Ibizo likaNkulunkulu litholakala izikhathi ezingaba ngu-7 000 eMibhalweni yesiHebheru futhi limelwa ngongwaqa laba abane besiHebheru, יהוה. EBhayibhilini leli ongwaqa laba abane ababizwa ngokuthi yi-Tetragrammaton bahunyutshwa ngokuthi “Jehova.” Ibizo leli litholakala izikhathi ezinengi ukwedlula loba yiliphi ibizo eliseBhayibhilini. Abalobi beBhayibhili babesebenzisa amabizo okuhlonipha kumbe amabizomuntu afanana lathi “Somandla,” “oPhezukonke,” lelithi “Nkosi” nxa bekhuluma ngoNkulunkulu, kodwa babesebenzisa i-Tetragrammaton kuphela nxa sebembiza ngebizo lakhe.

UJehova uNkulunkulu waphefumulela abalobi beBhayibhili ukuthi balisebenzise ibizo lakhe. Ngokwesibonelo, waphefumulela umphrofethi uJoweli ukuthi abhale athi: “Wonke umuntu obiza ibizo likaJehova uzasindiswa.” (UJoweli 2:32) Kanti njalo uNkulunkulu waphefumulela omunye umhubi ukuthi abhale athi: “Kwangathi abantu bangakwazi ukuthi wena obizo lakho unguJehova, nguwe wedwa oPhezukonke emhlabeni wonke.” (IHubo 83:18) Ibizo likaNkulunkulu litholakala izikhathi ezingaba ngu-700 ebhukwini lamaHubo kuphela. Ibhuku leli lilezingoma okwakumele abantu bakaNkulunkulu bazibambe ngekhanda futhi bazihlabele. Pho kungani ibizo likaNkulunkulu lingekho emaBhayibhilini amanengi? Kungani iBhayibhili leli lisebenzisa ibizo elithi “Jehova”? Litshoni ibizo likaNkulunkulu elithi Jehova?

Kungani ibizo likaNkulunkulu lingekho emaBhayibhilini amanengi? Zinengi izizatho. Abanye bacabanga ukuthi akudingakali ukuthi uNkulunkulu uSomandla abe lebizo lakhe yedwa ukuze aziveze ukuthi ungubani. Kukhanya angani abanye balandela umkhuba wamaJuda wokungasebenzisi ibizo likaNkulunkulu, mhlawumbe besesaba ukuthi kuzakhanya angathi abalihloniphi. Abanye bathi kungcono ukusebenzisa amabizo okuhlonipha anjengokuthi “Nkosi” loba “Nkulunkulu” ngoba akulamuntu okwaziyo ukuthi ibizo lakhe lalibizwa njani sibili. Kodwa imibono le ayilasisindo. Kungani sisitsho njalo?

•    Labo abathi akulasidingo sokuthi uNkulunkulu uSomandla abe lebizo abalandaba lobufakazi bokuthi imibhalo yakuqala yayilalo ibizo likaNkulunkulu. Imibhalo le igoqela leyo eyabhalwa uKhristu engakabuyi emhlabeni. Njengoba sike satsho, uNkulunkulu waphefumulela abalobi beBhayibhili ukuthi babhale ibizo lakhe eLizwini lakhe izikhathi ezingaba ngu-7 000. Kusegcekeni ukuthi ufuna silazi ibizo lakhe njalo silisebenzise.

•   Kulomcijo oqakathekileyo abangawunanzeleliyo abahumutshi laba abakhipha ibizo likaNkulunkulu besithi balandela umkhuba wamaJuda. Ababhali abangamaJuda abazange balikhiphe eBhayibhilini ibizo likaNkulunkulu lanxa bona babengafuni ukumbiza ngalo. Ibizo likaNkulunkulu litholakala kanengi ezincwadinimgoqwa ezatholakala eQumran, eduze loLwandle Lwesawudo. Abanye abahumutshi babhala ibizo lokuhlonipha elithi “NKOSI” ngamabala amakhulu bezama ukutshengisa ukuthi ibizo likaNkulunkulu lalikhona emibhalweni yakuqala. Lokhu kutshengisa ukuthi bayavuma ukuthi ibizo likaNkulunkulu litholakala izikhathi eziyizinkulungwane emibhalweni yakuqala. Manje kungani abahumutshi laba belikhipha eBhayibhilini? Bayithatha ngaphi imvumo yokwenza njalo? Bona yibo abangatsho.

•   Kulabantu abathi ibizo likaNkulunkulu akumelanga lisetshenziswe ngenxa yokuthi akwaziwa ukuthi lalibizwa njani. Kodwa kuyamangalisa ukuthi elikaJesu lona bayalisebenzisa. Phela abalandeli bakaJesu bokuqala babengabizi ibizo likaJesu ngendlela amaKhristu amanengi alibiza ngayo lamuhla. Kungenzakala ukuthi amaKhristu ayengamaJuda ayebiza uJesu ngokuthi Ye·shuʹa‛. Ibizo lokuhlonipha elithi “Khristu” lona babelibiza ngokuthi Ma·shiʹach kumbe “Mesiya.” AmaKhristu ayengamaGrikhi wona ayembiza esithi I·e·sousʹ Khri·stosʹ, awesiLatin esithi Ieʹsus Chriʹstus. UNkulunkulu waphefumulela ukuthi ibizo likaJesu libhalwe ngesiGrikhi eBhayibhilini, okutshengisa ukuthi amaKhristu okuqala ayelibiza ngendlela eyayijayelekile ngolimi lwawo. IKhomithi Yokuhumutsha INguqulo Yomhlaba Omutsha layo yakubona kuqondile ukuthi ibhale ibizo elithi “Jehova” ngendlela ejayelekileyo, lanxa kungayisiyo indlela elalibizwa ngayo ngesiHebheru sasendulo.

Kungani ibizo likaNkulunkulu libhalwe lathiwa “Jehova” ku-Nguqulo Yomhlaba Omutsha? EsiNgisini, u-YHWH umela ongwaqa abane be-Tetragrammaton (יהוה). I-Tetragrammaton yayingelabo onkamisa njengoba nje wonke amabala esiHebheru ayebhalwa engelabo onkamisa. Abantu ababekhuluma isiHebheru sasendulo babejayele ukuzifakela onkamisa emabaleni nxa bebala.

Izifundiswa ezingamaJuda zasungula izimpawu zenkulumo ezazitshengisa onkamisa okwakumele bafakwe nxa abantu bebala isiHebheru. Lokhu zakwenza sekuleminyaka engaba ngu-1000 iMibhalo yesiHebheru yabhalwa. Kodwa ngalesosikhathi amaJuda amanengi  ayesithi kuyazila ukubiza ibizo likaNkulunkulu, acina esesebenzisa amabizo okuhlonipha. Ngakho kukhanya angathi bathi bekopa i-Tetragrammaton bahlanganisa onkamisa bebizo lokuhlonipha elithi Adhonai (elitsho ukuthi Nkosi) kumbe elithi Elohim (elitsho ukuthi Nkulunkulu) labongwaqa abane abamela ibizo lakhe. Yikho imibhalo yasendulo elezimpawu lezi zenkulumo ayisiniki indlela ibizo likaNkulunkulu elalibizwa ngayo ngesiHebheru. Abanye bathi lalibizwa ngokuthi “Yahweh,” kodwa abanye balemibono etshiyeneyo. Encwadinimgoqwa elengxenye kaLevi eyatholakala eLwandle Lwesawudo ibizo likaNkulunkulu lahunyutshwa ngesiGrikhi ngokuthi Iao. Abanye abalobi besiGrikhi bakuqala babesithi libizwa kuthiwa Iae, I·a·beʹ, kumbe ngokuthi I·a·ou·eʹ. Kodwa akulasizatho sokuthi sibambelele endleleni ethile okumele ibizo likaNkulunkulu libizwe ngayo ngoba asikwazi ukuthi izinceku zikaNkulunkulu zakudala zazilibiza njani sibili ibizo lakhe ngesiHebheru. (UGenesisi 13:4; U-Eksodusi 3:15) Esikwaziyo yikuthi uNkulunkulu wayelisebenzisa ibizo lakhe nxa ekhuluma labantu bakhe. Kanti njalo babembiza ngalo, belisebenzisa bekhululekile nxa bekhuluma labanye.—U-Eksodusi 6:2; 1 AmaKhosi 8:23; IHubo 99:9.

Pho-ke kungani iBhayibhili leli lisebenzisa ibizo likaNkulunkulu elithi “Jehova”? Lokhu kungenxa yokuthi indlela le yokubhala ibizo likaNkulunkulu yaqalisa ukusetshenziswa kudala ezindimini ezinengi.

Indlela le yokubhala ibizo likaNkulunkulu yasetshenziswa okokuqala eBhayibhilini lesiNgisi elaba khona ngo-1530. IBhayibhili lelo lahunyutshwa nguWilliam Tyndale futhi lalilamabhuku amahlanu abhalwa nguMosi abizwa ngokuthi yi-Pentateuch. Wasebenzisa isipele esithi “Iehouah.” Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi ulimi lwesiNgisi lwatshintsha, lendlela ibizo leli elalipelwa ngayo yasitshintsha. Ngokwesibonelo, uHenry Ainsworth wathi ehumutsha ibhuku lamaHubo ngo-1612 wasebenzisa isipele esithi “Iehovah.” Ngo-1639 kwasetshenziswa isipele esithi “Jehovah” ngesikhathi ibhuku lamaHubo lihunyutshwa  kutsha futhi lidindwa selile-Pentateuch. Ngo-1901 abahumutshi be-American Standard Version basebenzisa isipele esithi “Jehovah” lapho okwakutholakala khona ibizo likaNkulunkulu eMibhalweni yesiHebheru.

Ngo-1911 esinye isikhwicamfundo seBhayibhili esihlonitshwayo okwakuthiwa nguJoseph Bryant Rotherham, sasebenzisa isipele esithi “Jehovah” ebhukwini laso elithi Studies in the Psalms. URotherham wathi isizatho esamenza wasebenzisa isipele esithi “Jehovah” esikhundleni sesithi “Yahweh” yikuthi wayefuna ukusebenzisa “isipele esaziwa (futhi esamukelwa) ngabantu abanengi ababala iBhayibhili.” Ngo-1930, u-A. F. Kirkpatrick laye watsho njalo ngokusetshenziswa kwesipele esithi “Jehovah.” Wathi: “Lanxa izazi zohlelo lolimi zisithi ibizo leli kumele libizwe ngokuthi Yahveh kumbe Yahaveh, kukhanya angathi isiNgisi sesilesikhathi eside sisebenzisa ibizo elithi JEHOVAH. Ukuthi libizwa njani akuqakathekanga, okuqakathekileyo yikuthi abantu bakwazi ukuthi ayisilo bizo lokuhlonipha elinjengokuthi ‘Nkosi’ kodwa libizoqho.”

Litshoni ibizo elithi Jehova? NgesiHebheru ibizo elithi Jehova livela ebaleni eliyisenzo elitsho ukuthi “kube khona.” Izikhwicamfundo ezinengi zicabanga ukuthi ibala leli lesiHebheru liyimpambosi yokwenzisa. Ngakho iKhomithi Yokuhumutsha INguqulo Yomhlaba Omutsha ithi ibizo likaNkulunkulu litsho ukuthi “Wenza Ukuthi Kube Khona.” Ngeke sithi lokhu yikho kanye okuqondileyo ngoba izikhwicamfundo zilemibono etshiyeneyo. Kodwa okutshiwo libizo likaJehova kuveza ukuthi nguye uMdali wazo zonke izinto lokuthi uyakugcwalisa konke akuhlosileyo. Wadala izulu lomhlaba lezingilosi kanye labantu, futhi uqhubeka esenza ukuthi intando yakhe kanye lalokho akuhlosileyo kugcwaliseke.

Ngakho okutshiwo libizo elithi Jehova akupheleli kulokho okutshiwo libala eliyisenzo elitholakala ku-Eksodusi 3:14 othi: “Ngizakuba Yilokho Engikhetha Ukuba Yikho” kumbe “Ngizakuba Yilokho Engizakuba Yikho.” Amazwi la kawachasisi ngokugcweleyo ukuthi ibizo likaNkulunkulu litshoni kodwa aveza okuthile ngobuntu bakhe. Atshengisa ukuthi uba yiloba yini edingakalayo esimeni ngasinye ukuze agcwalise lokho akuhlosileyo. Lanxa ibizo likaJehova lingaba lomqondo lo, elikutshoyo akupheleli kulokho akhetha ukuba yikho. Ligoqela lalokho abangela ukuthi kwenzakale ezintweni azidalileyo kanye lalokho enelisa ukukwenza ukuze agcwalise inhloso yakhe.