Libito laNkulunkulu lelimelelwa bongwaca labane besiHebheru יהוה, livela cishe tikhatsi letingu-7 000 emiBhalweni yesiHebheru. Lelihumusho lihumusha letinhlavu letine letatiwa ngekutsi yi-Tetragrammaton, ngekutsi “Jehova.” Lelibito livela kanyenti eBhayibhelini kwendlula lamanye emabito. Nanobe babhali labaphefumulelwe bachaza Nkulunkulu basebentisa ticu letinyenti nemagama lamchazako lafana nalelitsi “Somandla,” “Losetikwako Konkhe,” nalelitsi “Nkhosi,” i-Tetragrammaton ngiyo kuphela lesetjentiswa njengelibito laNkulunkulu.

Jehova Nkulunkulu lucobo lwakhe wacondzisa babhali beliBhayibheli kutsi basebentise libito lakhe. Sibonelo saloko kutsi waphefumulela umphrofethi Joweli kutsi abhale atsi: “Wonkhe umuntfu lobita libito laJehova utawusindziswa.” (Joweli 2:32) Nkulunkulu wabangela kutsi lomunye umhlabeli abhale atsi: “Shengatsi bantfu bangati kutsi libito lakho nguJehova, nekutsi nguwe wedvwa Losetikwako Konkhe emhlabeni wonkhe.” (Tihlabelelo 83:18) Ecinisweni, libito laNkulunkulu livela tikhatsi letingaba ngu-700 encwadzini yeTihlabelelo kuphela—lokuyimibhalo yetinkondlo lebetihlatjelwa tiphindze tishiwo bantfu baNkulunkulu. Kungani-ke libito laNkulunkulu lingatfolakali emahumushweni lamanyenti eliBhayibheli? Yini leyenta lelihumusho lisebentise libito lelitsi “Jehova”? Lisho kutsini lelibito laNkulunkulu lelitsi Jehova?

Kungani lelibito lingatfolakali emahumushweni lamanyenti eliBhayibheli? Kunetizatfu letehlukahlukene. Labanye bacabanga kutsi Nkulunkulu Somandla akakudzingi kuba nelibito lakhe yedvwa. Labanye kungenteka kutsi balandzela lisiko lemaJuda lekungalisebentisi lelibito, mhlawumbe ngesizatfu sekwesaba kulihlambalata. Kantsi labanye bakholelwa kutsi njengobe kute locinisekako ngendlela yekuphimisela libito laNkulunkulu, kuncono kumane kusetjentiswe ticu letinjengalesitsi “Nkhosi” nobe “Nkulunkulu.” Nanobe kunjalo, lemibono ite sisindvo ngenca yaletizatfu letilandzelako:

•   Bantfu labatsi Nkulunkulu Somandla akakudzingi kuba nelibito lakhe yedvwa benta ngatsi ababuboni bufakazi bekutsi emakhophi ekucala eliVi lakhe, lokuhlanganisa nalawo lebekagciniwe ngaphambi kwekuba khona kwaKhristu, analo libito laNkulunkulu. Njengobe sibonile ngenhla, Nkulunkulu wayala kutsi libito lakhe lifakwe eVini lakhe tikhatsi letingaba ngu-7 000. Kuyacaca-ke kutsi ufuna silati libito lakhe futsi ufuna silisebentise.

• Bahumushi labakhipha lelibito ngenca yekuhlonipha emasiko emaJuda, bayehluleka kunaka liciniso lelibalulekile. Nanobe labanye babhali labangemaJuda bebangafuni kulibita lelibito, abazange balisuse emakhophini abo eliBhayibheli. Imiculu legocotwako yakadzeni leyatfolakala eQumran, edvute neLwandle Lolufile, inalo lelibito etindzaweni letinyenti. Kuze bavete kutsi libito laNkulunkulu belivela emibhalweni yekucala, labanye bahumushi beliBhayibheli bafake sicu lesitsi “NKHOSI” lesibhalwe ngabofeleba, esikhundleni salelibito. Kodvwa nangu umbuto: Yini leyente labahumushi bakhululeka kususa libito laNkulunkulu eBhayibhelini, nanobe bavuma kutsi liyatfolakala emiBhalweni tikhatsi letitinkhulungwane letinyenti? Bacabanga kutsi ngubani lobanikete ligunya lekwenta njalo? Ngibo kuphela labatiko.

• Bantfu labatsi libito laNkulunkulu kufanele lingasetjentiswa ngenca yekutsi akwatiwa kutsi kufanele liphimiselwe njani, balisebentisa ngenkhululeko libito laJesu. Nanobe kunjalo, bafundzi baJesu bekucala bebabita lelibito lakhe ngendlela leyehluke kakhulu kuleyo lesetjentiswa ngemaKhristu lamanyenti lamuhla. Kungenteka kutsi emaKhristu langemaJuda bekabita lelibito lelitsi Jesu ngekutsi Ye·shuʹa‛. Sicu lesitsi “Khristu” besibitwa ngekutsi ngu-Ma·shiʹach, nobe “Mesiya.” EmaKhristu lebekakhuluma siGriki bekambita ngekutsi ngu-I·e·sousʹ Khri·stosʹ, kantsi emaKhristu lebekakhuluma siLathini bekatsi ngu-Ieʹsus Chriʹstus. Ngesicondziso semoya longcwele, indlela yesiGriki yekuhumusha libito lakhe yafakwa eBhayibhelini, futsi loko bekuveta kutsi emaKhristu angesikhatsi sebaphostoli bekalandzela indlela lehlakaniphile yekubita lelibito ngendlela lebeyetayelekile elulwimini lwawo. Ngendlela lefanako, iKomidi Yekuhunyushwa KweliBhayibheli Lemhlaba Lomusha inemuva wekutsi kunengcondvo kusebentisa libito lelitsi “Jehova,” nanobe indlela yekulibita ingafani ncamashi nendlela lokungenteka belibitwa ngayo ngesiHebheru sakadzeni.

Yini leyenta Lihumusho Lemhlaba Lomusha lisebentise libito lelitsi “Jehova”? NgesiNgisi, tinhlavu letine te-Tetragrammaton (יהוה) timelelwa bongwaca labatsi YHWH. Njengobe bekunjalo ngawo onkhe emagama labhalwako esiHebheru sakadzeni, i-tetragrammaton beyite bonkhamisa. Ngesikhatsi siHebheru sakadzeni sisetjentiswa malanga onkhe, bafundzi bebatifakela bonkhamisa labafanele.

 Ngemuva kweminyaka lengaba ngu-1 000 kucedvwe imiBhalo yesiHebheru, tati letingemaJuda takha luhlelo lwekusebentisa timphawu tekuphimisela, lebetiveta kutsi ngubaphi bonkhamisa lokufanele bafakwe nakufundvwa siHebheru. Nanobe kunjalo, ngaleso sikhatsi emaJuda lamanyenti bekakholelwa kutsi bekungakafaneli liphinyiselwe libito laNkulunkulu, ngako asebentisa lamanye emagama esikhundleni salo. Kubonakala shengatsi ngesikhatsi lamaJuda abhala i-Tetragrammaton, ahlanganisa bonkhamisa balalamanye emagama nalabongwaca labane labamelela libito laNkulunkulu. Ngenca yaloko, imibhalo yesandla lenaleto timphawu tekuphimisela ayisisiti sibone kutsi lelibito beliphimiselwa njani ngesiHebheru. Labanye batsi lelibito belibitwa ngekutsi “Yahweh,” kantsi labanye basho lokwehlukile. Umculu logocotwako lowatfolakala eLwandle Lolufile, lonencenye yaLevithikhusi ngesiGriki, uhumusha libito laNkulunkulu ngekutsi-Iao. Ngephandle kwalendlela yekuliphimisela, babhali besiGriki sekucala baphindze batsi libitwa ngekutsi Iae, I·a·beʹ, kanye nangekutsi-I·a·ou·eʹ. Nanobe kunjalo, akukafaneli sigomele. Liciniso likutsi asati kutsi tinceku taNkulunkulu tasendvulo betilibita njani lelibito ngesiHebheru. (Genesisi 13:4; Eksodusi 3:15) Lesikwatiko kutsi Nkulunkulu walisebentisa kanyenti lelibito lakhe nakakhuluma nebantfu bakhe, nabo bebambita ngalo futsi balisebentisa ngenkhululeko ngisho bakhuluma nalabanye bantfu.—Eksodusi 6:2; 1 Emakhosi 8:23; Tihlabelelo 99:9.

Yini-ke leyenta lelihumusho lisebentise libito lelitsi “Jehova”? Kungobe lendlela yekubita libito laNkulunkulu inemlandvo lomudze elulwimini lwesiNgisi.

Kusetjentiswa kwekucala kwelibito laNkulunkulu eBhayibhelini lesiNgisi kwavela nga-1530 ehumushweni laWilliam Tyndale letincwadzi taMosi letisihlanu (i-Pentateuch). Wabhala lelibito ngekutsi “Iehouah.” Ngekuhamba kwesikhatsi, lulwimi lwesiNgisi lwashintja, futsi indlela yekubhalwa kwelibito laNkulunkulu yatfutfukiswa. Sibonelo saloko kutsi nga-1612, Henry Ainsworth wasebentisa libito lelitsi “Iehovah”  kuyo yonkhe incwadzi yeTihlabelelo layihumusha. Nga-1639, ngesikhatsi lencwadzi yakhe ibuketwa futsi ishicilelwa kanye ne-Pentateuch, kwasetjentiswa libito lelitsi “Jehova.” Nga-1901, bantfu labahumusha i-“American Standard Version” basebentisa libito lelitsi “Jehova” lapho bekuvela khona libito laNkulunkulu emibhalweni yesiHebheru.

Ngesikhatsi achaza sizatfu lebesimente wasebentisa libito lelitsi “Jehova” esikhundleni selibito lelitsi “Yahweh,” encwadzini yakhe letsi “Studies in the Psalms” ya-1911, Joseph Bryant Rotherham losati seliBhayibheli lesihlonishwako, watsi bekafuna kusebentisa “libito leletayeleke kakhulu (futsi lelemukelekako) kubantfu labanyenti lebebafundza liBhayibheli.” Nga-1930, sati lesingu-A. F. Kirkpatrick, sasho intfo lefanako mayelana nekusebentisa lelibito lelitsi “Jehova.” Satsi: “Tati talamuhla temitsetfo yelulwimi titsi kufanele libitwe ngekutsi Yahveh nobe Yahaveh; kodvwa JEHOVA ubonakala etayeleke kakhulu elulwimini lwesiNgisi, futsi liphuzu lelibaluleke kakhulu akusiyo indlela leliphimiselwa ngayo lelibito, kodvwa kubona kutsi liLibito Sibili, hhayi nje sicu lesimchazako njengalesitsi ‘Nkhosi.’”

Lisho kutsini libito lelitsi Jehova? NgesiHebheru, libito lelitsi Jehova livela esentweni lesisho “kuba khona,” futsi tati letinyenti titsi lesento sesiHebheru sisho kubangela. Ngako iKomidi Yekuhunyushwa KweliBhayibheli Lemhlaba Lomusha itsi libito laNkulunkulu lisho kutsi “Ubangela Kutsi Kube khona.” Tati tinemibono leyehlukahlukene ngalendzaba, ngako-ke ngeke sigomele ngalenchazelo. Nanobe kunjalo, lenchazelo ivumelana kahle nemsebenti waJehova wekuba nguMdali wato tonkhe tintfo nekugcwalisa tinjongo takhe. Akazange agcine ngekubangela kutsi kube khona tonkhe tintfo letidaliwe kanye nebantfu, kodvwa njengobe tintfo solo tenteka, uchubeka abangela kutsi intsandvo yakhe nenjongo yakhe kufezeke.

Ngako-ke, inchazelo yelibito lelitsi Jehova ayipheleli nje esentweni lesitfolakala ku-Eksodusi 3:14, lesitsi: “Ngitawuba Nguloko Lengifuna Kuba Ngiko” nobe “Ngitawuba Nguloko Lengitawuba Ngiko.” Kahle kahle lamavi akalichazi ngalokugcwele libito laNkulunkulu. Kunaloko, aveta incenye yebuntfu baNkulunkulu, kutsi uba nguloko lokudzingeka abe ngiko esimeni ngasinye kuze agcwalise injongo yakhe. Nanobe libito lelitsi Jehova liwuhlanganisa lomcondvo, inchazelo yalo ayigcini ngaloko yena lakhetsa kuba ngiko. Kodvwa ihlanganisa naloko labangela kutsi kwenteke endalweni yakhe kuze kugcwaliseke injongo yakhe.