Imibuzo Evela Kubafundi

Kungani INguqulo Yezwe Elisha ku-2 Petru 3:13 ikhuluma ‘ngamazulu [asebuningini] amasha nomhlaba omusha,’ kanti isAmbulo 21:1 sibikezela ‘ngezulu [elisebunyeni] elisha nomhlaba omusha’?

Empeleni lokhu kuwumniningwane wohlelo lokubhala ulimi ohilela izilimi zokuqala. Awubonakali unokubaluleka okukhethekile ngokuphathelene nencazelo.

Cabangela kuqala imiBhalo yesiHeberu. Embhalweni wolimi lokuqala, igama lesiHeberu elithi sha·maʹyim, elihunyushwe ngokuthi “(ama)zulu,” lihlala lisebuningini njalo. Ukuba sebuningini kwalo kubonakala kungavezi ubuningi obuchaza ubuhle, kodwa liveza umqondo wobuningi “obubhekisela entweni eyodwa enezingxenye eziningi,” noma umqondo “wento ephelele eyakhiwa izingxenye ezahlukene eziningi ngokungenakubalwa noma izindawo ezihlukene.” Lokho kuyaqondakala ngoba amazulu esiwabonayo asabalala abe kude nomhlaba kuzo zonke izinhlangothi futhi ahlanganisa izinkulungwane zezigidi zezinkanyezi. Lapho elithi sha·maʹyim landulelwa umunci ocacile (ngesiNgisi, “the heavens,”) cishe ngaso sonke isikhathi INguqulo Yezwe Elisha ilihumusha ngokuthi “amazulu,” njengaku-Isaya 66:22. Lapho elithi sha·maʹyim livela ngaphandle komunci ocacile, lingase lihunyushwe libe sebunyeni (“izulu” njengakuGenesise 1:8; 14:19, 22; IHubo 69:34) noma libe sebuningini (“amazulu,” njengakuGenesise 49:25; AbAhluleli 5:4; Jobe 9:8; Isaya 65:17).

Ku-Isaya 65:17 naku- 66:22, igama lesiHeberu elisho amazulu lisebuningini, futhi ngokungaguquki kukhethwe ukuba lihunyushwe ngokuthi ‘amazulu amasha nomhlaba omusha.’

Igama lesiGreki elithi ou·ra·nosʹ lisho “izulu,” kanti elisebuningini elithi ou·ra·noiʹ lisho “amazulu.” Kuyathakazelisa ukuthi abahumushi be-Septuagint yesiGreki basebenzisa ubunye kuyo yomibili imibhalo ka-Isaya 65:17 no-66:22.

Kodwa kuthiwani ngezikhathi ezimbili okuvela kuzo inkulumo ethi ‘izulu [noma amazulu] amasha nomhlaba omusha’ emiBhalweni YamaKristu YesiGreki?

Ku-2 Petru 3:13, umphostoli wasebenzisa igama lesiGreki elisebuningini. Ngaphambi nje kwalokho (emavesini 7, 10 no-12), wakhuluma ‘ngamazulu’ amabi akhona manje, esebenzisa ubuningi. Ngakho-ke, wanamathela kulokhu lapho esebenzisa ubuningi evesini 13. Ngaphezu kwalokho, kubonakala sengathi wayecaphuna embhalweni wokuqala ka-Isaya 65:17, lapho isiHeberu silenze laba sebuningini, njengoba nje nakweye-2 Petru 2:22 acaphuna embhalweni wesiHeberu kuzAga 26:11. Ngakho-ke, uPetru wabhekisela ‘emazulwini amasha [ebuningini] nomhlaba omusha esikulindele ngokwesithembiso [sikaNkulunkulu].’

Ngokuhlukile kancane, kusAmbulo 21:1, umphostoli uJohane ngokusobala wasebenzisa ukuhunyushwa kuka-Isaya 65:17 kuyi-Septuagint, lapho, njengoba kuphawuliwe, kunegama lesiGreki elithi ‘izulu’ elisebunyeni. Ngenxa yalokho, lokho uJohane akubhala kuthi: ‘Ngabona izulu elisha [ebunyeni] nomhlaba omusha; ngoba izulu langaphambili nomhlaba wangaphambili kudlulile.’

Lena imininingwane yohlelo lokubhala ephathelene nokuhumusha. Igcizelela ukuthi ubonakala ungekho umehluko encazelweni kungakhathaliseki ukuthi umuntu ufunda, noma akhulume, ‘ngamazulu amasha’ noma ‘izulu elisha.’ Umqondo walokho akushoyo uyefana.

[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 31]

Stars: Frank Zullo