ALPHA MAAMA (A.M.)

Sapate Sune 18, 2023

The Fat Calf King

KO E TU‘I SINO MO‘ONI

JUDGES 3:12, 17

AND THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL AGAIN DID WHAT WAS EVIL IN THE SIGHT OF THE LORD, AND THE LORD STRENGTHENED EGLON THE KING OF MOAB AGAINST ISRAEL, BECAUSE THEY HAD DONE WHAT WAS EVIL IN THE SIGHT OF THE LORD .. NOW EGLON WAS A VERY FAT MAN.

FAKAMAAU 3:12, 17

Pea toe fai ‘e ha‘a ‘Isileli ‘a e me‘a na‘e tau kovi ki he finangalo ‘o Sihova: pea na‘e poupou ‘e he ‘Eiki ‘a ‘Ekeloni ko e Tu‘i Moape ke ne mālohi ki ha‘a ‘Isileli, koe‘uhi kuo ne fai ‘a e me‘a na‘e tau kovi ki he finangalo ‘o Sihova…Pea na‘a ne ‘oatu ‘a e me‘a‘ofa kia ‘Ekeloni ko e Tu‘i Moape; pea ko ‘Ekeloni ko e ‘eiki sino ‘aupito.

(Liliu Faka-TONGA)

‘Oku ‘i ai e ngaahi lea pe kananga he ngaahi ‘aho ni ‘oku ‘ikai toe ngaue’aki koe’uhi ‘e mamahi ai ‘a e tokolahi, ka na’e ngaue’aki tau’ataina pe ia ‘i he Fuakava Motu’a ke luma’i’aki ‘a e ngaahi fili ‘o ‘Isileli. Ko e talanoa ‘o ‘Ekeloni, ko e talanoa faka’aluma ko hono taukae’i ‘o e fili. ‘Oku kamata pe ‘i he hingoa ‘o ‘Ekeloni; ko e fo’i lea Hepelu ko e ‘ekele (egel), ‘oku ‘uhinga ko e pulu mui pe pulu toho palau. Pea ‘oku toe ongo tatau mo e fo’i lea ko e ‘akolo (agol), ‘oku ‘uhinga ko e “fuopotopoto” pe ko ‘etau lea Tonga ko e “fo’i mo.” Pea ‘i he’ene pehee, na’e hoko mo’oni pe ‘a e tu’i ni ki hono hingoa, he ko e “ ‘eiki sino ‘aupito” - pe ko hono kape, “sino hangee ha puluu.” Pea ‘i he aofangatuku ‘o e talanoa, ‘oku mo’oni ‘a Palovepi 23:2;  “‘Io, na‘a ke mei ‘ai ha hele ki ho kia, kapau ko e tangata u‘akai koe.”

Na’e kau pe mo Sisu ‘i he lea hangatonu ta’e-toe-ufi he sipinga lea ‘a e kau Hepeluu, he na’e ‘ikai toe afe ‘ene ui ‘a Helota ko e fokisi pea mo e kau Falesi ko e hako ngata fekai. Na’e pehee pe mo Paula ‘ene tala ki he kau Siu ne nau fakafepaki’i ia, “Taumaiā ke nau fai atu ‘o tu‘usi ‘aupito” (Kaletia 5:12). ‘Oku ‘i ai pe ‘a e taimi ‘i he’etau taukave’i ‘a e mo’ui mo e mo’oni, kuopau ke tau ngaue’aki ha ngaahi lea fefeka mo ta’emalu’ia. 

‘I he’emau lea, ‘Eiki tokoni mai, ke mau potopoto’i hange ha ngata, pea mau vale he kovi ‘o hange ha lupe (Matiu 10:16).

Some expressions that we deem politically incorrect or highly offensive today are used without reservation in the Old Testament to mock Israel's enemies. The short story of Eglon is a raw and sarcastic farce intended to poke fun at the foe. The comedy begins with Eglon's name, a form of the Hebrew word egel, meaning young bull, ox, or calf. It also sounds and looks like the word agol, which means "round" or "rotund." This enemy king lived up to his name, for he was indeed "a very fat man" - "fat as a cow," as the insult goes. At the end of the story, he who filled his paunch with too much food will eat the dagger that spells his doom.

As both inspiration and heir to this sharp-tongued, in-your-face Hebrew rhetoric, Jesus will not shy away from calling Herod a fox and the Pharisees a brood of vipers. Paul too will tell his Judaizing opponents that they should castrate themselves (Gal. 5:12)! Sometimes, when life and truth are at stake, only the sharpest and boldest language will do.

Even in our speech, O Lord, makes us wise as serpents and innocent as doves (Matt. 10:16).