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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadMcClintock Biblical Encyclopedia: Covenant
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a mutual contract or agreement between two parties, each of which is bound to fulfill certain engagements to the other. In Scripture it is used mostly in an analogical sense, to denote certain relations between God and man. (See Danville Review, March, 1862.)
I. Terms. — In the Old Test. áְּøַéú , berith' (rendered “league,” Jos_9:6-7; Jos_9:11; Jos_9:15-16; Jdg_2:2; 2Sa_3:12-13; 2Sa_3:21; 2Sa_5:3; 1Ki_5:12; 1Ki_15:19, twice; 2Ch_16:3, twice; Job_5:23; Eze_30:5; “confederacy,” Oba_1:7; “confederate,” Gen_14:13; Psa_83:5), is the word invariably thus translated (Sept. äéáèήêç ; once, Wisdom of Solomon 1:16, óõíèήêç ; Vulg. faedus, pactum, often interchangeably, Genesis 9, 17; Numbers 25; in the Apocrypha testamentum, but sacramentum, 2Es_2:7; sponsiones, Wisdom of Solomon 1:16; in N.T. testamentum [absque foedere, Rom_1:31; Gr. ἀóõíèÝôïõò ]). The Hebrew word is derived by Gesenius (Thes. Heb. p. 237, 238; so First, Hebr. Handzw. p. 217) from the root áָּøָä , i. q. áָּøָà , “he cut,” and taken to mean primarily “a cutting,” with reference to the custom of cutting or dividing animals in two, and passing between the parts in ratifying a covenant (Genesis 15; Jer_34:18-19). Hence the expression “to cut a covenant” ( ëָּøִú áְּøַéú , Gen_15:18, or simply ëָּøִú , with áְּøַéú understood, 1Sa_11:2) is of frequent occurrence. (Comp. ὅñêéá ôÝìíåéí , ôÝìíåéí óðïíäÜò , icere, ferire, percuterefoedus. See Sicvogt, De more Ebraeor. dissectione animalium foedera ineundi, Jen. 1759.) Professor Lee suggests (Heb. Lex. s.v. áְּøַéú ) that the proper signification of the word is an eating together, or banquet, from the meaning “to eat,” which the root áָּøָä sometimes bears; because among the Orientals to eat together amounts almost to a covenant of friendship. This view is supported by Gen_31:46, where Jacob and Laban eat together on the heap of stones which they have set up in ratifying the covenant between them. It affords also a satisfactory explanation of the expression “a covenant of salt” ( áְּøַéú îֶìִç , äéáèήêç ἁëüò ,, Num_18:19; 2Ch_13:5), when the Eastern idea of eating salt together is remembered. If, however, the other derivation of áְּøַéú . be adopted, this expression may be explained by supposing salt to have been eaten or offered with accompanying sacrifices on occasion of very solemn covenants, or it may be regarded as figurative, denoting, either, from the use of salt in sacrifice (Lev_2:13; Mar_9:49), the sacredness, or, from the preserving qualities of salt, the perpetuity of the covenant. (See below.)
In the New Test. the word äéáèήêç is frequently, though by no means uniformly, translated testament in the English Auth. Vers., whence the two divisions of the Bible have received their common English names. This translation is perhaps due to the Vulgate, which, having adopted testamentum as the equivalent for äéáèήêç in the Apocrypha, uses it always as such in the N.T. (see above). There seems however, to be no necessity for the introduction of a new word conveying a new idea. The Sept. having rendered áְּøַéú (which never means will or testament, but always covenant or agreement) by äéáèήêç consistently throughout the O.T., the N.T. writers, in adopting that word, may naturally be supposed to intend to convey to their readers, most of them familiar with the Greek O.T., the same idea. Moreover, in the majority of cases, the same thing which has been called a “covenant” ( áְּøַéú ) in the O.T. is referred to in the N.T. (e.g. 2Co_3:14; Hebrews 7, 9; Rev_11:19); while in the same context the same word and thing in the Greek are in the English sometimes represented by “covenant,” and sometimes by “testament” (Heb_7:22; Heb_8:8-13; Heb_9:15). In the confessedly difficult passage, Heb_9:16-17, the word äéáèήêç has been thought by many commentators absolutely to require the meaning of will or testament. On the other side, however, it may be alleged that, in addition to what has just been said as to the usual meaning of the word in the N.T., the word occurs twice in the context, where its meaning must necessarily be the same as the translation of áְּøַéú , and in the unquestionable sense of covenant (comp. äéáèήêç êáéíή , Heb_9:15, with the same expression in 8:8; and äéáèήêç , 9:16, 17, with Heb_9:20, and Exo_24:8). If this sense of äéáèήêç be retained, we may either render ἐðὶ íåêñïῖò , “over, or in the case of, dead sacrifices,” and ὁ äéáèÝìåíïò , “the mediating sacrifice” (Scholefield's Hintsfor an improved Translat:on of the N.T.), or (with Ebrard and others) restrict the statement of Exo_24:16 to the O.T. idea of a covenant between man and God, in which man, as guilty, must always be represented by a sacrifice with which he was so completely identified that in its person he ( ὁ äéáèἐìåíïò , the human covenanter) actually died (comp. Mat_26:28). SEE TESTAMENT.
II. Their Application. — In its Biblical meaning of a compact or agreement between two parties, the word “covenant” is used —
1. Properly, of a covenant between man and man; i.e. a solemn compact or agreement, either between tribes or nations (1Sa_11:1; Jos_9:6; Jos_9:15), or between individuals (Gen_31:44), by which each party bound himself to fulfill certain conditions, and was assured of receiving certain advantages. In making such a covenant God was solemnly invoked as witness (Gen_31:50), whence the expression “a covenant of Jehovah” áְּøַéú éְäåָֹä , 1Sa_20:8; comp. Jer_34:18-19; Eze_17:19), and an oath was sworn (Gen_21:31); and accordingly a breach of covenant was regarded as a very heinous sin (Eze_17:12-20). A sign ( àåֹú ) or witness ( òֵã ) of the covenant was sometimes framed, such as a gift (Gen_21:30), or a pillar, or heap of stones erected (Gen_31:52). The marriage compact is called “the covenant of God,” Pro_2:17 (see Mal_2:14). The word covenant came to be applied to a sure ordinance, such as that of the shew- bread (Lev_24:8); and is used figuratively in such expressions as a covenant with death (Isa_28:18), or with the wild beasts (Hos_2:18). The phrases áִּòֲìֵé áְøַéú , áְøַéú àִðְùֵׁé , “lords or men of one's covenant,' are employed to denote confederacy (Gen_14:13, Oba_1:7). SEE CONTRACT.
2. Improperly, of a covenant between God and man. Man not being in any way in the position of an independent covenanting party, the phrase is evidently used by way of accommodation. SEE ANTHROPOMORPHISM. Strictly speaking, such a covenant is quite unconditional, and amounts to a promise (Gal_3:15 sq., where ἐðáããåëßá and äéáèήêç are used almost as synonyms) or act of mere favor (Psa_89:28, where çֶñֶã stands in parallelism with áְּøַéú ) on God's part. Thus the assurance given by God after the Flood that a like judgment should not be repeated, and that the recurrence of the seasons, and of day and night, should not cease, is called a covenant (Genesis 9; Jer_33:20). Generally, however, the form: of a covenant is maintained, by the benefits which God engages to bestow being made by him dependent upon the fulfillment of certain conditions which he imposes on man. Thus the covenant with Abraham was conditioned by circumcision (Act_7:8), the omission of which was declared tantamount to a breach of the covenant (Genesis 17); the covenant of the priesthood by zeal for God, his honor and service (Num_25:12-13; Deu_33:9; Neh_13:29 Mal_2:4-5); the covenant of Sinai by the observance of the ten commandments (Exo_34:27-28; Lev_26:15), which are therefore called “Jehovah's covenant” (Deu_4:13), a name which was extended to all the books of Moses, if not to the whole body of Jewish canonical Scriptures (2Co_3:13-14). This last- mentioned covenant, which was renewed at different periods of Jewish history (Deuteronomy 29; Joshua 24; 2 Chronicles 15, 23, 29, 34; Ezra 10; Nehemiah 9, 10), is one of the two principal covenants between God and man. They are distinguished as old and new (Jer_31:31-34; Heb_8:8-13; Heb_10:16), with reference to the order, not of their institution, but of their actual development (Gal_3:17); and also as being the instruments respectively of bondage and freedom (Gal_4:24). Consistently with this representation of God's dealings with man under the form of a covenant, such covenant is said to be confirmed in conformity with human custom by an oath (Deu_4:31; Psa_89:3), to be sanctioned by curses to fall upon the unfaithful (Deu_29:21), and to be accompanied by a sign ( àåֹú ), such as the rainbow (Genesis 9), circumcision (Genesis 8), or the Sabbath (Exo_31:16-17). Hence, in Scripture, the covenant of God is called his “counsel,” his “oath,” his “promise” (Psa_89:3-4; Psa_105:8-11; Heb_6:13-20; Luk_1:68-75; Gal_3:15-18, etc.); and it is described as consisting wholly in the gracious bestowal of blessing on men (Isa_59:21; Jer_31:33-34). Hence also the application of the term covenant to designate such fixed arrangements or laws of nature as the regular succession of day and night (Jer_33:20), and such religious institutions as the Sabbath (Exo_31:16); circumcision (Gen_17:9-10); the Levitical institute (Lev_26:15); and, in general, any precept or ordinance of God (Jer_34:13-14), all such appointments forming part of that system or arrangement in connection with which the blessings of God's grace were to be enjoyed.