Ko Hono Ikunaʻi Ho Ngaahi Kolaiaté

“ʻE tuku koe ʻe [he ʻEikí] he ʻahó ni ki hoku nimá … koeʻuhí ke hoko ʻo ʻilo ʻe māmani kotoa pē, ʻoku ai ha ʻOtua ʻo ʻIsileli” (1 Samuela 17:46).

Kuo pau pē ke tau fetaulaki kotoa mo ha ngaahi Kolaiate ʻi heʻetau moʻuí: ha ngaahi ʻahiʻahi mo ha ngaahi faingataʻa ʻe ngali fuʻu lahi ke tau ikunaʻi. Kae hangē ko Tēvitá, te tau lava ʻo ikunaʻi kinautolu ʻo kapau te tau falala ki he ʻOtuá pea fai hotau fatongiá. Naʻe akonaki ʻa Palesiteni Kōtoni B. Hingikelī (1910–2008) ʻo pehē, “ʻI he taimi ʻoku hoko mai ai ʻa e ʻahiʻahí, hanga ʻo fakahingoa ʻa e fuʻu saiāniti loto pōlepole mo kākā ko iá ko “Kolaiate!” pea fai ange ki ai ʻa e meʻa naʻe fai ʻe Tēvita ki he tangata Filisitia ʻo Katí” (“Ko Hono Ikunaʻi ʻo e Ngaahi Kolaiate ʻi Heʻetau Moʻuí,” Liahona, Fēpueli 2002, 4–5).

Ko e hā e meʻa ʻe lava ke ke ako mei he tau ʻa Tēvita mo Kolaiaté ʻi hoʻo lau ʻa e 1 Samuela 17? Ne tokoniʻi fēfē ʻa Tēvita ʻe heʻene falala ki he ʻOtuá? Naʻá ne mateuteu fēfē ki he tau ko ʻení? Ko e hā ha lelei ʻe lava ke maʻu ʻe ha talavou ʻe toko taha ki hono langa hake ʻo e puleʻanga ʻo e ʻEikí?

Ko ha fakaikiiki ʻeni ke fakalahi atu ʻaki ki hoʻo ako ʻo e talanoa fakaofo ko ʻení.

ʻOku hanga ʻe he tokotaha ʻokú ne fakaʻaongaʻi e makataá ʻo puke ʻa e ongo muiʻi makataá ʻi he nima te ne lisinga ʻakí, pea ko e taimi ʻe niʻihi ʻokú ne nonoʻo e mui ʻe taha ki hono loulouhiʻi nimá pea ʻai e mui ʻe tahá ʻi he vahaʻa hono motuʻa tuhú mo e foʻi tuhu ʻuluakí. ʻOku ʻikai faʻa vilohi takai ʻe he tokotaha ʻokú ne ngāueʻaki e makataá ʻa e makataá ʻi hono funga ʻulú ka ʻokú ne fuʻu vilohi takai tuʻo taha pē (ki ʻolunga pe ki lalo ʻi hono nimá) peá ne tukuange leva ʻa e mui ʻi he vahaʻa hono motuʻa tuhú mo e tuhu ʻuluakí ke puna e foʻi maká.

Ko e ngaahi makatā he kuonga muʻá ko ha konga maea lōloa pē naʻe fīʻaki e fulufuluʻisipi pe louʻakau pea ʻai ʻi lotomālie ha konga tupenu ʻoku numi ke ʻai ai e foʻi maká. Ko ʻene lōloa ange ʻa e makataá ko e mamaʻo ange pē ia ʻene lisinga e foʻi maká. ʻOku lava pē ʻe he makatā lōloa tahá ʻo lisinga ha foʻi maka ʻo laka hake ʻi he fute ʻe 800 (meimei ki he mita ʻe 250) ʻi he vave ko e vahaʻa ʻo e maile ʻe 60 ki he 100 (100–160 km) ʻi he houa.

Naʻe saiʻia ange ʻa kinautolu naʻa nau ngāueʻaki ʻa e makataá ʻi he ngaahi foʻi maka naʻe fuopotopoto mo kiʻi mafamafá he naʻe hangatonu ange ʻenau puná. Naʻe meimei ki he ʻinisi ʻe ua (5 cm) e taiamita ʻo e ngaahi foʻi maka naʻe ngāueʻaki ki he makataá (meimei ki he fōlahi ʻo ha foʻi pulu tāpulu).

Mahalo naʻe taʻu 16 pē ʻa Tēvita ʻi heʻena tau mo Kolaiaté pea naʻe fakamatalaʻi ia ʻi he folofolá ʻo pehē naʻe “totototo” hono matá, ʻa ia ko e pehē naʻe pahapaha hono kouʻahé (kei talavou).

Naʻe ʻohofi ʻe ha laione mo ha pea e fanga sipi ʻa e tamai ʻa Tēvitá pea naʻe tau ʻa Tēvita mo kinaua ʻo ne maʻu ai ʻa e loto-toʻa ke tau mo Kolaiaté.

Ko e mamafa ʻo e kofu palasa ʻo Kolaiaté ko e “sikeli ʻe nima afe,” ʻa ia ko e pāuni ia ʻe 125–200 (kilokalami ʻe 57–90).

Ko e kau ʻo e tao ʻo Kolaiaté “naʻe hangē ko e ʻakau fakamaʻunga ʻa e tangata lalangá”—mahalo naʻe lahi hake he pāuni ʻe 20 (9 kg) hono mamafá; ko e mamafa ʻo e ʻulu ʻo e taó ko e “sikeli ʻaione ʻe onongeau”— pāuni ʻe 5–25 (kilokalami ʻe 7–11).

Mahalo ko e haʻu ʻa e kau Filisitiá mei he vahefonua takatakai ʻi he Tahi ʻAisiení. Ko Kolaiaté ko e hako mahalo ia ʻo ha matakali naʻe lalahi hono kakaí, hangē ko e kau “ʻānakí” (vakai, Teutalōnome 2:10–11; Sosiua 11:22.)

Mahalo ko e tatā palasa ʻo Kolaiaté naʻe ngaohi ia mei he polonise, kopá pe ukamea. Mahalo naʻe fakamaʻu ia ki ha sifa fatafata ʻa ia ʻoku pehē naʻá ne maluʻi ʻa e tuʻá mo e kiá.