UMPHOSTOLI uPawulu wabhalela amaKristu ayekanye nawo eRoma lawo mazwi cishe ngonyaka ka-56 C.E. IBhayibheli alisho ukuthi waya yini eSpain noma cha. Kunoma ikuphi, ngenxa yemizamo kaPawulu noma ezinye izithunywa zevangeli ezingamaKristu, izindaba ezinhle ezivela eZwini likaNkulunkulu, iBhayibheli, zafika eSpain ngekhulu lesibili leminyaka C.E.

Ngokushesha amaKristu aqala ukwanda eSpain. Ngenxa yalokho, kwaba nesidingo sokuba abantu bakhona bahunyushelwe iBhayibheli ngesiLatini. Lokhu kwakungenxa yokuthi ngekhulu lesibili, kwase kuyisikhathi eside iSpain ibuswa amaRoma futhi isiLatini saba ulimi olukhulunywa kuwo wonke uMbuso WaseRoma.

AmaKristu okuqala aseSpain ahumusha izinguqulo eziningana zesiLatini ezaziwa ngokuthi i-Vetus Latina Hispana. Lawa maBhayibheli esiLatini asetshenziswa eSpain iminyaka eminingi ngaphambi kokuba uJerome aqede ukuhumusha inguqulo yakhe edumile yesiLatini i-Vulgate ngasekuqaleni kwekhulu lesihlanu leminyaka C.E.

Inguqulo kaJerome—aqeda ukuyihumusha eBethlehem, ePhalestina—yafika eSpain ngokushesha okukhulu. Lapho uLucinius, umfundi weBhayibheli ocebile, ezwa ukuthi uJerome uhumusha iBhayibheli ngesiLatini, wafuna ukuthola le nguqulo entsha yalolu limi ngokushesha ngangokunokwenzeka. Wathumela ababhali abayisithupha eBethlehem ukuba bayikopishe bese beyibuyisela eSpain. Emakhulwini eminyaka alandela, kancane kancane kwasetshenziswa i-Vulgate esikhundleni se-Vetus Latina Hispana. Lezo zinguqulo zesiLatini zasiza abantu baseSpain ukuba bafunde iBhayibheli futhi baqonde umyalezo walo. Kodwa njengoba uMbuso WaseRoma wawusuphela, kwaba khona isidingo sezinye izilimi.

Ngekhulu lesihlanu leminyaka, amaVisigoth nezinye izizwe zaseJalimane zanqoba iSpain, futhi zafika nolimi olusha kuleli zwe—isiGoth. Lezi zizwe zazingezenkolo yobuKristu ebizwa ngokuthi i-Arianism, eyayenqaba imfundiso kaZiqu-zintathu. Zeza nenguqulo yazo yeBhayibheli—i-Ulfilas’ Gothic Bible. Leli Bhayibheli lasetshenziswa eSpain kwaze kwaphela ikhulu lesithupha leminyaka, lapho uReccared, inkosi yamaVisigoth, eba umKatolika futhi eyiphika obala inkolo yobu-Arian. Wathi akuqoqwe zonke izincwadi zenkolo yobu-Arian futhi zishiswe, kuhlanganise ne-Ulfilas’ Bible. Ngenxa yalokho, zonke izincwadi zesiGoth zaphela nya eSpain.

Nakuba kunjalo, iZwi likaNkulunkulu laqhubeka lisakazeka eSpain phakathi naleyo nkathi. Ngaphandle kwesiGoth, kwakusenolimi olususelwa olimini lwesiLatini olwalukhulunywa abantu abaningi eSpain, kamuva okwavela kulo izilimi zesiLatini ezikhulunywa eNhlonhlweni Yase-Iberia. * Imibhalo  emidala kunayo yonke yalolu limi yaziwa ngokuthi izileti zesiVisigoth, ngoba yayibhalwe eziletini. Yalotshwa ekhulwini lesithupha nelesikhombisa leminyaka, futhi eminye inezingxenye ezithathwe kumaHubo nasemaVangelini. Esinye salezo zileti sinalo lonke iHubo 16.

Ukubhalwa kweBhayibheli eziletini kubonisa ukuthi abantu abavamile babelifunda futhi belikopisha iZwi likaNkulunkulu ngaleso sikhathi. Kungenzeka othisha babesebenzisa iBhayibheli lapho befundisa abantu ababefunda ukufunda nokubhala. Izileti zazishibhile uma ziqhathaniswa nezikhumba zezimvu nezezimbuzi ezimba eqolo ezazisetshenziswa izindela zangenkathi ephakathi ukuze zikhiqize amaBhayibheli azo anemidwebo.

Elinye iBhayibheli elinemidwebo eliyigugu ligcinwe esontweni iSan Isidoro eLeón, eSpain. Lalotshwa ngo-960 C.E. futhi linamakhasi angu-516, lingamasentimitha angu-47 nangu-34 ubude nobubanzi futhi isisindo salo singamakhilogremu angu-18. Elinye, elabhalwa ngo-1020 C.E., manje eligcinwe eMtatsheni Wezincwadi WaseVatican, libizwa ngokuthi i-Bible of Ripoll. Lingelinye lamaBhayibheli anemidwebo eminingi angeNkathi Ephakathi. Ukuze yenze le midwebo, indela yayingase ichithe usuku lonke idweba uhlamvu lokuqala lomusho noma isonto lonke ibhala ikhasi labanyathelisi. Yize lawo maBhayibheli eyigugu kangaka, kuncane kakhulu akufeza ekusakazeni isigijimi seZwi likaNkulunkulu.

Ngekhulu lesi-8 leminyaka, kwaba nolunye ulimi eSpain ngenxa yokufika kwamaSulumane kulelo zwe. Ezindaweni amaSulumane azenza amakoloni, isi-Arabhu saba ulimi olukhulunywa kakhulu kunesiLatini futhi kwaba nesidingo seBhayibheli ngalolu limi olusha.

Akungabazeki ukuthi izinguqulo eziningi zeBhayibheli zesi-Arabhu—ikakhulukazi amaVangeli—zazisetshenziswa eSpain yangenkathi ephakathi. Kungenzeka ukuthi ngekhulu lesi-8 leminyaka, uJohn, umbhishobhi waseSeville, walihumusha lonke  iBhayibheli ngesi-Arabhu. Ngokudabukisayo, iningi lalezo zinguqulo zesi-Arabhu azisekho. Enye yezinguqulo zesi-Arabhu yamaVangeli eyalotshwa maphakathi nekhulu leshumi leminyaka igcinwe esontweni laseLeón, eSpain.

Ngasekupheleni kweNkathi Ephakathi, kwaqala ukuvela isiCastilian, noma iSpanishi, eNhlonhlweni Yase-Iberia. Lolu limi olusha lwaluyoba usizo olukhulu ekusakazeni iZwi likaNkulunkulu. * Inguqulo yokuqala yeBhayibheli eyahunyushwa ngeSpanishi yacashunwa encwadini ethi La Fazienda de Ultra Mar (Izenzo Zaphesheya Kwezilwandle), yasekuqaleni kwekhulu le-13 leminyaka. Le ncwadi ilandisa ngohambo oluya kwa-Israyeli, futhi ihlanganisa nomlando osezincwadini zeBhayibheli zokuqala ezinhlanu nezinye izincwadi zemiBhalo YesiHebheru kanye namaVangeli nezincwadi zemiBhalo YesiGreki.

Izikhulu zesonto zazingayifuni le nguqulo. Ngo-1234, uMkhandlu WaseTarragona wakhipha umyalo othi zonke izincwadi zeBhayibheli zezilimi zomdabu kumelwe zinikwe abefundisi bazishise. Ngokujabulisayo, lo myalo awuzange umise ukuhunyushwa kweBhayibheli. INkosi u-Alfonso X (1252-1284), okuthiwa wasungula ulimi lweSpanishi olubhalwayo, wafuna ukuba imiBhalo ihunyushwe ngalolu limi olusha futhi wakusekela ukuhunyushwa kwayo. Izinguqulo zeSpanishi zakule nkathi zihlanganisa iBhayibheli elibizwa ngokuthi i-Pre-Alfonsine Bible ne-Alfonsine Bible eyahunyushwa ngokushesha ngemva kwalokho, eyayiyinguqulo yeSpanishi eyayisetshenziswa kakhulu kunazo zonke ngaleso sikhathi.

Zombili lezo zinguqulo zakha futhi zanothisa ulimi olusha lweSpanishi. Mayelana ne-Pre-Alfonsine Bible, isazi uThomas Montgomery sithi: “Umhumushi waleli Bhayibheli wenze umsebenzi omuhle uma kuziwa endabeni yokunemba nokusebenzisa ulimi oluhle. . . . Ulimi olusetshenzisiwe lulula futhi lucacile, njengoba kwakudingeka ngeBhayibheli elalibhalelwe abantu abangasazi kahle isiLatini.”

Nokho, lawo maBhayibheli okuqala eSpanishi ahunyushwa esuselwa kuyi-Vulgate yesiLatini, hhayi ezilimini zokuqala. Kusukela ngekhulu le-14 leminyaka, izazi ezingamaJuda zahumusha izinguqulo eziningana zeSpanishi zemiBhalo YesiHebheru zisusela ngokuqondile olimini lwesiHebheru. Ngaleso sikhathi, iSpain iyona eyayinamaJuda amaningi eYurophu, futhi abahumushi abangamaJuda babesebenzisa imibhalo yesandla ekahle yesiHebheru lapho behumusha. *

Esinye isibonelo esivelele kwakuyi-Alba Bible eyahunyushwa ngekhulu le-15 leminyaka. ULuis de Guzmán, indoda eyisicukuthwane nedumile eSpain, wacela uRabi Moisés Arragel ukuba ahumushe iBhayibheli ngeSpanishi esingaxutshiwe. Washo izizathu ezimbili zokwenza lesi sicelo. Nasi isizathu sokuqala: “AmaBhayibheli ezilimi ezisuselwa olimini lwesiLatini awanembile,” esesibili yilesi, “Abantu abanjengathi badinga iBhayibheli elinemibhalo eseceleni echaza amavesi anzima.” Isicelo sakhe sembula ukuthi abantu bangosuku lwakhe babekuthanda  ngempela ukufunda nokuqonda iBhayibheli. Sibonisa nokuthi kakade base bebaningi abantu ababefunda imiBhalo ngolimi lwabo eSpain.

Abantu abafundile baseSpain bakwazi ukufunda iBhayibheli ngolimi lwabo kalula ngenxa yomsebenzi owenziwa abahumushi nabakopishi bangenkathi ephakathi. Ngenxa yalokho, isazi-mlando uJuan Orts González saphawula ukuthi “abantu baseSpain babelazi kangcono iBhayibheli kunabantu baseJalimane noma baseNgilandi ngaphambi kwesikhathi sikaLuther.”

Nokho, ngasekupheleni kwekhulu le-15 leminyaka, iNkantolo Yokuqulwa Kwamacala Ezihlubuki YaseSpain yenqabela ukuhumusha nokuba neBhayibheli nganoma iluphi ulimi lomdabu. IBhayibheli lavinjelwa isikhathi eside eSpain. Kwadlula amakhulu amathathu eminyaka ngaphambi kokuba liphinde livunyelwe. Phakathi naleso sikhathi esinzima, abahumushi abambalwa abanesibindi bahumusha izinguqulo ezintsha ngeSpanishi bekwamanye amazwe bazithumela eSpain ngomshoshaphansi. *

Njengoba lo mlando weBhayibheli waseSpain wangenkathi ephakathi ubonisa, abaphikisi baye bazama ukuvimbela iZwi likaNkulunkulu ngezindlela eziningi. Noma kunjalo, abakwazanga ukuthulisa amazwi oMninimandla onke.—IHubo 83:1; 94:20.

Ukuzikhandla kwezazi eziningi kwasiza ekuhunyushweni kweBhayibheli nasekulisakazeni eSpain yangenkathi ephakathi. Namuhla abahumushi baye balingisa labo bahumushi bemiBhalo yesiLatini, isiGoth, isi-Arabhu neSpanishi. Ngenxa yalokho, izigidi zabantu abakhuluma iSpanishi namuhla zingafunda iZwi likaNkulunkulu ngolimi oluthinta izinhliziyo zazo.