Ibala elithi “umphefumulo” ngesiHebheru lithi neʹphesh ikanti ngesiGrikhi lithi psy·kheʹ. Ibala lesiHebheru litsho “isidalwa esiphefumulayo” ikanti elesiGrikhi lona litsho “into ephilayo.” a Ngakho nxa iBhayibhili likhuluma ngomphefumulo liyabe lisitsho isidalwa ngokwaso, hatshi into esala iphila nxa lesosidalwa singafa. Ake sibone amanye amavesi aseBhayibhilini atshengisa ukuthi umuntu ungumphefumulo:

•   IBhayibhili lithi ngesikhathi uJehova uNkulunkulu edala umuntu wokuqala u-Adamu, waba “ngumphefumulo ophilayo.” (UGenesisi 2:7) U-Adamu kazange afakwe umphefumulo kodwa waba ngumphefumulo ophilayo kumbe umuntu ophilayo.

•   IBhayibhili litshengisa ukuthi umphefumulo uyasebenza, uyadla, uyalamba, uyalalela imithetho njalo uyenelisa lokubamba. (ULevi 5:2; 7:20; 23:30; UDutheronomi 12:20; KwabaseRoma 13:1) Izinto zonke lezi zenziwa ngumuntu.

Umphefumulo uyafa yini?

 Ye uyafa. Kulamavesi amanengi eBhayibhilini atshengisa ukuthi umphefumulo uyafa. Nanzi izibonelo:

•   “Umphefumulo owonayo yiwo ozakufa.”—UHezekheli 18:4, 20.

•   Esizweni sako-Israyeli amanye amacala ayelesijeziso sokubulawa. Amanye amaBhayibhili athi ‘umphefumulo wawubulawa.’ (U-Eksodusi 12:15, 19; ULevi 7:20, 21, 27; 19:8, King James Version) Lokhu kutsho ukuthi umuntu owayenze icala elikhulu ‘wayebulawa.’—U-Eksodusi 31:14.

•   Amanye amaBhayibhili asebenzisa umutsho othi “umphefumulo ofileyo” nxa ekhuluma ngesidumbu somuntu. (ULevi 21:11; AmaNani 6:6) Lanxa amaBhayibhili amanengi esebenzisa ibala elithi ‘isidumbu’ kumbe elithi ‘umuntu ofileyo’ emavesini la, imibhalo yesiHebheru yasebenzisa ibala elithi neʹphesh, okutsho “umphefumulo.”

Ibala elithi “umphefumulo” lingatsho impilo

 Ibala elithi “umphefumulo” liyasetshenziswa eBhayibhilini nxa kukhulunywa ngempilo. Ngokwesibonelo kuJobe 33:22 kusetshenziswe ibala elithi “impilo” endaweni yebala elithi “umphefumulo” (neʹphesh). IBhayibhili liphinda litshengise ukuthi umphefumulo womuntu kumbe impilo yakhe ingaba sengozini.—U-Eksodusi 4:19; ABahluleli 9:17; KwabaseFiliphi 2:30.

 Ukusetshenziswa kwebala elithi “umphefumulo” ngalindlela kwenza sizwisise amavesi akhuluma ngokuthi umphefumulo ‘uyaphuma.’ (UGenesisi 35:18; King James Version) Ukuthi umphefumulo uyaphuma ngamazwi ahlakaniphileyo atsho ukuthi umuntu usesifa. Amanye amaBhayibhili ahumutsha umutsho lo okuGenesisi 35:18 ngokuthi “waphefumula okokucina.”—Good News Translation; New Jerusalem Bible.

Ivela ngaphi imfundiso yokuthi umphefumulo awufi?

 Amasonto akholwa ukuthi umphefumulo awufi awayithathanga eBhayibhilini imfundiso le kodwa ayithatha ezimfundisweni zezikhwicamfundo ezingamaGrikhi. Isichazamazwi okuthiwa yi-Encyclopædia Britannica sithi: ‘Amavesi aseBhayibhilini akhuluma ngomphefumulo atsho impilo ngokwayo, awehlukanisi umphefumulo lomzimba womuntu. Imfundiso yokuthi umphefumulo lomzimba yizinto ezimbili ezitshiyeneyo yaqaliswa yizikhwicamfundo ezingamaGrikhi endulo.”

 UNkulunkulu kafuni ukuthi izimfundiso eziseLizwini lakhe zixutshaniswe lemfundiso zabantu ezinjengokuthi umphefumulo awufi. IBhayibhili lithi: “Nanzelelani kungabi lomuntu olithumba ngokuhlakanipha komhlaba lo langobuqili obuyize, okusekelwe emasikweni abantu lasezintweni eziqakathekiswayo zomhlaba lo hatshi kuKhristu.”—KwabaseKholose 2:8.