INguqulelo Yehlabathi Elitsha YeZibhalo ZamaKristu ZesiGrike yakhutshwa ngesiNgesi ngo-1950, yaza iNguqulelo Yehlabathi Elitsha YeZibhalo Ezingcwele epheleleyo yakhutshwa ngo-1961. Ukususela ngelo xesha, izigidi ngezigidi zabantu ezithetha iilwimi ezingaphezu kweziyi-160 ziye zancedwa kukufunda le nguqulelo ichanileyo nefundeka lula, eguqulelwe ngokusuka kwiilwimi eyabhalwa ngazo iBhayibhile.

Kodwa ke, kule minyaka iyi-50 idlulileyo indlela abantu abathetha ngayo iye yatshintsha. IKomiti YeNguqulelo YeBhayibhile Yehlabathi Elitsha ekhoyo ngoku, iye yabona ukuba kuza kufuneka kwenziwe utshintsho ukuze kufikelelwe intliziyo yomfundi wanamhlanje. Ngenxa yeso sizathu, kule Bhayibhile kuye kwatshintshwa indlela ekubhalwa ngayo, namanye amagama ebesetyenziswa. Nazi ezona zinto bezifunwa:

• Ukusebenzisa ulwimi lwale mihla oluqondakala lula. Ngokomzekelo, endaweni yokusebenzisa igama elingasathethwayo elithi “isimumu,” ngoku kusetyenziswe elithi “umntu ongakwazi ukuthetha.” (Mateyu 9:​32, 33) Igama elithi “ihenyukazi” liye lasuswa kwaza kwafakwa elithi “unongogo.” (Genesis 38:​15) Igama elithi “ukuhenyuza” lisusiwe kwaza kwafakwa “ukuziphatha kakubi ngesondo.” “Ihambo evakalala” iye yatshintshwa kwafakwa “ukuziphatha ngokungenazintloni.” “Iziyunguma” ngoku “ziipati ezingalawulekiyo.” (Galati 5:​19-21) “Ixesha elingenammiselo” liye lasuswa kwaza kwafakwa igama elithi “ngonaphakade” okanye “kwimihla yakudala,” ukuze icace eyona nto ithethwayo.​​—Genesis 3:​22; Eksodus 31:​16; INdumiso 90:2; INtshumayeli 1:4; Mika 5:2.

  KwisiHebhere nesiGrike sakudala, igama elithi “imbewu” linokuthetha imbewu yesityalo, inzala yabantu okanye amadlozi. Ekubeni kungaqhelekanga esiXhoseni ukuthi inzala yomntu “yimbewu,” eli gama liye latshintshwa kwaza kwasetyenziswa eliyichaza kakuhle loo nto ithethwayo, kuxhomekeka ukuba kuthethwa ngantoni. (Genesis 1:​11; 22:​17; 48:4; Mateyu 22:​24; Yohane 8:​37) Kwiindawo ezininzi, igama elithi “inzala” lisetyenziswe xa kuthethwa ngesithembiso sase-Eden esikwiGenesis 3:15.

•   Ukucaciswa kwamagama eBhayibhile. Amanye amagama ebekade esetyenziswa kwiBhayibhile yangaphambili bekufuneka aqale acaciswe ukuze aqondwe kakuhle. Ngokomzekelo, igama lesiHebhere “uShiyol” nelesiGrike “uHadesi,” asetyenziswa eBhayibhileni xa kuthethwa ngengcwaba. La magama awaziwa ngabantu abaninzi, ibe “uHadesi” uqondwa nangenye indlela kwiintsomi zamaGrike. Ngoko endaweni yawo kuye kwasetyenziswa igama elithi “ingcwaba.”—INdumiso 16:10; IZenzo 2:27.

  KwiBhayibhile yangaphambili, igama lesiHebhere uneʹphesh nelesiGrike upsy·kheʹ, ebeguqulelwa ngokuthi “umphefumlo.” Ngenxa yeendlela ezininzi ezingachananga eliqondwa ngayo eli gama lithi “umphefumlo,” ukuliguqulela ngolu hlobo bekunceda umfundi abone indlela elalisetyenziswa ngayo kwiilwimi eyabhalwa ngazo iBhayibhile ekuqaleni. Kuxhomekeka kwimeko elisetyenziswe kuyo, eli gama lisenokubhekisela (1) emntwini, (2) kubomi bomntu, (3) kwizidalwa eziphilayo, (4) kwizinto ezifunwa ngumntu nanomdla kuzo, lide kwezinye iimeko libhekisele (5) ebantwini abaye bafa. Kodwa ekubeni esiXhoseni kungaqhelekanga ukusebenzisa igama elithi “umphefumlo” xa kubhekiselwa kwezo zinto, kuye kwenziwa isigqibo sokuba xa kuguqulelwa la magama mabini, kuchazwe loo nto kwakuthethwa ngayo kuze kufakwe umbhalo osemazantsi othi “Okanye ‘umphefumlo.’ ” (Ngokomzekelo, jonga iGenesis 1:​20; 2:7; iLevitikus 19:​28; iNdumiso 3:2; neMizekeliso 16:​26.) Kodwa ke, kwezinye iindawo eziyimibongo okanye ezaziwa kakhulu ngabantu, liye lasetyenziswa igama elithi “umphefumlo,” kwaza kwafakwa umbhalo osemazantsi othi “Funda Ingcaciso Yamagama” okanye ochaza enye indlela elinokubekwa ngayo.​​—Duteronomi 6:5; INdumiso 131:2; IMizekeliso 2:​10; Mateyu 22:37.

  Igama elithi “izintso” liye lasetyenziswa xa kubhekiselwa kwilungu lomzimba. Kodwa xa libhekisela kwenye into, njengakwiNdumiso 7:9 no-26:2 nakwiSityhilelo 2:​23, liguqulelwe ngokuthi “iingcinga” okanye “iingcinga ezinzulu” kuba kuthethwa ngaloo nto, kwaza kwafakwa “izintso” kumbhalo osemazantsi.

  Igama lesiXhosa elithi “intliziyo” lisetyenziswa ngendlela efanayo nelo lesiHebhere nelesiGrike. Lisenokubhekisela kwilungu lomzimba nakwenye into, ngoko kwiivesi ezininzi liye lasetyenziswa. Kodwa ke, kwiindawo ezimbalwa apho ukusebenzisa igama elithi “intliziyo” bekuyenza ingacaci into ethethwayo, kuye kwasetyenziswa elinye igama elicacisayo. Ngokomzekelo, kwiMizekeliso, indawo ebikade isithi “oswele intliziyo” ngoku ithi “ongasebenzisi ngqondo,” kwaza kwabhalwa “intliziyo”  kumbhalo osemazantsi. (IMizekeliso 6:32; 7:7) Kwenziwe into efanayo nakwamanye amagama anjengelithi “ukutyeba,” “inyama” nelithi “uphondo,” kuxhomekeka kuloo nto kuthethwa ngayo. (Genesis 45:​18; INtshumayeli 5:6; Yobhi 16:​15) Amanye ala magama ayacaciswa kwindawo ethi “Ingcaciso Yamagama EBhayibhile.”

• Ukuyenza ifundeke lula. KwiNguqulelo Yehlabathi Elitsha yangaphambili yesiXhosa, kuye kwasetyenziswa amagama ancedisa izenzi ukuze kubonakale ukuba isenzi sesiHebhere sesiqhubekayo na. Ngokomzekelo, isenzo esiqhubekayo besidla ngokubonakala ngamagama athi “wandula ke,” “wahlabela mgama,” njalo njalo. Ukuze kuboniswe ukuba isenzi sesiHebhere sigxininisa ukuba into yenzeke ngokupheleleyo, bekusongezwa amagama athi “ngokuqinisekileyo,” “kumele,” “okunene,” namanye anjalo. Ngenxa yaloo nto, la magama ebevela kaninzi kula nguqulelo. Kule Bhayibhile, amagama ancedisa izenzi anjengathi “waqhubeka,” “qhubeka” nelithi “wayedla,” aye asetyenziswa xa kukho isizathu sokubonisa ukuba kwenzeka into eqhubekayo. (Genesis 3:9; 34:1; IMizekeliso 2:4) Kodwa ke, aye asuswa xa ukungabikho kwawo kungazukuyusitha eyona nto ithethwayo, ukuze ifundeke lula iBhayibhile.

• Ukucacisa amagama abonisa ukuba kuthethwa ngebhinqa okanye indoda. Izibizo zesiHebhere nezesiGrike ziye zibonise xa kuthethwa ngendoda okanye ibhinqa yaye ezesiGrike zibonisa naxa kubhekiselwa kwinto engenasini. Kodwa ke, kwezinye iindawo, ukucacisa ukuba kubhekiselwa kwindoda okanye ibhinqa xa kuguqulelwa kunokuyisitha ingongoma. KwisiHebhere nesiGrike, xa kuthethwa ngesininzi, kudla ngokusetyenziswa igama elibhekisela kumadoda, nokuba kubhekiselwa kubantu abangamadoda namabhinqa. Ngokomzekelo, nangona xa kusithiwa “oonyana bakaSirayeli” kusenokubhekiselwa koonyana abayi-12 bakaYakobi, amaxesha amaninzi sukube kuthethwa ngohlanga lonke lwamaSirayeli, amadoda namabhinqa. (Genesis 46:5; Eksodus 35:​29) Kule Bhayibhile, kuye kwasetyenziswa igama elithi “amaSirayeli” ukubonisa ukuba kuthethwa ngohlanga lonke. Nakwiindawo ebekusithiwa “inkwenkwe engenayise,” ngoku kuthiwa “umntwana ongenatata” okanye “inkedama,” ukuze kuboniswe ukuba kusenokubhekisela kwinkwenkwe okanye intombazana.

  Yonke into eyenziweyo xa bekuguqulelwa le Bhayibhile iye yathandazelwa, yacingisiswa kakuhle, kuhlonitshwa nomsebenzi omhle owenziwa yiKomiti YeNguqulelo YeBhayibhile Yehlabathi Elitsha yokuqala.

Le Bhayibhile inemibhalo esemazantsi. Yahlulahlulwe ngolu hlobo:

• “Okanye” Apha kubhalwa ezinye iindlela ebelinokuguqulelwa ngayo igama lesiHebhere, elesiAramiki okanye isiGrike, kodwa kube kuthethwa into enye.​​—Genesis 1:​2, umbhalo osemazantsi wendawo ethi “amandla kaThixo asebenzayo”; Yoshuwa 1:​8, kwindawo ethi “ngelizwi eliphantsi.”

• “Okanye kusenokwenzeka” Apha kubhalwa ezinye iindlela ebelinokuguqulelwa ngayo igama ekusenokwenzeka ukuba zichanile kodwa ziveza ingongoma eyahlukileyo.​​—Genesis 21:6, kwindawo ethi “uza kuhleka nam”; Zekariya 14:​21, kwindawo ethi “mKanan.”

• “Ngokoqobo” Apha kubhalwa inguqulelo yegama negama lesiHebhere, isiAramiki okanye isiGrike okanye indlela ekwakuthethwa ngayo.​​—Genesis 30:​22, kwindawo ethi “ukukhulelwa”; Eksodus 32:​9, kwindawo ethi “esineenkani.”

• Ukuchaza ukuba igama lithetha ukuthini nenkcazelo engakumbi Apha kuchazwa ukuba amagama abantu athetha ukuthini (Genesis 3:17, kwindawo ethi “kuAdam”; Eksodus 15:​23, kwindawo ethi “eMara”); iindlela zokukala nokumeta (Genesis 6:​15, kwindawo ethi “ziikubhite”); ukuba kuthethwa ngabani (Genesis 38:​5, kwindawo ethi “WayeseAkezibhi”); nenkcazelo eluncedo ekwiSihlomelo nakwiNgcaciso Yamagama.​​—Genesis 37:35, kwindawo ethi “engcwabeni”; Mateyu 5:​22, kwindawo ethi “weGehena.”

Ekuqaleni, kukho umxholo othi “Intshayelelo YeLizwi LikaThixo,” ibe uchaza iimfundiso ezisisiseko zeBhayibhile. Ekupheleni kweBhayibhile kukho imixholo ethi “Iincwadi ZeBhayibhile,” “Amagama AseBhayibhileni,” nothi “Ingcaciso Yamagama EBhayibhile.” Le ngcaciso inceda umfundi aqonde ukuba athetha ukuthini amagama asetyenziswe eBhayibhileni. ISihlomelo A sinale mixholo: “Imigaqo Yokuguqulelwa KweBhayibhile,” “ Izinto Ezikule Bhayibhile,” “Yavela Njani IBhayibhile?,” “Igama LikaThixo KwiZibhalo ZesiHebhere,” “Igama LikaThixo KwiZibhalo ZesiGrike,” “Itshathi: Abaprofeti Nookumkani BakwaYuda NakwaSirayeli” nothi “Izinto Ezenzekayo Xa UYesu Wayesemhlabeni.” ISihlomelo B sineemaphu, iitshathi nezinye izinto ezinokunceda abantu abathanda ukufunda iBhayibhile.

Kule Bhayibhile, incwadi nganye inenkcazelo emfutshane ethetha ngesahluko ngasinye neevesi. Le nto inceda umfundi abone kwangaphambili into ethethwa yiloo ncwadi yeBhayibhile. Esiphakathini sephepha ngalinye kukho iimbekiselo zezinye izibhalo ezihambisana neevesi ezikwelo phepha.