Covenant

A covenant is an agreement between two parties who promise each other under oath to keep to certain agreements. Sometimes the promises are mutual, but often the promise is made by just one party to the other.

In the Bible, the covenant is the most important metaphor that is used to characterise the relationship between God and his people. This is also clear from the names of the two parts of the Christian Bible: “Old Testament” and “New Testament”, in which “testament” is another word for “covenant”.

Significance of Making Covenants

Covenants have been made since history began. Through covenants and treaties, relationships between groups were established and regulated. A covenant could be made between nations, but also between individuals. A well-known example of the latter are the agreements concerning marriage.

Process of Making a Covenant

The process of making a covenant usually included the following elements:

An historical event has taken place which has resulted in a relationship being established between the two parties.
The two parties have certain ideas in common, usually religious ideas (like gods, for instance).
Rules for future behaviour are defined, either by both parties or by the dominant party.
The agreement is recorded in a written or oral form.
A ritual takes place that reinforces the promise.

Relationship with Religion and the Law

In ancient times, making a covenant was often closely linked to religion. If the covenant was broken, the gods were called upon to impose punishment. Making covenants was also closely related to making laws: the obligations included in the covenant often became laws. In later times, the covenant became purely a form of legislation.