bakajya kuyiragira ku misozi, kuko habaga hahehereye. Abungeri bashoboraga kumara iminsi myinshi mu gasozi baragiye imikumbi yabo, kugira ngo irishe ubwatsi butoshye mu mabanga y’imisozi, kandi bararaga hanze barinze imikumbi yabo. Rimwe na rimwe, nijoro umwungeri yajyanaga umukumbi we mu buvumo, kugira ngo ingunzu n’impyisi bitawugirira nabi. Iyo nijoro intama zumvaga impyisi ihumye zigashya ubwoba, ijwi rituje ry’umwungeri ryarazihumurizaga.

Buri mugoroba, umwungeri yabaraga intama ze kandi akareba ko nta n’imwe irwaye. Mu gitondo, umwungeri yahamagaraga intama ze maze zikamukurikira zikajya kurisha (Yohana 10:3, 4). Mu ma saa sita, abungeri bashoraga intama ku bidendezi by’amazi afutse. Iyo ibyo bidendezi byakamaga, umwungeri yajyanaga intama ku iriba, akazivomera amazi zikanywa.

Iyo impeshyi yabaga igiye kurangira, umwungeri yajyanaga umukumbi we mu bibaya byo ku nkombe. Iyo igihe cy’imvura n’ubukonje bwinshi cyatangiraga, yarawucyuraga akawujyana mu biraro. Naho ubundi, washoboraga  kwicwa n’imvura nyinshi, imvura y’amahindu cyangwa urubura. Kuva mu kwezi k’Ugushyingo kugeza mu rugaryi, abungeri ntibahuraga imikumbi yabo.

Umwungeri yambaraga imyenda idahambaye ariko ikomeye. Kugira ngo yirinde imvura n’imbeho ya nijoro, ashobora kuba yarambaraga umwitero wabaga ukozwe mu ruhu rw’intama, ubwoya bwarwo buri imbere. Imbere yambaragamo ikanzu. Inkweto zarindaga ibirenge bye amabuye atyaye n’amahwa, kandi ku mutwe we yazungurizagaho igitambaro kiboshywe mu bwoya.

Ubusanzwe, ibikoresho by’umwungeri byabaga bikubiyemo ibi bikurikira: uruhago rukozwe mu ruhu yatwaragamo ibyokurya, urugero nk’umugati, imyelayo, imbuto zumye na foromaje (1); ubuhiri, akenshi bwabaga bufite uburebure bwa metero 1, bukwikiyemo utubuye dutyaye, kandi bwabaga ari intwaro ye ikomeye cyane (2); icyuma (3); inkoni umwungeri yicumbaga agenda cyangwa azamuka (4); icyo yatwaragamo amazi yo kunywa (5); ikivomesho gikoze mu ruhu yavomeshaga amazi mu mariba maremare (6); umuhumetso yatereshaga amabuye hafi y’intama cyangwa ihene yabaga igiye gutana kugira ngo igaruke mu mukumbi, cyangwa akawukoresha yirukana inyamaswa z’inkazi (7); n’umwirongi ukoze mu mugano yacurangaga ashaka kwishimisha cyangwa kugusha neza umukumbi (8).

Amatungo na yo yahaga umwungeri ibyo yabaga akeneye mu buzima, urugero nk’amata n’inyama zo kurya. Ubwoya n’uruhu yabiguranaga ibindi bintu yabaga akeneye, kandi akabivanamo imyambaro n’impago. Ubwoya bw’ihene babubohagamo imyenda, kandi intama n’ihene zatangwagaho ibitambo.

Abungeri beza bakoranaga umwete, bakiringirwa kandi bakaba intwari. Hari n’ubwo bashyiraga ubuzima bwabo mu kaga kugira ngo barinde umukumbi.—1 Samweli 17:34-36.

Ntibitangaje rero kuba Yesu n’abigishwa be baravuze ko abagenzuzi b’Abakristo bakwiriye kwigana umwungeri (Yohana 21:15-17; Ibyakozwe 20:28). Kimwe n’umwungeri mwiza wo mu bihe bya Bibiliya, abagenzuzi b’itorero bo muri iki gihe na bo bihatira ‘kuragira umukumbi w’Imana bashinzwe kurinda, batabikora nk’abahatwa. Ahubwo babikora babikunze, batabitewe no gukunda inyungu zishingiye ku buhemu, ahubwo babikora babishishikariye.’—1 Petero 5:2.