USONGO: Izinto ezinjengokubola nokuphikiswa azizange zilishabalalise iBhayibheli. Nokho, abakopishi nabahumushi abathile bazama ukushintsha umyalezo walo. Ngezikhathi ezithile, babezama ukwenza iBhayibheli livumelane nezimfundiso zabo kunokuvumelanisa izimfundiso zabo neBhayibheli. Cabangela izibonelo ezimbalwa:

• Indawo yokukhulekela: Phakathi nekhulu lesine nelesibili B.C.E., ku-Eksodusi 20:17, ababhali bePentateuch YamaSamariya banezela amagama athi “e-Aargaareezem. Futhi lapho, kufanele wakhe i-altare.” Ngakho, amaSamariya ayenethemba lokwenza imiBhalo isekele ukwakha kwawo ithempeli “e-Aargaareezem,” noma eNtabeni iGerizimu.

• Imfundiso kaZiqu-zintathu: Kungakapheli ngisho neminyaka engu-300 kuphelile ukubhalwa kweBhayibheli, umlobi okholelwa kuZiqu-zintathu wajobelela kweyoku-1 Johane 5:7 amagama athi “ezulwini, uYise, uLizwi noMoya oNgcwele: futhi laba abathathu bamunye.” Lawo mazwi ayengekho embhalweni wokuqala. Isazi seBhayibheli uBruce Metzger sithi: “Kusukela ngekhulu lesithupha kuqhubeke,” lawo mazwi “avama nakakhulu ukutholakala emibhalweni yesandla yesiLatini Esidala neyeVulgate [yesiLatini].”

• Igama likaNkulunkulu: Besebenzisa inkolelo-ze yamaJuda njengebagunyazayo, abahumushi beBhayibheli abaningi bakhetha ukulikhipha igama likaNkulunkulu emiBhalweni. Esikhundleni salo bafaka iziqu ezinjengezithi “Nkulunkulu” noma “Nkosi,” okungamagama eBhayibhelini angabhekiseli kuMdali kuphela kodwa nakubantu, izinto ezikhulekelwa enkolweni yamanga, ngisho nakuDeveli imbala.—Johane 10:34, 35; 1 Korinte 8:5, 6; 2 Korinte 4:4. *

INDLELA IBHAYIBHELI ELASINDA NGAYO: Okokuqala, nakuba abanye abakopishi beBhayibheli babenganaki futhi bekhohlisa, abanye abaningi babenekhono elihle futhi becophelela. Phakathi nekhulu lesithupha neleshumi C.E., amaMasorete akopisha imiBhalo YesiHebheru enza lokho osekwaziwa ngokuthi umbhalo  wamaMasorete. Kubikwa ukuthi ayebala amagama nezinhlamvu ukuze aqiniseke ukuthi akukho phutha elingenile. Lapho esola ukuthi kunephutha embhalweni asusela kuwo, ayeliphawula eceleni kwekhasi. AmaMasorete ayengafuni neze ukushintsha okulotshwe eBhayibhelini. UProfesa Moshe Goshen-Gottstein wabhala: “Kuwo, ukukushintsha ngenhloso kwakuyobe kuyicala elibomvu.”

Okwesibili, ukuba khona kwenqwaba yemibhalo yesandla namuhla kusiza izazi zeBhayibheli ukuba zibone amaphutha. Ngokwesibonelo, kwaphela amakhulu eminyaka abaholi benkolo befundisa ukuthi izinguqulo zabo zesiLatini ziqukethe umbhalo weBhayibheli oyiwonawona. Noma kunjalo, kweyoku-1 Johane 5:7, babejobelele amagama ayengekho esikhulume ngawo kulesi sihloko. Leli phutha langena ngisho nasenguqulweni evelele yesiNgisi i-King James Version! Kodwa yini eyavela lapho kutholakala eminye imibhalo yesandla? UBruce Metzger wabhala: “La magama [akweyoku-1 Johane 5:7] awekho kuyo yonke imibhalo yesandla emidala (yesiSyriac, yesiCoptic, yesi-Armenian, yesi-Ethiopic, yesi-Arabic neyesiSlavonic), ngaphandle kweyesiLatini.” Ngenxa yalokho, izinguqulo ezibukeziwe ze-King James Version nezamanye amaBhayibheli ziyikhiphile le nkulumo eyiphutha.

Ingabe imibhalo yesandla emidala iyakufakazela ukuthi umyalezo weBhayibheli awushintshile? Lapho kutholakala imiQulu YasoLwandle Olufile ngo-1947, ekugcineni izazi zase zizokwazi ukuqhathanisa umbhalo wamaMasorete wesiHebheru nalokho okuvela emiqulwini yeBhayibheli eyayibhalwe eminyakeni engaphezu kweyinkulungwane ngaphambili. Omunye wabahleli bemiQulu YasoLwandle Olufile waphetha ngokuthi umqulu owodwa “unikeza ubufakazi obuqand’ ikhanda bokuthi ukukopishwa kombhalo weBhayibheli enkathini engaphezu kweminyaka eyinkulungwane okwenziwa abakopishi bamaJuda kuthembekile futhi kwenziwe ngokucophelela okukhulu.”

UMtapo Wolwazi KaChester Beatty oseDublin, e-Ireland, uneqoqo lama-papyrus elicishe libe nazo zonke izincwadi zemiBhalo YamaKristu YesiGreki, kuhlanganise nemibhalo yesandla yangekhulu lesibili C.E.—okuyiminyaka engaba yikhulu kuphela ngemva kokuqedwa kokulotshwa kweBhayibheli. I-Anchor Bible Dictionary ithi: “Nakuba la ma-Papyrus enikeza ukwaziswa okusha okuningi mayelana nokulotshiwe, aphinde abonise ngendlela ephawulekayo ukuthi umbhalo weBhayibheli awuzange ushintshe lapho udluliselwa kithi.”

UMPHUMELA: Ukuba midala nokuba miningi kwemibhalo yesandla yeBhayibheli empeleni kuwuthuthukisile umbhalo weBhayibheli kunokuba kuwonakalise. Ekhuluma ngemiBhalo YamaKristu YesiGreki, uSir Frederic Kenyon wabhala: “Ayikho enye incwadi yakudala enobufakazi obudala nobuningi kangaka obuyisekelayo, futhi asikho isazi esiqotho esingaphika ukuthi umbhalo esinawo ngokuyinhloko awushintshile.” Futhi mayelana nemiBhalo YesiHebheru, isazi uWilliam Henry Green sathi: “Kungashiwo ngokukhululekile ukuthi ayikho enye incwadi yakudala eye yadluliselwa ngokunembe kangaka.”