Świętość małżeństwa w rozumieniu Malachiasza. Analiza egzegetyczno-teologiczna perykopy Ml 2, 10-16

Abstract

The purpose of the article is an analysis of a pericope Ml 2, 10-16 with special regard to a teaching about marriage, which is contained in the pericope. Three principal problems are discussed: literary gender (I), exegetical analysis which helps to lay down fundamental ideas of the pericope as follows: (a) marriage as a convenant, (b) God as a witness of the covenant, (c) Israelite wife as: “wife of youth”, “partner for life”, “wife of covenant” (II) and theological conclusions concerning these ideas (III). The pericope 2,10-16 consists of two parts: w. 10-12 concern a problem of intermarriages and w. 13-16 – a problem of divorces. Marriages with pagan women are called by prophet Malachi „an abomination” Such marriages are acts, which insult a covenant with God and profane a temple, which is a “holiness” beloved by God. Malachi calls pagan wives “daughters of foreign gods” and underlines in this way a guilt of Israelite husbands, pointing to close connection of these women with false gods. Men, who don't care about it, marrying pagan women in spite of everything will be punished by deprivation of certain rights within community they betrayed. They will be put away from social and religious life and won't be able to make atonement with any kind of offerings, because they will not even have the right to offer sacrifices to God. In the same radical way the prophet condemns divorces. He stresses a fact that Israelite wives were divorced without their own guilt and opposes them to “daughters of foreign gods”, calling them: “wives of youth”, “partners for life” and “wives of covenant” This first marital union have had a great value, for God himself was its witness. The prophet defends abandoned wives, condemns unfaithful husbands and warns of such proceeding, which hits holinees of a marital convenant.