Covenant

The word covenant is generally used for (i) a treaty between two parts (countries or individual men) having equal standing, (ii) a constitution conveyed by a superior to an inferior (in which the superior states the obligations towards him) and (iii) an alliance made between God and man.

In the Old Testament, the word used for covenant is _berit_. The etymological force of the word is not entirely certain. It is probably the same as the Assyrian _biritu_, which has the common meaning of "fetter" or "bind". The covenant, therefore, is that which binds the parties together.

_Diatheke_ was the Greek word chosen by the Septuagint translators to render the Hebrew _berit_. It appears nearly 300 times in the LXX with the sense of covenant, while _suntheke_ and _entolai_ are used only once with this sense.

The New Testament uses _diatheke_ nearly thirty times with the meaning of covenant and the underlying idea is also one of a "binding" between two parties.

In the Ancient Near East, covenants among human parties were agreements with solemn and binding force. As we look at the form of these contracts, we see a pattern that has to be considered. The elements of this type of contract were: (i) a statement of the terms agreed upon, (ii) an oath by each party to observe the terms, with a god being the witness and assurance of the contract, (iii) curses invoked upon the contract breaker, and (iv) a formal external act understood as the ratification of the contract.

The covenant between God and mankind can be considered as an alliance between two parties, in the sense that it has the same elements found in the Ancient Near Eastern covenants. We find the terms agreed upon (Gen. 26:29; 31:50,52), the oath with God as witness (Gen. 26:31; 31:48-53), although not explicitly stated the curse can be inferred (Deut. 27:15-26), and the formal external ratification by means of a solemn external act (the several sacrifices accomplished in the context of the covenant). It should, however, be kept in mind that there is no way we can consider this as a parity covenant because one of the parties has considerably less importance and strength than the other.

The covenant between God and mankind is, therefore, to be considered a constitution given by the stronger party (God) to the weaker (mankind). In fact, God and man enter an alliance that permits the relationship God/man to be a reality. Nevertheless, this relationship is based in "general contractual clauses" to which mankind adheres and obeys in order to be a part of the covenant. We thus see the God/man covenant as having a parallel to the suzerainty treaties of the Ancient Near East.

The prophet Jeremiah (31:31-33) has a description of the terms of the new covenant that was to be installed between God and man.