Introduction

This essay attempts to define covenant as seen in the Old Testament. It will give an overview of
some of the current and historical thinking on the subject and explain the types of covenant. Five
covenants in particular shall be discussed: the Edenic, Adamic, Noahic, Abrahamic, Mosaic,
Palestinian, Davidic and New Covenants – and the common strands within each will be identified.
A common way of interpreting the covenants shall be explained before so that these five covenants
can more easily be compared. The essay shall then conclude with an explanation of these strands
and an allusion to the (re-)new(ed) covenant in the New Testament.

1. What is a covenant?

The word covenant is a translation of the Hebrew word berith and has the morphology: ‫ ברית‬or bərit
in Hebrew; διαθήκη or diathk in Greek; and fœdus or pactum in Latin. It is colloquially thought to

refer to a mutual agreement often incorporating some form of pledge or promise for the future.1 The
Pontifical Biblical Commission observes that:

the word berît, generally translated as “covenant”, appears in different biblical traditions, in
particular those of Noah, Abraham, David, Levi and [the] levitical priesthood; it is regularly
used in Deuteronomy and in the Deuteronomic History. In each context, the word has
different nuances of meaning. The usual translation of berît as “covenant” is often
inappropriate. For the word can also mean more generally “promise”, which is also a
parallel with “oath” to express a solemn pledge.2

An expanded definition would be that it is “an agreement enacted between two parties in which one
or both make promises under oath to perform or refrain from certain actions stipulated in advance.”3
After reviewing recent literature on Covenant Research4 I now understand this definition to be on
the more simplistic side, for example, there seems to be a current of thought which questions
whether covenant is seen more as a relationship or as an obligation. Hahn defines ‫ ברית‬as “an
elected, as opposed to natural, relationship of obligation established under divine sanction.”5 That

1
John Andrew Simpson and Edmund Weiner, The Oxford English dictionary (hereafter OED), 2nd ed. / prepared by J.
A. Simpson and E. Weiner ed. s.v. "Covenant".
2
Pontifical Biblical Commission, Le Peuple Juif Et Ses Saintes Écritures Dans La Bible Chrétienne, The Jewish People
and Their Sacred Scriptures in the Christian Bible (translated by Maurice Hogan, SSC.), 2001, § 37c. Vatican City:
Libreria editrice Vaticana. Available online:
http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/pcb_documents/rc_con_cfaith_doc_20020212_popolo-
ebraico_en.html#5. The Covenant (accessed 7 November 2011)
3
George E Mendenhall and Gary A Herion, The Anchor Bible Dictionary (hereafter ABD), 1st ed. s.v. "Covenant",
1179.
4
Scott Walker Hahn, "Covenant in the Old and New Testaments: Some Current Research (1994-2004)," Currents in
Biblical Research 3, no. 2 (2005).
5
Ibid., 266. quoting Gordon Paul Hugenberger, Marriage as a Covenant: A Study of Biblical Law and Ethics

Page 1
notwithstanding, I think the definition above is adequate for the purposes of this essay and will
become clearer as we examine each Covenant in turn.

2. Types of covenant

There are various types of Covenant. For the purposes of this essay I shall confine myself to
discussing the Covenants made by God which are either universal and general to all humanity or
specific and particular to certain individuals or nations (e.g. Israel), therefore I shall not consider
covenants of the type as mentioned in Numbers 25:12 between Phinehas6 as to do so would fall
outside the scope of this essay.

3. Classification of covenants

After briefly summarising each Covenant’s context, I shall identify the partners of each covenant,
specifically the initiator and mediator; who the covenant is with and for; the duration of the
covenant; where the covenant occurs, geographically and within Scripture; the sign of the Covenant
is and whether there is some sacrifice; and most importantly, what the Covenant shall promise,
conditionally or unconditionally.

4. Description of selected covenants found within Scripture

I propose to consider the following eight major covenants between God and Man that have a special
relationship with the salvific plan of God, viz. “the Edenic (Gn. 2:16); the Adamic (Gn. 3:15); the
Noahic (Gn. 9:16); the Abrahamic (Gn. 12:2); the Mosaic (Ex. 19:5); the Palestinian (Deut. 30:3);
the Davidic (2 S. 7:16 [and Ps 89:3])”7 and the New Covenant (Je. 31:31).

According to Jipp, Hahn argues that:

while there is only one covenant with Abraham, this covenantal relationship between God and
Abraham undergoes expansion and reconfiguration in Gen 15, 17, and 22. Each chapter
expands on one of the promises made to Abraham from Gen 12:1–4: nationhood (Gen 15), a
great name (Gen 17), and blessing for all nations (Gen 22). Hahn shows that these three
covenant making episodes correspond to the three essential covenants in Israel’s history:
Sinai, the Deuteronomic covenant, and the Davidic covenant.8
These covenants, and others, shall now be discussed.

Governing Marriage, Developed from the Perspective of Malachi, Supplements to Vetus Testamentum, (Leiden;
New York: E.J. Brill, 1994), 171.
6
John Goldingay, The New Interpreter's Dictionary of the Bible (hereafter NIDB), s.v. "Covenant, OT and NT", 776.
7
Cyrus Ingerson Scofield, The Scofield Study Bible, Red letter ed. (New York: Oxford University Press, 2002).
8
Joshua W. Jipp, "Book Review: Scott W. Hahn. Kinship by Covenant: A Canonical Approach to the Fulfillment of
God’s Saving Promises. Anchor Yale Bible Reference Library. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2009.,"
Themelios 35, no. 1 (2010): 45.

Page 2
a. The Covenants of Creation

There are three covenants of Creation: Edenic, Adamic and Noahic. They cover the period from the
creation of the world until after the flood where God promises to never again send destruction to the
earth (Gn. 9:11). The Edenic and Adamic are sometimes considered to be part of the same
covenant9.

i. The Edenic Covenant (Gn. 2:16ff)

Hahn considers how “creation itself came to be understood as a covenant act”10 This act took place
in the Garden of Eden and is thus termed the Edenic Covenant and concerns God’s act of
creation.God created the world and human beings and promised man a partner, woman11 (Gn. 2:18),
and instructed that they should subdue the earth and propagate their race (Gn. 1:28), having
dominion over the animals (Gn. 1:29-30) and stewardship over the gardens, to eat its fruits and
herbs (Gn. 2:15). This Covenant was made between God and Adam and is distinct from the Adamic
Covenant in that it concerns the life of man before the fall and is characterised more by blessings
than curses. The condition in the covenant is that man should not eat from or touch the tree of
knowledge or risk death (Gn. 3:3). Scofield notes how this Covenant lasted whilst Adam and Eve
remained innocent12, until Eve was tempted by the serpent and ate from the tree (Gn. 3:6).

ii. The Adamic Covenant (Gn. 3:15ff)

The Adamic Covenant begins with Adam and Eve’s awareness of their sin and their shame (Gn.
3:7) – what Scofield terms the awakening of moral responsibility13 - and covers the period until the
coming of the Kingdom when “creation itself” shall “be delivered” (Rom 8:21). Similar to the
previous covenant, it took place in the Garden of Eden or the ‘Mountain of God’ (Ez 28:16), but
instead of blessings, the Adamic Covenant is characterised by various curses: Woman is cursed

9
I have decided to separate them as doing so illustrates how despite man’s failure to keep the Covenants, God is always
faithful. This was despite the temptation to present seven Covenants – which of course would also have
numerological symbolism but I feel the stress on God’s faithfulness is more preferable and this division offers a
convenient way of examining Old Testament covenants. The division into eight is not my work, but is drawn from
Scofield.
10
Hahn, 273.
11
“The Hebrew pun ‘ia and ‘i is reproduced in English ‘woman’ and ‘man’.” Richard J. Clifford S.J. and Roland E.
Murphy O.Carm., New Jerome Biblical Commentary (hereafter NJBC), 2nd revision of New ed. s.v. "Genesis", 12.
12
Scofield, 5.
13
“Man’s sin was a rebellion against a specific command of God (2:16–17) and marked a transition from theoretical to
experiential knowledge of good and evil (3:5–7,22). Man sinned by entering the realm of moral experience by the
wrong door when he could have entered by doing right. So man became as God through a personal experience of the
difference between good and evil, but also unlike God in gaining this experience by choosing the wrong instead of
the right. Thus he was placed by God under the stewardship of moral responsibility whereby he was accountable to
do all known good, to abstain from all known evil, and to approach God through blood sacrifice here instituted in
prospect of the finished work of Christ.” Ibid., 8.

Page 3
with pain during childbirth (Gn. 3:16); and her equality with Man in the image of God (Gn. 1:26-
27) is now changed to require a man to head the household (Ep. 5:22–25; 1Co. 11:7–9; 1Ti. 2:11–
14); Man must now endure an earth that does not bring forth fruit as readily as it does “thorns and
thistles” and shall henceforth require burdensome toil and labour (Gn. 3:18-19) because God has
cursed the land (Gn. 3:17) and sorrow shall accompany it as God promises (Gn. 2:17) that man will
die: “you are dust, and to dust you shall return” (Gn. 3:19 cf. Rm 5:12-21). The sign of this
covenant is therefore the skins that they wear out of shame (Gn. 3:21).

iii. The Noahic Covenant (Gn. 9:16ff)

The Noahic Covenant made at Mount Ararat (Gn. 8:4) is a result of God regretting his creation (Gn.
6:6 and 6:13) and sending a flood (Gn. 7:4), and is within the context of His favouring Noah (Gn.
6:8) and relenting of his anger to save Noah and part of his creation through ordering him to build
an ark (Gn. 6:14). The flood destroyed many creatures, leaving only the ones saved by Noah. God
makes this Covenant between Himself and Noah, and Noah’s offspring (Gn. 9:9) and all the
creatures that were saved in the ark (Gn. 9:10). We see a progression from the Edenic and Adamic
Covenants where the parties involved were individual couples – now God is making a covenant
with Noah and his extended family. God does not add any further curses to the ground (Gn. 8:21),
nor is humanity to fear a future flood (Gn. 9:11), but He reaffirms the conditions of life that fallen
man must endure, as laid down in the Adamic Covenant above, to avoid the evil he witnessed
following their forgetting of the Adamic Covenant (Gn. 6:5). “This unconditional commitment on
God's part towards creation is the basis of all life.”14 God promises that humans will be master of all
the other animals, who shall fear Noah and his descendants, confirming the natural order (Gn. 8:22
and Gn. 9:2). He issues an instruction that no-one should eat food that has life in it (Gn. 9:4) and
henceforth allows Man to eat the flesh of every moving thing (Gn. 9:3). God requires that man be
responsible for human life, demanding a reckoning of any loss (Gn. 9:5) and in so doing establishes
Human Government – in the sense that Man is now responsible for (and can arguably take) the life
of other Men (Gn. 9:6) where before this was forbidden (see Gn. 4:10-11,14-15,23). God makes
several prophetic declarations in the Covenant, cursing Canaan to be the slave of Shem (Gn. 9:25-
26) who is declared Blessed and in a unique relationship with the LORD (Gen 9:26-27).
Commentators note how all future divine revelation is through Semitic men descended from
Shem15. The sign of the Covenant is the bow (‫ ֶׁ ֶּ֖ק ֶׁשת‬or τόξον) that appears in the clouds (Gn. 9:16).

Jipp notes that Hahn classifies this Covenant as a grant-type Covenant, where “the vassal is

14
Le Peuple Juif Et Ses Saintes Écritures Dans La Bible Chrétienne §37d.
15
Scofield, 18.

Page 4
rewarded for its loyalty by the suzerain with a grant. A good example is the grant made to Noah.
The covenant is the result of Noah’s loyalty and is based on God’s promise of unconditional
blessings.”16

b. The Covenants of Redemption

i. The Abrahamic Covenant (Gn. 12:2ff)

The Abrahamic Covenant is made between God and Abraham at Mount Moriah (Gn. 22:2). God
orders Abram to go to the land that He would show him (Gn. 12:1) and promises that he will make
him a great nation (Gn. 12:2). Scofield observes the everlasting nature of this covenant and that this
promise was in “primary reference to Israel, the descendants of Jacob, to whom the everlasting
possession of the land is promised (Gn. 17:8), to whom the everlasting covenant is given (Gn. 17:7),
and to whom God said, “I will be their God” (Gn. 17:8).”17 Abraham is also promised to be the
father of other nations, for example through Ishmael and Esau (Gn. 17:6 and Gn. 17:20).

In addition to these everlasting promises to Israel, God makes specific promises to both Abraham
personally, and to the Gentiles. To Abraham is promised that he would be the father to the nations
(Gn. 17:16) (fulfilled in the Mosaic Covenant); that he is blessed with righteousness (Gn. 15:6),
with land (Gn. 13:14–15,17; 15:18; 24:34–35) and with wealth, viz. “flocks and herds, silver and
gold, male and female slaves, camels and donkeys” (Gen 24:34). God promises that Abraham’s
name will be great and that he will personally be blessed (Gn. 12:2) (fulfilled in the Davidic
Covenant) and that he shall be the channel for God’s universal blessings to his people (Gn. 12:2)
(fulfilled in the New Covenant). Scofield notes that this was fulfilled in “blessings to others through
his seed, Israel, who became the instruments of divine revelation; through Abraham as an example
of pious faith (Ro. 4:1–22); and pre-eminently through Christ, Abraham’s Seed (Ga. 3:16).”18

To the Gentiles it is promised that those who honour Abraham shall be blessed, “I will bless those
who bless you” (Gn. 12:3) and those who do not shall be cursed (Gn. 12:3). By affirming that “in
you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Gn. 12:3) God is foreshadowing the coming of
Christ (a descendant of Abraham) and including all who are spiritually linked to Abraham (by those
who honour Abraham) and are thus “justified by faith” (Ro. 4:3; Ga. 3:6–9,16,29; cf. Jn. 8:56–58).

God required Abraham’s obedience before sealing this Covenant, and He put Abraham to the test.
He required that he sacrifice his son Isaac (Gn. 22:2), though God sent an angel to save Isaac (Gn.
22:12) and instead confirmed the Covenant through the burnt offering of the blood of a ram (Gn.

16
Jipp, 45.
17
Scofield, 24.
18
Ibid.

Page 5
22:13). This Covenant is confirmed three times in Scripture (to Abraham, Gn. 13:14–17; Gn. 15:1–
7,18–21; and Gn. 17:1–8; to Isaac, Gn. 22:16-18; and to Jacob, Gn. 28:13-14) and is signified by
circumcision (Gn 17:11). This covenant was made between God and Abraham and his descendants,
Isaac and the Twelve tribes (Gn. 17:21).19 God promises that those who do not bear this sign shall
be “cut off from his people” for they “have broken my covenant” (Gn 17:14). Although Ishmael and
his descendants were not part of the covenant (Gn. 17:21), they were nonetheless blessed (Gn.
17:20) and circumcised (Gn 17:23,25).

ii. The Mosaic or Sinaitic Covenant (Ex. 19:5ff)

The Mosaic Covenant is made with Moses on Mount Sinai (Ex 19:20, 24;16, 31:18) and it is the
occasion of God giving Moses the Law. It is worth noting here that this covenant is conditional, as
God says “if you obey my voice and keep my covenant” (Ex 19:5). There is an element of fear in
this Covenant – compliance to a law out of fear of the consequences. Scofield notes that there are
three types of law within the Mosaic Covenant, that is, “the commandments, expressing the
righteous will of God (Ex. 20:1–26); the judgments, governing the social life of Israel (Ex. 21:1—
24:11); and the ordinances, governing the religious life of Israel (Ex. 24:12—31:18).”20 In this
covenant the tribe of Israel, recently liberated from slavery in Egypt, becomes a “priestly kingdom
and a holy nation” (Ex. 19:6), with Moses as its head. As such, it is the fulfilment of the promise to
Abraham in the Abrahamic covenant that Israel will become a great nation (Gn. 12:2). The Mosaic
covenant, like the Abrahamic covenant, was confirmed in blood (Ex. 24:5-8). In this covenant,
unlike the first two, there is now a sacrifice in the form of a sin offering (Ex. 29:36). The sign of the
covenant is in the faithful observance of the Sabbath (Lv. 24:8, Dt. 5:15) according to the law, in
return for the land and prosperity of the nation. Famously, this covenant is defined with the words: I
will be their God. (Ex. 29:45), which has echoes from Leviticus: “I will walk among you, and will
be your God, and you shall be my people. (Lev 26:12). Jipp, in an appreciative summary of Hahn’s
doctoral thesis Kinship by Covenant, notes that:

A kinship covenant binds two parties together in a mutual relationship with divine sanction.
This type of covenant may be used to reinforce prior familial bonds or to draw hostile parties
into a familial relationship. This covenant has the features of an oath, a shared meal, sacrifice,
and concepts denoting mutual affiliation. The Sinai covenant is kinship in form due to the
presence of most of these features.21

19
Steve Ray, "Catholics and the Covenants" http://www.catholicfidelity.com/apologetics-topics/misc/the-seven-
covenants-by-steve-ray/ (accessed 7 November 2011 2011).
20
Scofield, 114.
21
Jipp, 44-45.

Page 6
 iii. The Palestinian or Deuteronomic Covenant (Dt. 30:3ff)

Whereas the Abrahamic Covenant was made at Mount Sinai and provided the Israelites with the gift
of the apodictic law, and the promise of the land in return for circumcision, and obedience to the
Law – especially commemoration of the Passover (Nb. 9:4-5) – this covenant, referred to by some
scholars as the Palestinian or Deuteronomic Covenant, occurring forty years later (Dt. 29:5) took
place in the plains of Moab before the Israelites reached Mount Nebo, and is mostly recorded in the
Book of Deuteronomy. Notably, it lacks a divine theophany present in previous covenants, and
reconfigures God and Israel’s relationship “in terms of suzerain-father and vassal-son.”22

Until this point, the Israelites had never possessed the whole of the land that was promised them (cf.
Gn. 15:18 with Nb. 34:1–12) – they had been living in the wilderness. The context of this Covenant
is that, yet again, the Israelites were unfaithful, engaging in idolatry and apostasy (Nb. 25:3) in the
wilderness, and so God scattered them for their disobedience (Dt. 28:64) and laid down various
blessings (Dt. 28:1-14) and curses (Dt 28:15-68). He promises that if the Israelites remember these
blessings and curses whilst they are dispersed, and return to Him, he will gather them together again
from where he had scattered them (Dt. 30:1-3). God promises them that He will “bring [them] into
the land that [their] ancestors possessed, and [they] will possess it; [God] will make [them] more
prosperous and numerous than [their] ancestors.” (Dt. 30:5 cf Am. 9:14-15, Is. 11:11–12; Jr. 23:3–
8; Ez. 37:21–25). In return, God demanded that the Nation repents and converts, “you will love the
LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, in order that you may live. (Dt. 30:6). For
God’s part, he will curse Isael’s enemies (Dt. 30:7) with the curses (Dt 28:15-68) and make Israel
prosperous once more (Dt. 30:9). The sign of this covenant is the keeping of the Sabbath (Ex.
31:16). Like the previous covenants, it is everlasting, and renews the ones before it. Hahn notes that
this is a ‘reconfiguration’ of the Mosaic Covenant and provides four reasons23 for seeing them
differently. Jipp observes that, according to Hahn:

22
Scott Walker Hahn, Kinship by Covenant : A Canonical Approach to the Fulfillment of God's Saving Promises, The
Anchor Yale Bible Reference Library (New Haven: Yale University Press, 2009), 89.
23
“(1) Dt. 29:1 explicitly states that the covenants made at Horeb with the first generation and at Moab with the second
generation are different, separated not only by location, but also by forty years in time; (2) The Sinai covenant law
was to be kept—inaccessibly—inside the ark in the Holy of Holies, whereas the Deuteronomic law was kept by the
Levites ‘by the side of the ark’ (Dt. 31:25-26); (3) The purpose of the additional Deuteronomic covenant was
directly related to Israel’s idolatrous apostasy at Beth-peor (Nb. 25), which was a sin as heinous for the second
generation as the golden calf episode was for the first (Ex. 32); (4) Further characteristics of the Deuteronomic
covenant include the fact that it was given in order to punish and then restore Israel; it includes many more layers of
mediation between Yahweh and Israel than did the Sinai covenant; its focus is primarily upon curses for
disobedience, the committal of which is a foregone conclusion (27:9-26; 28:15-68); and it serves to constitute the
nation as a theocracy with a centralized cultic ministry.” from a Book review on ibid. by Jason Stellman, Kinship by
Covenant, Part 1: Will the Real Mosaic Covenant Please Stand Up?, ed. Jason Stellman, Creed Code Cult
(Woodinville, WA: 2009) [Available on-line at: http://www.creedcodecult.com/2009/08/kinship-by-covenant-part-
1-will-real.html] (accessed 15 November 2011).

Page 7
 The treaty-type covenant is imposed by a suzerain on a vassal. Often this covenant is marked
by the vassal’s swearing an oath that consists in the promise of loyalty under threat of divine
judgment (cf. Dt. 29). The most prominent example is Deuteronomy’s reconfiguration of the
Sinai covenant, which is the result of God’s punitive discipline of Israel. There is a stronger
sense of distance between the parties and a threat of curse should Israel break the covenant,
though Israel remains God’s son.24

iv. The Davidic Covenant (2 S. 7:16ff and Ps 89:3ff)

This covenant was made with King David, the descendant of Abraham and the second of the Kings
of Israel (after Saul). God favoured David and promised him: a great name (2 S. 7:9); a great house
(2 S. 7:11); a great throne (2 S. 7:13); for a great kingdom (2 S. 7:12), and God further promises to
David that “Your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me; your throne shall
be established forever.” (2 S. 7:1). Unlike Saul, who was also assured a great house, a great name
and a great throne (but not a great seed) – David’s assurance in these things from God is forever. So
the Messiah will share Solomon’s throne (through Joseph), but will come from David’s line – God
will not remove his ‘steadfast love’ (2 S. 7:15; Ps. 89:20–37; Is. 54:3,8,10).
This Covenant is confirmed in the 89th Psalm which begins with describing the Lord’s “steadfast
love” (Ps 89:1-4). In the first half of the Psalm (vv. 5-18) the Psalmist glorifies the Lord which is
typical in this genre. After such glorification, we hear the Lord’s response (Ps. 89:19ff), confirming
the covenant (Ps. 89:19-29) but warning of the consequences of disobedience. In this Covenant, the
Covenant is with a Kingdom – the Kingdom of David and his offspring – not with a Nation, Tribe
or Family. If the promise is a Kingdom and a future Messiah (Is. 9:6-7), the sign of the Covenant is
surely the throne or the temple (house) that will be built by Solomon. We can easily see how this
Covenant will be fulfilled in Christ, a descendant of David, and an heir to the house of Solomon.
Jipp notes that Hahn concludes that the “Davidic covenant contains the main features of a grant-
type covenant: a divine oath, the promise of blessings for the dynasty, the extension of the blessings
to future generations, and an emphasis on David’s loyalty.”25
v. The New Covenant (Je. 31:31ff)26
The so-called “New Covenant” is a foretelling of what is to come (Je. 31:31,33); a covenant
between God and the houses of Israel and Judah. God specifically differentiates it from previous
Covenants “made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of
Egypt” (Je. 31:32) I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be
their God, and they shall be my people. (Je. 31:33) This covenant will involve God putting His “law

24
Jipp, 46.
25
Ibid., 45.
26
It is linked to the covenant discussed in St Paul’s letter to the Hebrews (Heb. 8:8ff.) – but being from the New
Testament, this portion is outside the scope of this essay.

Page 8
within them, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my
people.” (Je. 31:33) God promises that he will forgive them and that his people will know Him (Je.
31:34) perpetually (Je. 31:35-37) and that this will be signified by the rebuilding of the city which
shall stand forever, for “it shall never again be uprooted or overthrown” (Je. 31:40).

Conclusion

This essay has surveyed, briefly – due to space limitations – the various Covenants in the Old
Testament. Because of these space limitations It has highlighted the context, partners, duration,
temporal-scriptural location and signs or sacrifices associated with each Covenant. Where possible,
the covenant is classified according to its type (viz. kinship-, treaty- or grant- covenant); duration
(time/generation-limited or everlasting); and whether the promises are, where appropriate,
conditional or unconditional. I have provided a summary of the important similarities and
dissimilarities at the end of this essay (see Appendix I overleaf).

From the mountain of God, to Mt. Ararat, to Mt. Moriah, Mt. Sinai and Mt. Zion we have surveyed
the Covenants made between God and humanity. We saw that of all the Covenants, only the Mosaic
& Deuteronomic Covenants were conditional – and this in response to the Israelites idolatory and
worshipping of the golden calf (Ex. 32:1-6). Throughout – humanity and more specifically, God’s
chosen people Israel, are ultimately unfaithful, but God is always more faithful. We are able to see
how God progressively reveals Himself to be more faithful than we could ever be, constantly re-
entering our Salvation History anew. His covenant with Man began with him creating us in his own
image (Gn. 1:27) and continued to Him sending his Son, Jesus Christ. Scofield notes that Jesus
Christ is related to the foregoing eight covenants27, but for the purposes of this essay we have only
been able to consider the covenants within the Old Testament. These covenants lay the foundation
for the Eucharistic Covenant of Jesus Christ – where on Calvary he becomes the sacrifice and fulfils
the universal blessing to all nations promised in the Abrahamic Covenant, thus completing all the
covenants. The sign of this Covenant would be Baptism and the promise would be Eternal Life and
Resurrection on the last day (Jn. 6:54).
Matthew Charlesworth, S.J.

27
“To the Edenic Covenant, Christ, as the ‘second Man’ and the ‘last Adam’ (1 Co. 15:45–47), takes the place over all
things which the first Adam lost (Co. 2:10; Heb. 2:7–9). He is the Seed of the woman of the Adamic Covenant (Gn.
3:15; Jn 12:31; Ga. 4:4; 1 Jn 3:8; Rv. 20:10), and fulfilled its conditions of toil (Mark 6:3) and obedience (Ph. 2:8; Heb.
5:8). As the greatest Son of Shem, in Him was fulfilled supremely the promise to Shem in the Noahic Covenant (Gn.
9:16, note; Co. 2:9) He is the Seed to whom the promises were made in the Abrahamic Covenant, the Son of Abraham
obedient unto death (Gn. 22:18; Ga. 3:16; Ph. 2:8).He lived sinlessly under the Mosaic Covenant and bore for us its
curse (Ga. 3:10–13).He lived obediently as a Jew in the land under the Palestinian Covenant, and will yet perform its
gracious promises (Dt. 28:1—30:9).He is the Seed, Heir, and King under the Davidic Covenant (Mt. 1:1; Lk 1:31–33).
And His sacrifice is the foundation of the New Covenant (Mt. 26:28; 1 Co. 11:25)” Scofield, 1674.

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 Appendix I: Table of Covenants in the Old Testament, showing similarities and dissimilarities28
Covenant Palestinian /
Edenic Adamic Noahic Abrahamic Mosaic/ Siniatic Davidic "new" covenant
Name: Deuteronomic
Covenant
God God God God God God God God
Initiator:
Covenant Adam (post-
Adam (pre-Fall) Noah Abraham Moses Moses David The Prophets
Mediator: Fall)
Conditional: Unconditional Unconditional Unconditional Unconditional Conditional Conditional Unconditional Unconditional
Nature: Unilateral Bilateral Bilateral
Covenant A prophecy of a
Eden (Mountain
Mountain / Eden (Ez 28) Ararat Moriah Sinai Moab near Mt Nebo Zion new covenant to
of God)
Location: come.
A fore telling of
Covenant Between God Between God Between God and Between God and Between God and what is to come.
Between God and Man Between God and Man
Establishment: and Man and Man Man Man Man Not a true
covenant.
Kingdom
Organisation ‘Married’ couple ‘Married’ couple Extended family Tribe Nation Nation Kingdom (Empire)
(Empire)
2 S. 7; Pss
Ex 19-24; Je. 31:31-35; Ez
Scripture Gen 1-2 Gen 1-2 Gen 9 Gen 12:1-3; Gen 15; Gen 17; Gen 22 Dt. 30:3 89,132; (fulfils
(fulfils Gen 15) 37:24-28; Is 55:1-5
Gen 17)
With Abraham: Circumcision; name
The Bow change. With Isaac: Altar and
Sign Creation itself Skins (sacrifice) (Rainbow) (Gn invocation of God’s name (Gn 26:25). Passover; Sabbath Passover; Sabbath Temple; throne
9:13) With Jacob: Memorial Stone (Gn
28:18)
of a future
Promise of bliss
eternal kingdom
on condition Promise of Of the land and Universal Blessing
To all creation of Of the land and and Messiah to
Promise that they do future seed and of seed to outnumber the stars prosperity for & Eternal life and
no future flood prosperity for obedience inherit the throne
not eat from redemption obedience resurrection
of David (Is. 9:6-
the Tree of Life
7)
Polity Family Family Clan Tribal National National International
Clean animals With Abraham: Slaughtered animal, Sin offering (the Thank offering
Primary sacrifice and Birds (Gn (divided) and birds. With Jacob: Oil holocaust, burnt (the todah
8:20) poured out (Gn 28:18) offering) Ex 24:5-8 sacrifice)
Law with additional
Form of
Law Levitical Code for Wisdom
instruction
penance.
Roles of Adam: Promises to Abraham:
First born son A great nation  Fulfilled
King A Great name (royalty)   Fulfilled
Priest; Prophet;
Fulfilled (esp. in
Universal Universal blessing (to all nations)   
Heb. 8:8)
Bridegroom
Covenants of Creation Covenants of Redemption

28
Adapted from John Bergsma, Outline of Lecture Notes 'Mountains and Mediators: Old Testament', Principles of Biblical Studies (THE 211/2) (Steubenville, Ohio, USA:
Franciscan University, 2010), 2; Ray.
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 Bibliography

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Biblical Studies (THE 211/2). Steubenville, Ohio, USA: Franciscan University, 2010. Available
online: http://johnbergsma.com/documents/outlines/mountains_ot.pdf and
http://www.catecheticsonline.com/apologetics_mount.php (accessed 7 November 2011).
Clifford S.J., Richard J., and Roland E. Murphy O.Carm., "Genesis," New Jerome Biblical Commentary.
Edited by Raymond Edward Brown S.S., Joseph Angustine Fitzmyer S.J. and Roland E.
Murphy O.Carm. London:Geoffrey Chapman; Burns & Oates, 1995. 1:1536.
Goldingay, John, "Covenant, OT and NT," The New Interpreter's Dictionary of the Bible. Edited by
Abingdon Press. Nashville, TN:Abingdon Press, 2006. 1:767-778.
Hahn, Scott Walker. "Covenant in the Old and New Testaments: Some Current Research (1994-2004)."
Currents in Biblical Research 3, no. 2 (2005): 263-292.[Available on-line at:
http://cbi.sagepub.com/content/3/2/263.abstract].
________. Kinship by Covenant : A Canonical Approach to the Fulfillment of God's Saving Promises
The Anchor Yale Bible Reference Library. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2009.
Hugenberger, Gordon Paul. Marriage as a Covenant: A Study of Biblical Law and Ethics Governing
Marriage, Developed from the Perspective of Malachi Supplements to Vetus Testamentum,.
Leiden; New York: E.J. Brill, 1994.
Jipp, Joshua W. "Book Review: Scott W. Hahn. Kinship by Covenant: A Canonical Approach to the
Fulfillment of God’s Saving Promises. Anchor Yale Bible Reference Library. New Haven: Yale
University Press, 2009." Themelios 35, no. 1 (2010): 194.
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Noel Freedman. New York:Doubleday, 1992. 1:1179-1202.
Pontifical Biblical Commission, Le Peuple Juif Et Ses Saintes Écritures Dans La Bible Chrétienne, The
Jewish People and Their Sacred Scriptures in the Christian Bible (translated by Maurice Hogan,
SSC.), 2001. Vatican City: Libreria editrice Vaticana. [Available on-line at:
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020212_popolo-ebraico_en.html#5. The Covenant] (accessed 7 November 2011).
Ray, Steve, "Catholics and the Covenants" [Available on-line at:
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November 2011).

All Biblical quotations have been taken from the NRS - New Revised Standard Version Bible © 1989,
Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ
in the United States of America.

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