Covenant in the Old Testament
A covenant (berit in Hebrew) in the Old Testament is a solemn promise that is made binding by an oath. A covenant creates a relationship between two groups. This relationship is put on the right track through the conditions of the covenant: the obligations imposed upon one or both of the parties.
The covenant was, after family, the most important basis for relationships between people. It therefore plays a fundamental role in the history and religion of Israel.
Different Types of Covenants
In the Old Testament, four different types of agreements are called “covenant” (berit):
- Sovereignty agreements: these record the duties that a ruler imposes on a subject. One example is the treaty between the king of Babylon and his vassal, King Zedekiah of Judah (Ezekiel 17:13
). - Covenant between equals: both parties commit to each other through an oath. They do this to maintain peace or to form a (military) alliance, for instance. Examples are the covenant between Abraham
and Abimelech (Genesis 21:25-32 ), and the alliance between Israel and Judah, and foreign nations (see for example 1 Kings 15:19 ). - Patronage: the superior party imposes certain obligations on itself in aid of the subordinate party. Examples are the covenants between God and Abraham, and God and David.
- A promise under oath: this is a later development of the covenant, involving only one party. The aim is not to establish a relationship between two parties, but to guarantee that certain obligations are met. An example is the covenant of Josiah
. Josiah and the people promise God under oath to adhere to the demands of the book of the covenant that has been found in the Temple (2 Kings 23:3 ).
Religious Covenants
In the Old Testament, besides secular covenants between two (groups of) people, there are also religious covenants. In that case, God makes a covenant with the people or with an individual. A distinction can be made, in this case, between:
I. covenants in which God makes a promise, as with:
- the covenant with Noah (Genesis 9:8-17
); - the covenant with Abraham
; - the covenant with David
.
II. covenants in which certain obligations are imposed on the people, as with:
- the covenant of Moses
(Exodus 24 ); - Joshua’s covenant at Shechem (Joshua 24
); - Josiah’s reformation (2 Kings 22–23
); - Ezra’s covenant (Nehemiah 9–10
).
Read more?
With a free BibleSA account, you can:
