Covenant or Contract

Covenant and/or Contract: Missing the Forest Because of the Hermeneutical Trees Supplemental and Supporting Evidence from Greek and Hebrew Academic Lexicons and Dictionaries I. Johannes P. Louw and Eugene Albert Nida, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Semantic Domains (New York: United Bible Societies, 1996), 450-452. E Establish or Confirm a Relation (34.42-34.49) 34.42 δεξιὰς δίδωμι: (an idiom, literally 'to give right hands') to acknowledge an agreement establishing some relation, normally involving the actual practice of shaking hands-'to make a covenant, to make an agreement.' δεξιὰς ἔδωκαν ἐμοὶ καὶ Βαρναβᾷ κοινωνίας 'they made a covenant with me and Barnabas as to how they would share (the work) with us' Ga 2:9. V 1, p 451 34.43 διατίθεμαιb; διαθήκηa, ης f: to make a solemn agreement involving reciprocal benefits and responsibilities-'to make a covenant, to covenant together, making of a covenant.' διατίθεμαιb: αὕτη ἡ διαθήκη ἣν διαθήσομαι τῷ οἴκῳ Ἰσραήλ 'this covenant which I will make with the people of Israel' He 8:10; καὶ τῆς διαθήκης ἧς διέθετο ὁ θεὸς πρὸς τοὺς πατέρας ὑμῶν 'and of the covenant which God made with your ancestors' Ac 3:25. διαθήκηa: αὕτη αυ'τοῖς ἡ παῤ ε'μοῦ διαθήκη, ὅταν ἀφέλωμαι τὰς ἁμαρτίας αὐτῶν 'I will make this covenant with them when I take away their sins' Ro 11:27. 34.44 διαθήκηb, ης f: the verbal content of an agreement between two persons specifying reciprocal benefits and responsibilities-'covenant, pact.' ἀνθρώπου κεκυρωμένην διαθήκην οὐδεὶς ἀθετεῖ ἢ ἐπιδιατάσσεται 'no one can break or add to a covenant which is in effect between people' Ga 3:15. In Lk 1:72, ποιῆσαι ἔλεος μετὰ τῶν πατέρων ἡμῶν καὶ μνησθῆναι διαθήκης ἁγίας αὐτοῦ '(God said he) would show mercy to our ancestors and remember his sacred covenant with them,' it is possible that διαθήκη denotes either the making of the covenant (34.43) or the verbal formulation (34.44). In rendering the OT term brith, the Septuagint translators employed διαθήκη, literally 'a final will or testament,' in place of συνθήκη 'contract, agreement,' since they evidently wished to emphasize the fact that the initiative for such a covenantal relationship existed with one person rather than being the result of negotiation and compromise. In many societies, and particularly in tribal ones, a covenant is a very significant bond between persons. It may, in fact, be the most important and lasting interpersonal relationship. It is seldom entered into lightly, for in many societies a covenant binds a person for a lifetime and may even involve willingness to die for the sake of the covenantal relationship. [Emphasis added.] 34.45 ἀσύνθετος, ον: pertaining to not being bound or not regarding oneself as bound by any covenant or agreement-'not keeping a promise, not abiding by an agreement.' ἀσυνέτους, ἀσυνθέτους, ἀστόργους 'they have no conscience, they do not keep their promises, and they show no kindness to others' Ro 1:31. It is also possible to translate ἀσύνθετος in Ro 1:31 as 'they feel no obligation to keep their agreements' or 'they do not feel bound to do what they have promised to do.' 34.46 δικαιόωa; δικαίωσιςa, εως f; δικαιοσύνηb, ης f: to cause someone to be in a proper or right relation with someone else-'to put right with, to cause to be in a right relationship with.' Some scholars, however, interpret δικαιόω, δικαίωσις, and δικαιοσύνη in the following contexts as meaning 'forensic righteousness,' that it to say, the act of being declared righteous on the basis of Christ's atoning ministry, but it would seem more probable that Paul uses these expressions in the context of the covenant relation rather than in the context of legal procedures. δικαιόωa: δικαιούμενοι δωρεὰν τῇ αὐτοῦ χάριτι διὰ τῆς ἀπολυτρώσεως τῆς ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ 'by the free gift of his grace in delivering them through Christ Jesus, they are put right with him' Ro 3:24. δικαίωσιςa: ἠγέρθη διὰ τὴν δικαίωσιν ἡμῶν 'he was raised to life in order to put us right with (God)' Ro 4:25. δικαιοσύνηb: δικαιοσύνη γὰρ θεοῦ ἐν αὐτῷ ἀποκαλύπτεται ἐκ πίστεως εἰς πίστιν 'how God puts people right with himself is revealed in it as a matter of faith from beginning to end' Ro 1:17. Some scholars, however, understand the phrase δικαιοσύνη θεοῦ in Ro 1:17 as referring to God's faithfulness to his promises made to Abraham. In other words, the focus would be upon God's moral integrity, but it is difficult to relate this interpretation to the statement about faith in Ro 1:17b. It may be difficult in some languages to find a succinct expression equivalent to 'to be put right with.' Sometimes the closest equivalent may be 'to be related to as one should be.' In some instances the implication of a right relationship may be expressed by phrases involving 'acceptance.' For example, Ro 3:24 may be expressed as 'by the free gift of God's grace they are accepted by him through Christ Jesus who sets them free.' Similarly, Ro 4:25 is sometimes expressed as 'he was raised to V 1, p 452 life in order to cause us to be accepted by God.' There are, however, certain dangers involved in terms indicating 'acceptance,' since this might imply God's reluctance to accept people apart from the atoning work of Jesus Christ, while in reality it was God who was in Christ reconciling the world to himself. Therefore, one should clearly avoid a rendering which would seem to suggest different types of motivation in the Godhead. 34.47 δίκαιοςb, α, ον: pertaining to being in a right relationship with someone-'being in a right relation with, one who has been put right with, righteous.' ὁ δὲ δίκαιος ἐκ πίστεως ζήσεται 'he who is in a right relation with God through faith shall live' or 'he who has been put right with God through faith shall live' Ro 1:17. 34.48 ἀρνέομαιb: to deny any relationship of association with someone-'to deny.' ὁ δὲ ἀρνησάμενός με ἐνώπιον τῶν ἀνθρώπων 'whoever denies me before people' Lk 12:9. In a number of languages one may best translate 'deny' as 'to make manifest not to know.' Accordingly, one may translate the first part of Lk 12:9 as 'whoever shows people that he does not know me' or 'whoever refuses to admit that he does know me.' Denial need not involve some verbal formulation, though in some languages this is the most common practice. See also 33.277. 34.49 ἀπαρνέομαιc: to deny strongly, with the implication of rejection-'to deny, to reject.' ἀπαρνηθήσεται ἐνώπιον τῶν ἀγγέλων τοῦ θεοῦ 'he will be rejected in the presence of the angels of God' Lk 12:9. II. James Swanson, A Dictionary of Biblical Languages: Hebrew (Old Testament), (Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.). 1382 בְּרִית (berîṯ): n.fem.; ≡ Str 1285; TWOT 282a-1. LN 34.42-34.49 covenant, treaty, compact, i.e., an agreement between two parties (Ge 6:18; 14:13), note: the exact relationships of the two parties will vary according to context; 2. LN 34.42-34.49 pledge, a binding oath of promise (2Ki 11:4); 3. LN 34.66-34.78 marriage (Pr 2:17); 4. LN 34.43 unit: כָּרַת בְּרִית (kā·rǎṯ berîṯ) make an agreement, formally, cut a covenant (Ge 26:28), note: see also domain LN 42.7-42.28; 5. LN 33.35-33.68 unit: סֵפֶר בְּרִית (sē·p̄ěr berîṯ) Book of the Covenant, i.e., a body of literature (Ex 24:7); also part of a compound name El-Berith, see 451; Baal-Berith, see 1253. III. Friedrich Wilhelm Gesenius and Samuel Prideaux Tregelles' Gesenius' Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon to the Old Testament, (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software), pp. 141-142. בְּרִית f.-(1) a covenant, so called from the idea of cutting (see the root No. 1), since it was the custom in making solemn covenants to pass between the divided parts of victims (see the root כָּרַת ["and Gen. 15:9, etc."]). ["But the idea suggested by Lee (Heb. Lex. h. v.) deserves attention, viz. that בְּרִית is strictly nothing more than an eating together, banquet, from בָּרָה No. 2, since among Orientals, to eat together is almost the same as to make a covenant of friendship. The Hebrews too were accustomed to eat together when entering into a covenant, see Gen. 31:54; and in this way we obtain an explanation of בְּרִית מֶלַח covenant (an eating?) of salt; see מֶלַח." Ges. add.] It is used of a covenant entered into between nations, Josh. 9:6, seq.; between individuals and friends, 1 Sa. 18:3; 23:18; of a marriage covenant, Mal. 2:14; בַּעֲלֵי בְּרִית פ׳ Gen. 14:13, and אַנְשֵׁי בְּרִית פ׳ Obad. 7, those joined by league to any one. אֵל בְּרִית Jud. 9:46, i.q. בַּעַל בְּרִית verse 4, "God of covenant," see בַּעַל No. 5, a. In speaking of the making of a covenant, the verbs כָּרַת, הֵקִים, נָתַן, שׂוּם are used, 2 Sam. 23:5; בּוֹא בְּ, עָבַר בְּ Deut. 29:11, which see; of its violation, הֵפֵר, חִלֵּל, עָזַב, שִׁקֵּר בְּ. The covenant of any one is the covenant entered into with him, Lev. 26:45; Deu. 4:31; בְּרִית יְהֹוָה "a covenant entered into with Jehovah," Deu. 4:23; 29:24, etc. Specially and most frequently used of the covenant and league made between God and Abraham (Gen. 15:18), confirmed by Moses (Ex. 24:7, 8 [This is another covenant]; 34:27; Deu. 5:2), to be renewed and amended after the exile, by the intervention of prophets (Isa. 42:6; 49:8) and the Messiah (Mal. 3:1; comp. Jer. 31:33). [Gesenius has utterly confused the old covenant with the new.] The land promised and given to the people by this covenant is called אֶרֶץ הַבְּרִית Eze. 30:5; and the people itself[?] בְּרִית קֹדֶשׁ "(the people) of the holy covenant," Dan. 11:28, 30; מַלְאַךְ הַבִּרִית "the messenger, μεσίτης, of the (new) covenant," i.e. Messiah, Mal. 3:1. (2) In other places it is the condition of this covenant, namely-(a) the promise of God, Isa. 59:21; and very often-(b) the precepts of God which Israel had to keep, i.e. the divine law, i.q. תּוֹרָה. Hence לוּחוֹת הַבְּרִית Deu. 9:9, 15; אֲרוֹן בְּרִית יְהֹוָה and אֲרוֹן הַבְּרִית the ark in which the law or the tables of the law were kept (see אָרוֹן). דִּבְרֵי הַבְּרִית "the words of the law," Jer. 11:2-8; 34:18; Ex. 34:28; דִּבְרֵי הַבְּרִית עֲשֶׂרֶת הַדְּבָרִים "the precepts of the law, ten precepts;" סֵפֶר הַבְּרִית "the book of the law," used both of its earliest beginnings, Ex. 24:7; and of the whole collection of laws, 2 Ki. 23:2, 21; 2 Ch. 34:30. As to a covenant of salt, see under מֶלַח. (3) Sometimes ellipt.-(a) i.q. מַלְאַךְ בְּרִית messenger, herald, declarer and μεσίτης of the new covenant, or of a new law and religion, Isa. 42:6; 49:8; compare Mal. 2:8.-(b) i.q. אוֹת בְּרִית "sign of the covenant," used or circumcision, Gen. 17:10, 13; compare 11. Works Cited Gesenius, Fredrich Wilhelm and Samuel Prideaux Tregelles. Gesenius' Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon to the Old Testament. 2nd. Bellingham: Logos Bible Software, 2003. Print. Louw, Johannes P. and Eugene Albert Nida, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Semantic Domains. 2nd. New York: United Bible Societies, 1996. Print. Swanson, James A. Dictionary of Biblical Lanugages with Semantic Domains: Hebrew (Old Testament. 2nd. Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 2001. Print. Copyright (c) 2010 by Floyd Knight. All Rights Reserved.