Why does Biblical Hebrew regularly speak of „cutting“ covenants? While this idiomatic formulation is metaphorically used in some cases, more importantly, it seems to reflect the alliance`s old training practices. In this day and age, a contract often becomes legally binding when the parties sign a document detailing the terms of the contract. Similarly, old covenants often became binding by killing and cutting an animal. This may seem foreign to modern society, but the phrases „cut a deal“ and „strike a bargain“ seem to have come from the text of ancient covenant practices involving the slaughter of animals in English. [10] By observing different types of agreements between men, we find that they can be either between individuals or between larger units such as tribes and nations. However, in most cases, they are among the most important units. In some cases it is also when a person acts, as a representative, as the leader of a clan or as a king. So if the alliance is between tribes, it is a contract or an alliance. The following organizations have this use of the covenant: 14:13; 21:27,32; 26:28; 31:44; Ex 23:32; 34:12,15; From 7:2; Jos 9:6-7,11,15-16; Jg 2:2; 1Sa 11:1; 12: 12 15:19 parallel 2Ch 16:3; 20:34; Ps 83:5; 33:8 Isa 33:8; Eze 16:61; 17:13-19; 30:5; Da 11:22; 1/9. In other cases, it is between a king and his subjects, if it is rather a holy order or action, as 2Sa 3:12-13,11; 5:3 parallel 1Ch 11:3; Jer 34:8-18; It`s 9:27 a.m. In other cases, it is between individuals or between small groups, where there is an agreement or a pledge (2K 11:4 parallel 2Ch 23:1; Job 31:1; 41:4; Ho 10:4.
Between David and Jonathan, it is concretely an alliance of friendship (1Sa 18:3; 20:8; 23:18), as apparently in Ps 55:20. This means an alliance of marriage in evil 2:14, but probably not in pre 2:17, where it is better to understand the meaning as „their covenant with God“. Many people misunderstand the true meaning of the Old and New Covenants, because they don`t really know what an alliance is. Webster defines it as „an agreement, usually formal, between two or more people, to do or not to do something specific.“ Quite simply, an alliance is an agreement between two or more parties. Then your covenant with death will be annulled, and your consent with sheol will not exist; If the crushing plague passes, it depresses you. We have already seen some critical points that we should remember: 1) A confederation is an agreement between two or more parties. The old covenant was the agreement between God and the ancient nation of Israel; 2) The terms of the old covenant were clearly spelled out: God would be the God of Israel if they obeyed His voice. Later, we will see the peculiarities of Israel obeying the voice of God; 3) The Alliance`s promises were also clear. Not only would he be the God of Israel, but he would make him a special treasure, a kingdom of priests and a sacred nation.
In other words, they would be inundated with great material blessings like no other nation in the world. Covenants are a central aspect of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in the Old Testament. The term „alliance“ reflects old practices in which animals have been slaughtered and cut up to ratify an agreement, illustrating the curse of the Alliance`s violation. Many examples or echoes of the Cup of the Covenant can be found in the Holy Scriptures, many of which are related to the fullness of the Gospel. As Latter-day Saints, we can benefit from the study of ancient Covenant Cup practices by improving understanding of the scriptures, better understanding modern covenants, and deepening the personal commitment to maintain our covenants today, as if our own lives depended on them. We first consider an alliance in which both parties are men.