Igama lakaZimu elijanyelwa bongwaqa abane besiHebheru יהוה, livela iinkhathi ezingaba zii-7 000 emiTlolweni yesiHebheru. Kileli igadangiso letjhugululo, abongwaqa abane labo abaziwa ngokuthi yi-Tetragrammaton, bajanyiselelwe ligama elithi “Jehova.” Leli ligama elivela kanengi kunawo woke eBhayibhelini. Nanyana abatloli abaphefumulelweko babongelela uZimu ngeziqu ezinengi ezinjengezithi, “uMninimandla Woke,” “oPhezukoke,” nesithi “Kosi,” i-Tetragrammaton ngiyo kwaphela ebebayisebenzisela igama lakaZimu.

UJehova uZimu walayela abatloli beBhayibheli ukuthi basebenzise igama lakhe. Ngokwesibonelo, waphefumulela umphorofidi uJuweli bona atlole athi: “Woke umuntu obiza igama lakaJehova, uzokusindiswa.” (Juweli 2:32) UZimu wabangela nomrhubi bona atlole athi: “Bona abantu bazi ukuthi igama lakho unguJehova, Wena wedwa ungoPhezukoke ephasini loke.” (IRhubo 83:18) Kuhlekuhle, igama lakaZimu livela iinkhathi ezingaba ma-700 encwadini yamaRhubo yodwa, okuyincwadi yomvumo osakondlo ebewuzokuhlala uvunywa babantu bakaZimu. Alo kubayini igama lakaZimu lingekho kwamanye amaBhayibheli? Kubayini itjhugululweli lisebenzisa igama elithi, “Jehova”? Litjho ukuthini igama lakaZimu elithi, Jehova?

Kubayini igama lakaZimu lingekho kwamanye amaBhayibheli? Kunemibono ehlukahlukeneko ngendaba le. Abanye bacabanga ukuthi uZimu uMninimandla Woke akalitlhogi igama ekungelakhe yedwa. Abanye kubonakala badoswa lisiko lamaJuda lokubalekela ukusebenzisa igameli, mhlamunye ngebanga lokuthi uZimu uhlonipheke khulu bona angabizwa ngegameli. Bese abanye bakholelwa ukuthi njengombana kungekho owaziko bona igama lakaZimu beliphinyiselwa njani, kungcono kusetjenziswe iziqu ezinjengesithi “Kosi,” namkha “Zimu.” Kodwana lokho akuzwakali ngokwamabanga alandelako:

•   Labo abajame kwelokuthi uZimu uMninimandla Woke akalitlhogi igama ekungelakhe yedwa, batjhalazelela ubufakazi bokuthi amakhophi wokuthoma weliZwi lakhe, okuhlanganisa nalawo wangaphambi kokuza kwakaKrestu ephasini, analo igama lakaZimu. Njengombana khekwatjhiwo ngehla, uZimu walayela bona igama lakhe lifakwe iinkhathi ezingaba zii-7 000 eliZwini lakhe. Kuyatjho-ke ukuthi nguye ofuna sisebenzise igama lakhe.

• Abatjhugululi abasusa igameli ngebanga lokuhlonipha isiko lamaJuda, babhalelwa kulemuka iqiniso eliqakathekileko. Nanyana abatloli bamaJuda bebangalisebenzisi, akhenge balikhiphe eBhayibhelini. Igameli belivela neendaweni ezinengi emisongweni yakade eyatholakala e-Qumran, hlanu kweLwandle eliFileko. Abanye abatjhugululi beBhayibheli batjengisa ukuthi igama lakaZimu ebelikhona emakhophini wokuthoma weBhayibheli belijanyiselelwe ngesiqu esithi, “KOSI,” esitlolwe ngamagabhadlhela. Kodwana umbuzo osalako ngothi, Kubayini abatjhugululabo babona kuyintwehle ukususa igama lakaZimu eBhayibhelini, kukulapho bazi kuhle ukuthi igamelo livela iinkhathi eziziinkulungwana emitlolweni yeBhayibheli? Ngubani obanikele iimvumo yokwenza amatjhuguluko lawo? Kwazi bona.

• Labo abathi igama lakaZimu akukafaneli lisetjenziswe ngombana akwaziwa ukuthi beliphinyiselwa njani, kuyarara ukuthi bayalisebenzisa elithi Jesu. Kodwana abafundi bakhe bekadeni bebalibiza ngendlela ehlukileko kunaleyo esetjenziswa maKrestu namhlanjesi. AmaKrestu amaJuda bewaphimisela igama lakaJesu ngokuthi, Ye·shuʹa‛. Isiqu esithi “Krestu” basiphimisele ngokuthi Ma·shiʹach, namkha “Mesiya.” AmaKrestu akhuluma isiGirigi wona bewabiza uJesu ngokuthi, I·e·sousʹ Khri·stosʹ, bese kuthi amaKrestu akhuluma isiLathini ambize ngokuthi, Ieʹsus Chriʹstus. UZimu waphefumulela bona igama lakaJesu lifakwe eBhayibhelini yesiGirigi, okuveza ukuthi amaKrestu wekadeni bewalandela ikambiso efanako yokubiza igamelo ngendlela ezwakala kuhle ngelimi lawo. Ngebangelo-ke, iKomidi yeBhayibheli yeTjhugululo yePhasi eliTjha ibone kukuhle ukusebenzisa elithi “Jehova,” nanyana lingaphinyiselwa ngendlela ebeliphinyiselwa ngayo ngesiHebheru sakade.

Kubayini i-Tjhugululo yePhasi eliTjha isebenzisa igama elithi, “Jehova”? NgesiNgisi, amaledere amane we-Tetragrammaton (יהוה) ajanyiselelwa bongwaqa abathi, YHWH. I-Tetragrammaton beyinganabo abokamisa njengombana bekunjalo nangamanye amagama wesiHebheru sakade. Ngesikhathi isiHebheru sekadeni sisetjenziswa qobe langa, bekuba bulula ngabasikhulumako ukuthi bazifakele abokamisa abafaneleko.

Eminyakeni engaba yikulungwana nakuqedwa imiTlolo yesiHebheru, izazi zamaJuda zasungula ihlelo lokuphimisela amaledere namkha  amatshwayo, eliyikambiso ebeyizokutjho ukuthi ngibaphi abokamisa abafaneleko nawufunda isiHebheru. Kodwana ngesikhatheso bekusese neenkolelo zamaJuda zokuthi igama lakaZimu akukafaneli liphinyiselwe, yeke kwasetjenziswa iziqu ezithileko esikhundleni salo. Ngebangelo-ke, kubonakala kwanga nakukopululwa i-Tetragrammaton, kwahlanganiswa abokamisa beziqu ezisetjenziswa esikhundleni segama lakaZimu nabongwaqa abane abajamiselele igama lakaZimu. Yeke, imitlolo yesandla enabokamisabo ayisisizi sithole ukuthi igameli beliphinyiselwa njani ngesiHebheru sakade. Ngikho abanye bacabangela ukuthi belibizwa ngokuthi “Yahweh,” kukulapho abanye nabo beza neyabo imibono ehlukileko. UmSongo weLwandle eliFileko unesiqetjhana sakaLevitikusi, kiso, igama lakaZimu likopululwe ngokuthi Iao ngesiGirigi. Ngaphandle kwendlela le, abatloli besiGirigi bakade nabo bahlongoza ukuthi igameli beliphinyiselwa ngokuthi, Iae, I·a·beʹ, nangokuthi, I·a·ou·eʹ. Kodwana akutlhogeki sikatelele imibonwethu ngokuthi igameli beliphinyiselwa njani. Ngombana asazi ukuthi iinceku zakaZimu zekadeni bezilibiza njani igama lakhe ngesiHebheru. (Genesisi 13:4; Eksodusi 3:15) Esikwaziko kukuthi uZimu bekalisebenzisa ngokubuyelelweko igama lakhe nakakhuluma nabantu bakhe, kangangobana nabo bebambiza ngalo nokuthi bebalisebenzisa ngokutjhaphulukileko nabakhuluma nabanye abantu.—Eksodusi 6:2; 1 AmaKhosi 8:23; IRhubo 99:9.

Kubayini-ke iBhayibheleli lisebenzisa igama elithi, “Jehova”? Kungombana le yindlela ejayelekileko yokubiza igameli ngokomlando welimi lesiNgisi.

Indlela yokuthoma yokutlolwa kwebizo lakaZimu eBhayibhelini yesiNgisi yavela ngo-1530, etjhugululweni ka-William Tyndale okuyi-Pentateuch. U-Tyndale ibizweli walitlola ngokuthi, “Iehouah.” Ngokukhamba kwesikhathi, ilimi lesiNgisi nalo latjhuguluka, negama lakaZimu latlolwa ngokukhambisana nesikhathi. Ngokwesibonelo, ngo-1612,  u-Henry Ainsworth wasebenzisa elithi, “Iehovah” nekatjhugulula incwadi yamaRhubo. Ngo-1639, nasekabuyekeza incwadi leyo eyagadangiswa seyihlangene ne-Pentateuch, wasebenzisa igama elithi, “Jehova.” Ngo-1901, abatjhugululi beBhayibheli ye-American Standard Version basebenzisa elithi, “Jehova” koke la kuvela khona igama lesiHebheru emitlolweni.

Encwadinakhe ka-1911, i-Studies in the Psalms, u-Joseph Bryant Rotherham, isazi seBhayibheli esihlonitjhwako, nakahlathulula okumenze wasebenzisa igama elithi, “Jehova” esikhundleni selithi “Yahweh” uthi bekafuna ukusebenzisa “igama elaziwako (nelamukelekako) ebantwini abajayele ukufunda iBhayibheli.” Ngo-1930, isazi u-A. F. Kirkpatrick naye bekavumelana nephuzwelo malungana negama elithi, “Jehova.” Wathi: “Abahleli bamagama banamhlanjesi baphikisana ngokuthi bekufuze lithi, Yahveh namkha Yahaveh; kodwana elithi, JEHOVA lisajamile elimini lesiNgisi begodu okuqakathekileko akusi yindlela eliphinyiselwa ngayo, kodwana kukwaziwa kwalo njengeBizo-mbala, kunokwaziwa njengesiqu esinjengesithi ‘Kosi.’”

Litjho ukuthini-ke igama elithi Jehova? NgesiHebheru, igama elithi Jehova livela esenzweni esithi “ukuba,” begodu izazi ezimbalwa zinomuzwa wokuthi limumethe isenzo sokubangela ngesiHebheru. Yeke, ngokwendlela iKomidi yeBhayibheli yeTjhugululo yePhasi eliTjha ezwisisa ngayo igama lakaZimu, ithi litjho ukuthi “Ubangela Bona Kwenzeke.” Izazi zinemibono ehlukahlukeneko, yeke angekhe saphikisana ngokuthi ngiyiphi ihlathululo ekungiyo. Kodwana ihlathululo le ifanelana kuhle nalokho uJehova angikho njengoMdali wazo zoke izinto noMzalisi walokho akuhlosileko. Akagcini ngokubangela izinto ezisibhodileko ephasini nakiyo yoke indawo bona zibe khona, kodwana godu uragela phambili nangokusembulela umnqophwakhe.

Ngokwalokho-ke, ihlathululo yegama elithi, Jehova ayipheleli kilokho esikufunda ku-Eksodusi 3:14, othi: “Ngizokuba Ngilokho Engikhetha Ukuba Ngikho.” Nasesiyiqala ngelihlo elibukhali indaba le, amezwi lawo awakutjho koke okutjhiwo ligama lakaZimu. Kunalokho, aveza ubuntu bakaZimu bokuthi angaba ngikho koke okutlhogekako kinanyana ngibuphi ubujamo, bona azalise akuhlosileko. Yeke, nanyana igama elithi Jehova linomqondo lo, ihlathululo yalo ayipheleli kilokho yena angaba ngikho kwaphela. Kodwana isatjho nalokho angabangela indalwakhe ukuthi ikwenze malungana nokuzaliseka komnqophwakhe.