La vocazione del sacerdote in Malachia 1,6-2,9

In this contribution, the author is interested in the dispute section found in Malachi 1:6-2:9. It is the longest dispute found in Malachi and brings out the theological profile of the priest especially with regards to the demands of the Lord. The study also deals with the comparison of our dispute section with Mal 2:10-16 and 2:17-3:5 and with the Book of the Twelve as a whole. Despite the few references found in the present section, the study tries to delve into the background of the criticism aimed at priests and the need of renewal in their lives. Although in line with the tradition, Malachi operates within a change of emphasis different from that of the other minor prophets. This is evident in light of the interests that animate him and the historical background of his preaching. The priest is above all a mediator between God and the people both in the ambit of worship and the teaching of the Torah. In this regard the cult and the teaching of the Torah complement The Prophet versus Priest Antagonism Hypothesis: its History and Origin, supplementing each other and thus one enriches the other. The priest performs his office aware of what takes place within the project of God for him, and of the unity between cultic behaviour and interior life. So the prophet here prepares the theological motives that will be further developed in Judaism during the centuries immediately preceding the Christian era, where the priest will be totally immersed into a Torah personalization logic and to be involved in a higher spiritual dimension.