ʻI HE taimi ʻo e Tohi Tapú, ko e totongi ʻo ha taʻahine mali naʻe ʻoange ia ki he fāmili ʻo e taʻahiné ʻi he taimi ʻoku aleaʻi ai ha mali. Naʻe kau nai ki he totongi ko ení ha koloa mahuʻinga, fanga manu pe paʻanga. ʻI he taimi ʻe niʻihi, naʻe totongi ia fakafou ʻi hono fai ha ngāue, hangē ko Sēkopé, naʻá ne loto ke ngāue ki he tamai ʻa Lesielí ʻi he taʻu ʻe fitu kae lava ke ne mali mo ia. (Sēn. 29:17, 18, 20) Ko e hā ʻa e taumuʻa ʻo e anga fakafonua ko ení?

Ko ha mataotao Tohi Tapu ko Carol Meyers ʻokú ne pehē: “Ko e totongi ʻo e taʻahine malí ʻe lava ke ne huhuʻi ʻa e mole ʻa ha ʻofefine mo hono ngafa ki hono fāmilí, ʻa ia naʻe mahuʻinga ʻi ha fāmili [ngoue].” ʻE toe ʻai foki ʻe he totongi ʻo e taʻahine malí ke mālohi ʻa e haʻi ʻo e kaumeʻa ʻi he vahaʻa ʻo e ongo fāmilí. Ko e haʻi fakafāmili ko iá ʻe lava ke hoko ʻo ʻaonga ʻi he taimi faingataʻá. ʻIkai ko ia pē, naʻe fakapapauʻi ʻi he totongi ʻo e taʻahine malí ʻoku ʻosi fakamaʻu ha fefine pea te ne mavahe mei hono tokangaʻi mo maluʻi ʻe heʻene tamaí ki hono husepānití.

Ko hono fai ʻa e totongi ko ení naʻe ʻikai ʻuhinga iá ko e uaifí ko ha meʻa pē ʻe lava ke fakatau mai pe fakatau atu. Ko e tohi Ancient Israel​—Its Life and Institutions ʻoku pehē ai: “Ko e fatongia ko eni ke totongi ha paʻanga pe ko ha koloa ki he fāmili ʻo e taʻahiné naʻá ne ʻai ke hā atu ko e mali ʻa e kau ʻIsilelí ko ha fefakatauʻaki. Ka ko e [totongi ʻo e taʻahine malí] ko ha totongi huhuʻi pē ia naʻe ʻoange ki he fāmilí kae ʻikai ko hano fakatau mai ʻo e fefiné.”

ʻI he ngaahi fonua ʻe niʻihi ʻi he ʻahó ni, ʻoku kei muimui pē ʻa e kakaí ki he anga fakafonua hono totongi ʻo e taʻahine malí. ʻI heʻene haʻu ki he ngaahi mātuʻa Kalisitiané, ʻoku nau tuku ke hoko ʻenau “fakakaukau leleí ʻo ʻiloʻi ʻe he tangata kotoa pē” ʻaki ʻa e ʻikai ke nau fiemaʻu ha totongi lahi ange ʻi he malava ʻa e tokotahá. (Fil. 4:5; 1 Kol. 10:32, 33) ʻOku nau fakahāhā leva ai ʻoku ʻikai ke nau hoko “ko e kau ʻofa ki he paʻangá” pe mānumanu. (2 Tīm. 3:2) Tānaki atu ki aí, ʻi he taimi ʻoku ʻikai fiemaʻu ai ʻe he ngaahi mātuʻa Kalisitiané ha fuʻu totongi mamafa taʻefakaʻatuʻí, heʻikai ke fakamālohiʻi ai ʻa e tangata teu malí ke ne toloi ʻa e malí kae ʻoleva ke ne maʻu ha paʻanga feʻunga. Pe heʻikai ke ongoʻi ai ʻe he tangata teu malí ʻoku totonu ke ne liʻaki ʻene tāimuʻá koeʻuhi kuo pau ke ne ngāue paʻanga taimi-kakato ke maʻu ʻa e fuʻu paʻanga lahi ke totongiʻaki ʻa e taʻahine malí.

ʻI he ngaahi feituʻu ʻe niʻihi, ko e totongi ʻo e taʻahine malí ko ha meʻa fakalao ia. ʻI he tuʻunga ko ení, ʻoku muimui ʻa e ngaahi mātuʻa Kalisitiané ki he lao ko iá. Ko e hā hono ʻuhingá? ʻOku fiemaʻu ʻe he Folofola ʻa e ʻOtuá ke “fakamoʻulaloa ʻa e tokotaha kotoa pē ki he ngaahi mafai māʻolungá,” pea ke talangofua ki he ngaahi lao ʻoku ʻikai fepaki mo e ngaahi lao ʻa e ʻOtuá.​—Loma 13:1; Ngā. 5:29.