So then, as this beautiful Sabbath is coming to an end, and the moon is waning as we slowly approach the autumn Feast days and the ever looming and `dreaded` Day of Atonement. The Autumn, as we know it after the Catholic calendar, sure is a blessed and special time of the year. Except for the occasional storms, Nature seems to both calm and purge, preparing for the Day of Atonement and the coming celebration of the Fest of Tabernacles (Feast of Booths). I will try to, some time in the near future, make a an effort to try to explain these feast dates, the calendar and how to try and live by it, by only watching and using NiNis great signs (sun and moon) which He put up there on the sky for us to keep track of time. The earths biological clock, has off course a few other used, like gravity and sunlight making it a little easier to be alive ;-)
Now, lets look at some more Xhosa words, for edification, in these `African` Biblical studies. If words begin to complicated, go back to the first lesson and repeat words, or contact me and I`ll try to give some directions.
I bid you Peace, or as they say in Xhosa UXHOLO
(First click sound I will drop on you is X - a sound made from clicking the sides of either of the teeth, like you are clicking when riding a horse)
YEZA - Medicine or Remedy (remember the second son of Moses ((Exodus 13,4), Eliyeza (Eliezer), which means `my help` or `my remedy`)
MELUSI - Shepard
LUSA - To Circumcise, and to get circumcized is `LUKA`. (also a good word to begin to understand the cultural depths of the tradition of circumcision, which in Xhosa is SILIMELA (They even had circumcision classes, SILIMELA). To Luka actually means to `go into manhood`, and Xhosa is known as the nation of circumcision - another strong proof of history that helps the understanding of the Xhosa people being one of the so-called lost tribes of Israel...
NKOSI - King (Big King, fully grown King)
NKOSANA - Little or Small King (this one holds great interest for the Biblically inclined who remember the shouting of the word `Hoseanna`, translated, with desperate attempts in many Bible translations ever since that very day the Messiah rode in on that donkey. They portray this as some weird word meaning something like halleluja or freedom, or some other nonsensical and made up word. The word was Nkosana (or perhaps a variation pronounced Hosana - which means young King or little King. Which indeed is what your Saviour was... Another thing is the branches (palm-branches) umhlambo... will get back to that..
SINABO - We are with them (can also be read in context with SINAYE, which means we are with HIM, referring the the covenant made at the Mt. SINAI (SINAYE)
SINAYE - We are with Him (NiNi)
NYANGA - The Moon (Genesis 1,14 tells you that this heavenly body, should help you to figure out when the true Sabbath is)
NYANGA - Month (interesting, isn't it, that these two particular words should mean exactly the same. Now considering that the moon tells you which part of the month it is, how else would you calculate when the Sabbath is? Kinda integral in the 10 Commandments...just sayin`, you might want to look into this...
LANGA - The Sun (An interesting thing about Xhosa language is they placement of an I before every noun, like `idog` or more familiar in our time `iPhone`... Not pliable for persons or such, only nouns. we will get back to this
NKWENKWEZI - Star or regular Star. A symbolic star is Kwezi, like the one the Wisemen saw the day the Little King was born up in the hillsides of Bethlehem (Xhosa language and culture enjoys repeating words, just like the so-called `poetical Hebraic effects embedded in the Hebrew language making it notoriously difficult to understand wit insight into the Xhosa culture and language. Hence we get numerous repeating words like `MeneMene` (transgressor, KaziKazi (Flashy, feminine) or BhovuBhovu (strong, Maskuline)
NKWENKWE - Boy (Close to the before mentioned huh? Xhosa is one of those few languages that actually makes sense, though it gets complicated)
MINI - Day of the Week (also the same word is used for Daytime, another sentral word that draws very close to the name of the Father - NiNi)
MHLA - This word means which `day of the month` (pronounced with the `hl`, which sounds like you are frying something in the pan, `hhhhlllll`
SUKU - Night
THUMA - To Send
SITHUNYWA - Messenger (often recognised as messengers or angels in the Bible, this word is used for them - Sithunywa)
ZULU - Heaven. (The Zulus of South-Africa will still refer to themselves as the `heavenly` people, though they are not remembered for much more than being very warlike and rebellious, under leaders like Shaka Zulu.. Though they fit the bill to perfection with the curses described in the Books of Moses, another strong candidate to one of the lost tribes of Israel)
NYANGWENI - The Fathers (Bawo) place is Heaven. Heaven (Zulu) has by several descriptions in the Bible got numerous levels to it (perhaps seven if one considers Enoch, al though be careful with this book). And NiNi, the Most High - is all about the highest, the first and the most sublime, which means He resides in the Highest places of Heaven... ponder and meditate on this, let your thoughts run wild for a moment, the Creator of nature in all its splendour as we know it and enjoy it, has got an even more beautiful and set-apart place, where He btw has invited each and every one of us... can you imagine such wondrous things?
THIXO - This word is used in Xhosa Bibles and means `God`, and can be used interchangeably with `OmkholOmkholo` (Zulu word for God) (Remember this is a title, somewhat like the prefix `So` in So NiNi na NiNi, I am that I am)
SITHIXO - a little god, smaller gods
THYILA - to reveal something (that has been) concealed
THYILWA/THYILOA - to get something revealed in you, the man was told to go to the pool of `revealed in you`, get it? Pool of Thyilwa/Shiloah (read this in context of John 9,7, and the play on words becomes blatantly obvoius)
Uxolo lube nani