I-Septuagint—Yayiwusizo Kudala, Isewusizo Nanamuhla

INDODA ethile yaseTopiya esesikhundleni esiphakeme yayisohambweni igoduka ivela eJerusalema. Njengoba yayihamba ngenqola yayo emgwaqweni wasogwadule, yayifunda ngokuzwakalayo umqulu wenkolo. Incazelo yamagama eyayiwafunda yayithonya kangangokuba ukuphila kwayo kwashintsha kusukela ngaleso sikhathi. (IzEnzo 8:26-38) Le ndoda yayikade ifunda u-Isaya 53:7, 8, enguqulweni yeBhayibheli yokuqala ngqá—i-Septuagint yesiGreki.  Le nguqulo ibe nendima ebalulekile ekusakazeni umyalezo weBhayibheli kuwo wonke amakhulu eminyaka kangangokuthi iye yabizwa ngokuthi inguqulo yeBhayibheli eyashintsha umhlaba.

Yahunyushwa nini futhi ngaphansi kwaziphi izimo i-Septuagint? Kungani kwakudingeka inguqulo enjalo? Iye yaba usizo kangakanani kuwo wonke la makhulu eminyaka? Uma kukhona namuhla engasifundisa khona i-Septuagint, kuyini?

Yayenzelwe AmaJuda Akhuluma IsiGreki

Ngo-332 B.C.E. lapho u-Alexander Omkhulu engena eGibithe ngemva kokuchitha umuzi waseFenike iThire, wamukelwa njengomkhululi. Lapho, wasungula umuzi wase-Aleksandriya, isikhungo semfundo sasendulo. Efisa ukusakaza isiko lamaGreki kubantu ababehlala emazweni ayenqotshiwe, u-Alexander wafika nesiGreki esivamile (isiKoine) kuwo wonke umbuso wakhe.

Ngekhulu lesithathu B.C.E., e-Aleksandriya kwaba khona inani elikhulu lamaJuda. AmaJuda amaningi ayehlala emakoloni athe chíthi sáka ngaphandle kwePalestina ngemva kokudingiselwa eBabiloni athuthela e-Aleksandriya. La maJuda ayelwazi kahle kangakanani ulimi lwesiHeberu? I-Cyclopedia kaMcClintock noStrong ithi: “Kuyinto eyaziwayo ukuthi ngemva kokuba amaJuda ebuye ekuthunjweni kwaseBabiloni, izincwadi zikaMose ezazifundwa emasinagogeni asePalestina ayezichazelwa ngesiKaledi, njengoba lwase luluncane kakhulu ulwazi lwawo lwesiHeberu sasendulo . . . AmaJuda ase-Aleksandriya cishe ayenolwazi oluncane nakakhulu lwesiHeberu; ulimi ayelujwayele kwakuyisiGreki sase-Aleksandriya.” Ngokusobala, isimo sasikahle e-Aleksandriya ukuba imiBhalo yesiHeberu ihunyushelwe esiGrekini.

U-Aristobulus, umJuda owayephila ngekhulu lesibili B.C.E., wabhala ukuthi inguqulo yomthetho wesiHeberu yahunyushelwa esiGrekini futhi yaqedwa phakathi nokubusa kukaPtolemy Philadelphus (285-246 B.C.E.). Imibono iyahlukahluka ngokuthi u-Aristobulus wayeshoni “ngomthetho.” Abanye bacabanga ukuthi wayesho iPentateuch kuphela, kanti abanye bathi kungenzeka wayekhuluma ngayo yonke imiBhalo YesiHeberu.

Noma ngabe ikuphi, amaJuda akholelwa ukuthi kwakuhileleke izazi ezingu-72 ekuhumusheni leyo nguqulo yemiBhalo yokuqala ebhaliwe eyayisuselwe olimini lwesiHeberu iyiswa kolwesiGreki. Kamuva, kwasetshenziswa isibalo esingu-70. Ngakho, le nguqulo yabizwa ngokuthi i-Septuagint, okusho “u-70,” futhi kuthiwa yi-LXX, u-70 wesiRoma. Ngasekupheleni kwekhulu lesibili B.C.E., zonke izincwadi zemiBhalo yesiHeberu zase zingafundwa ngesiGreki. Ngakho, igama elithi Septuagint lase libhekisela kuyo yonke imiBhalo YesiHeberu ehunyushelwe esiGrekini.

Yayiwusizo Ngekhulu Lokuqala

I-Septuagint yayisetshenziswa kakhulu amaJuda akhuluma isiGreki ngaphambi kwesikhathi sikaJesu Kristu nabaphostoli bakhe nangesikhathi sabo. Iningi lamaJuda namaproselithe ayehlangene eJerusalema ngosuku lwePhentekoste lika-33 C.E. lalivela esifundeni sase-Asiya, eGibithe, eLibiya, eRoma naseKrethe—izindawo okwakukhulunywa kuzo isiGreki. Akungabazeki ukuthi ayevame ukufunda i-Septuagint. (IzEnzo 2:9-11) Ngakho, le nguqulo yaba usizo ekusakazeni izindaba ezinhle ekhulwini lokuqala.

Ngokwesibonelo, lapho ekhuluma nabantu baseKhurene, e-Aleksandriya, eKhilikhiya nase-Asiya, umfundi uStefanu wathi: “UJosefa wathumela futhi wabiza uJakobe uyise nazo zonke izihlobo zakhe kuleyondawo [eKhanani], ezazifinyelela enanini lemiphefumulo engamashumi ayisikhombisa nanhlanu.” (IzEnzo 6:8-10; 7:12-14) Umbhalo wesiHeberu kuGenesise isahluko 46 uthi izihlobo zikaJosefa zazingu-70. Kodwa i-Septuagint ithi zazingu-75. Kusobala ukuthi uStefanu wayecaphuna i-Septuagint.—Genesise 46:20, 26, 27.

Njengoba umphostoli uPawulu ayehamba lonke elase-Asia Minor naseGrisi ohambweni lwakhe lwesibili nolwesithathu lwezithunywa zevangeli, washumayeza abeZizwe abaningi ababesaba uNkulunkulu ‘namaGreki akhulekela  uNkulunkulu.’ (IzEnzo 13:16, 26; 17:4) Laba bantu babesaba uNkulunkulu noma bemkhulekela ngoba babethole ulwazi oluthile ngaye kuyi-Septuagint. Lapho eshumayeza laba bantu abakhuluma isiGreki, uPawulu wayecaphuna kule nguqulo noma abeke amazwi ayo ngenye indlela.—Genesise 22:18; Galathiya 3:8.

ImiBhalo YamaKristu YesiGreki inezingcaphuno eziqondile ezingaba ngu-320 nezingcaphuno nezinkomba ezingaba ngu-890 ezivela emiBhalweni YesiHeberu. Eziningi zalezi zisekelwe kuyi-Septuagint. Ngenxa yalokhu, yizingcaphuno ezithathwe kule nguqulo, hhayi emibhalweni yesandla yesiHeberu, ezaba yingxenye yemiBhalo YamaKristu YesiGreki ephefumulelwe. Kuyinto ephawulekayo ngempela lokho! UJesu wayebikezele ukuthi izindaba ezinhle zoMbuso zaziyoshunyayelwa kuwo wonke umhlaba owakhiwe. (Mathewu 24:14) Ukuze lokhu kufezwe, uJehova wayezovumela ukuba izwi lakhe eliphefumulelwe lihunyushelwe ezilimini ezihlukahlukene ezifundwa abantu emhlabeni wonke.

Iwusizo Nanamuhla

I-Septuagint isewusizo nanamuhla futhi isetshenziselwa ukuveza amaphutha abakopishi okungenzeka angena emibhalweni yesandla yesiHeberu eyakopishwa kamuva. Ngokwesibonelo, uGenesise 4:8 ufundeka kanje: “UKayini wakhuluma ku-Abela umfowabo, wathi: ‘Masiye endle.’ Kwathi besendle, uKayini wasukela umfowabo u-Abela, wambulala.”

Amazwi athi, “masiye endle” awatholakali emibhalweni yesandla yesiHeberu yangenkathi esukela ekhulwini leshumi C.E. Nokho ayatholakala emibhalweni emidala yesandla ye-Septuagint nakwezinye izincwadi ezimbalwa zangaphambili. Umbhalo wesiHeberu unegama elivame ukwethula inkulumo kodwa akukho magama alandelayo. Kwenzekani? UGenesise 4:8 unezigejana ezimbili zamazwi ezilandelanayo eziphetha ngenkulumo ethi “endle.” I-Cyclopedia kaMcClintock noStrong isikisela lokhu: “Kungenzeka ukuthi ihlo lo mkopishi ongumHeberu laphazanyiswa yigama [elifanayo] . . . elisekugcineni kwazo zombili lezi zigejana zamazwi.” Ngakho kungenzeka ukuthi umkopishi weqa isigejana sokuqala esiphetha ngegama elithi “endle.” Ngokusobala, i-Septuagint, neminye imibhalo yesandla esekhona, ingaba usizo ekuboneni amaphutha emibhalweni yakamuva yesiHeberu.

Ngakolunye uhlangothi, amakhophi e-Septuagint nawo angaba nawo amaphutha, futhi ngezinye izikhathi kusetshenziswa umbhalo wesiHeberu ukulungisa owesiGreki. Ngakho, ukuqhathanisa imibhalo yesandla yesiHeberu neyesiGreki nanezinye izinguqulo zezinye izilimi kwenza ukuba kutholakale amaphutha ekuhumusheni nasekukopisheni futhi kuqinisekisa ukuthi iZwi likaNkulunkulu lihunyushwa ngokunembile.

Amakhophi aphelele e-Septuagint akhona namuhla enziwa kusukela ngekhulu lesine C.E. Imibhalo enjalo yesandla namakhophi akamuva awanalo igama likaNkulunkulu, uJehova, ngesiHeberu elimelelwa yi-Tetragrammaton (YHWH). Kula makhophi kusetshenziswe amagama esiGreki athi “Nkulunkulu” nelithi “Nkosi” nomaphi lapho kwakuvela khona i-Tetragrammaton embhalweni wesiHeberu. Nokho, lokho okwatholakala ePalestina eminyakeni engaba u-50 edlule kwayikhanyisa le ndaba. Iqembu elalicwaninga imigede ngasogwini olusentshonalanga yoLwandle Olufile lathola izicucu zomqulu wesikhumba wasendulo wezincwadi zabaprofethi abangu-12 (kusukela kuHoseya kuya kuMalaki) obhalwe ngesiGreki. Le mibhalo kuthiwa eyaphakathi kuka-50 B.C.E. no-50 C.E. Kulezi zicucu zakudala, ayengasetshenziswanga amagama esiGreki athi “Nkulunkulu” nelithi “Nkosi” esikhundleni se-Tetragrammaton. Ngakho, kwaqinisekiswa ukuthi igama likaNkulunkulu lalisetshenzisiwe ezinguqulweni zokuqala ze-Septuagint.

Ngo-1971 kwakhululwa izicucu zomqulu we-papyrus yasendulo (ama-papyrus iFouad 266) ukuba zisakazwe. Yini eyavezwa yilezi zingxenye ze-Septuagint zangekhulu lokuqala noma lesibili B.C.E.? Igama likaNkulunkulu lalikhona nakuzo. Lezi zicucu ze-Septuagint zinikeza ubufakazi  obunamandla bokuthi uJesu nabafundi bakhe bekhulu lokuqala babelazi futhi belisebenzisa igama likaNkulunkulu.

Namuhla, iBhayibheli yincwadi ehunyushwe kakhulu kunazo zonke emlandweni. Abangaphezu kwamaphesenti angu-90 emkhayeni wesintu banayo okungenani ingxenye yalo ngezilimi zabo. Esikubonga kakhulu yinguqulo enembile yezilimi zanamuhla, i-New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures, manje etholakala ngezilimi ezingaphezu kuka-40 iphelele noma iyingxenye. I-New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures—With References inamakhulukhulu emibhalo yaphansi ebhekisela kuyi-Septuagint nakweminye imibhalo yasendulo yesandla. Ngempela, i-Septuagint isathakazelisa futhi isewusizo kubafundi beBhayibheli osukwini lwethu.

[Isithombe ekhasini 26]

Umfundi uFiliphu wachaza indima eyayifundwe kuyi-“Septuagint”

[Izithombe ekhasini 29]

Umphostoli uPawulu wayevamile ukucaphuna kuyi-“Septuagint”