Reference: Alliance
Easton
a treaty between nations, or between individuals, for their mutual advantage.
Abraham formed an alliance with some of the Canaanitish princes (Ge 14:13), also with Abimelech (Ge 21:22-32). Joshua and the elders of Israel entered into an alliance with the Gibeonites (Jos 9:3-27). When the Israelites entered Palestine they were forbidden to enter into alliances with the inhabitants of the country (Le 18:3-4; 20:22-23).
Solomon formed a league with Hiram (1Ki 5:12). This "brotherly covenant" is referred to 250 years afterwards (Am 1:9). He also appears to have entered into an alliance with Pharaoh (1Ki 10:28-29).
In the subsequent history of the kingdoms of Judah and Israel various alliances were formed between them and also with neighbouring nations at different times.
From patriarchal times a covenant of alliance was sealed by the blood of some sacrificial victim. The animal sacrificed was cut in two (except birds), and between these two parts the persons contracting the alliance passed (Ge 15:10). There are frequent allusions to this practice (Jer 34:18). Such alliances were called "covenants of salt" (Nu 18:19; 2Ch 13:5), salt being the symbol of perpetuity. A pillar was set up as a memorial of the alliance between Laban and Jacob (Ge 31:52). The Jews throughout their whole history attached great importance to fidelity to their engagements. Divine wrath fell upon the violators of them (Jos 9:18; 2Sa 21:1-2; Eze 17:16).
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And some man came who had escaped, and told Abram the Hebrew. Now he dwelt by the oaks of Mamre, the Amorite, brother of Eshcol, and brother of Aner. And these were allies with Abram.
And he took all these for him, and divided them in the midst, and laid each half opposite the other. But he did not divide the birds.
And it came to pass at that time, that Abimelech and Phicol the captain of his army spoke to Abraham, saying, God is with thee in all that thou do. Now therefore swear to me here by God that thou will not deal falsely with me, nor with my son, nor with my son's son. But according to the kindness that I have done to thee, thou shall do to me, and to the land in which thou have read more. And Abraham said, I will swear. And Abraham reproved Abimelech because of the well of water which Abimelech's servants had taken away violently. And Abimelech said, I know not who has done this thing, neither did thou tell me, nor yet did I hear of it, but today. And Abraham took sheep and oxen, and gave them to Abimelech. And the two made a covenant. And Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock by themselves. And Abimelech said to Abraham, What do these seven ewe lambs mean which thou have set by themselves? And he said, These seven ewe lambs thou shall take from my hand, that it may be a witness to me, that I have dug this well. Therefore he called that place Beersheba, because there they swore both of them. So they made a covenant at Beersheba. And Abimelech rose up, and Phicol the captain of his army, and they returned into the land of the Philistines.
This heap is witness, and the pillar is witness, that I will not pass over this heap to thee, and that thou shall not pass over this heap and this pillar to me, for harm.
Ye shall not do after the doings of the land of Egypt, in which ye dwelt, and ye shall not do after the doings of the land of Canaan, where I bring you, nor shall ye walk in their statutes. Ye shall do my ordinances, and ye shall keep my statutes, to walk therein. I am LORD your God.
Ye shall therefore keep all my statutes, and all my ordinances, and do them, that the land, where I bring you to dwell in it, not vomit you out. And ye shall not walk in the customs of the nation which I cast out before you, for they did all these things, and therefore I abhorred them.
All the heave-offerings of the holy things, which the sons of Israel offer to LORD, I have given thee, and thy sons and thy daughters with thee, as a portion forever. It is a covenant of salt forever before LORD to thee and to thy
But when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and to Ai, they also worked shrewdly, and went and made as if they had been ambassadors, and took old sacks upon their donkeys, and wine-skins, old and torn and bound up, read more. and old and patched shoes upon their feet, and old garments upon them, and all the bread of their provision was dry and became moldy. And they went to Joshua to the camp at Gilgal, and said to him, and to the men of Israel, We have come from a far country, now therefore make ye a covenant with us. And the men of Israel said to the Hivites, Perhaps ye dwell among us, and how shall we make a covenant with you? And they said to Joshua, We are thy servants. And Joshua said to them, Who are ye, and from where do ye come? And they said to him, From a very far country. Thy servants have come because of the name of LORD thy God, for we have heard the fame of him, and all that he did in Egypt, and all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon king of Heshbon, and to Og king of Bashan, who was at Ashtaroth. And our elders and all the inhabitants of our country spoke to us, saying, Take provision in your hand for the journey, and go to meet them, and say to them, We are your servants, and now make ye a covenant with us. This our bread we took hot for our provision out of our houses on the day we came forth to go to you, but now, behold, it is dry, and has become moldy. And these wine-skins, which we filled, were new, and, behold, they are torn. And these our garments and our shoes have become old by reason of the very long journey. And the men took of their provision, and did not ask counsel at the mouth of LORD. And Joshua made peace with them, and made a covenant with them to let them live, and the rulers of the congregation swore to them. And it came to pass at the end of three days after they had made a covenant with them, that they heard that they were their neighbors, and that they dwelt among them. And the sons of Israel journeyed, and came to their cities on the third day. Now their cities were Gibeon, and Chephirah, and Beeroth, and Kiriath-jearim. And the sons of Israel did not smite them, because the rulers of the congregation had sworn to them by LORD, the God of Israel. And all the congregation murmured against the rulers.
And the sons of Israel did not smite them, because the rulers of the congregation had sworn to them by LORD, the God of Israel. And all the congregation murmured against the rulers. But all the rulers said to all the congregation, We have sworn to them by LORD, the God of Israel, now therefore we may not touch them. read more. This we will do to them, and let them live, lest wrath be upon us because of the oath which we swore to them. And the rulers said to them, Let them live. So they became hewers of wood and drawers of water to all the congregation, as the rulers had spoken to them. And Joshua called for them, and he spoke to them, saying, Why have ye beguiled us, saying, We are very far from you, when ye dwell among us? Now therefore ye are cursed, and there shall never fail to be bondmen of you, both hewers of wood and drawers of water for the house of my God. And they answered Joshua, and said, Because it was certainly told thy servants, how that LORD thy God commanded his servant Moses to give you all the land, and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land from before you. Therefore w And now, behold, we are in thy hand. As it seems good and right to thee to do to us, do. And so he did to them, and delivered them out of the hand of the sons of Israel, that they did not kill them. And Joshua made them that day hewers of wood and drawers of water for the congregation, and for the altar of LORD to this day in the place which he should choose.
And LORD gave Solomon wisdom, as he promised him. And there was peace between Hiram and Solomon, and the two made a league together.
And the horses which Solomon had were brought out of Egypt. And the king's merchants received them in herds, each herd at a price. And a chariot came up and went out of Egypt for six hundred [shekels] of silver, and a horse for a hundred and fifty. And so for all the kings of the Hittites, and for the kings of Syria, they brought them out by their means.
And I will give the men who have transgressed my covenant, who have not performed the words of the covenant which they made before me, when they cut the calf in two and passed between the parts of it,
As I live, says lord LORD, surely in the place where the king dwells who made him king, whose oath he despised, and whose covenant he broke, even with him in the midst of Babylon he shall die.
Thus says LORD: For three transgressions of Tyre, yea, for four, I will not turn away the punishment of it, because they delivered up the whole people to Edom, and did not remember the brotherly covenant.
Hastings
In the patriarchal age alliances between the Chosen People and foreign nations were frequent. Many of the agreements between individuals recorded in Genesis implied, or really were, treaties between the tribes or clans represented (Ge 21:22 ff; Ge 31:44 ff.). 'During the period of the Judges confederations between the more or less isolated units of which the nation was composed were often made under the pressure of a common danger (Jg 4:10; 6:35). When Israel became consolidated under the monarchy, alliances with foreigners were of a more formal character, e.g. Solomon's treaty with Hiram (1Ki 5; 9). His marriage with Pharaoh's daughter probably had a political significance (1Ki 3:1; 9:16). The policy of alliance between Israel and Ph
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And it came to pass at that time, that Abimelech and Phicol the captain of his army spoke to Abraham, saying, God is with thee in all that thou do.
And now come, let us make a covenant, I and thou, and let it be for a witness between me and thee.
Only he shall not multiply horses to himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt, to the end that he may multiply horses, inasmuch as LORD has said to you, Ye shall henceforth return no more that way.
And Barak called Zebulun and Naphtali together to Kedesh. And there went up ten thousand men at his feet, and Deborah went up with him.
And he sent messengers throughout all Manasseh, and they also were gathered together after him. And he sent messengers to Asher, and to Zebulun, and to Naphtali, and they came up to meet them.
And Solomon made affinity with Pharaoh king of Egypt, and took Pharaoh's daughter, and brought her into the city of David until he had made an end of building his own house, and the house of LORD, and the wall of Jerusalem round ab
Pharaoh king of Egypt had gone up, and taken Gezer, and burnt it with fire, and slain the Canaanites who dwelt in the city, and given it for a portion to his daughter, Solomon's wife.
[There is] a league between me and thee, between my father and thy father. Behold, I have sent to thee a present of silver and gold. Go, break thy league with Baasha king of Israel, that he may depart from me.
And it came to pass, as if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he took to wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and went and served Baal, and worshipped him
Then Rezin king of Syria and Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel came up to Jerusalem to war, and they besieged Ahaz, but could not overcome him.
So Ahaz sent messengers to Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria, saying, I am thy servant and thy son. Come up, and save me out of the hand of the king of Syria, and out of the hand of the king of Israel, who rise up against me.
Now, behold, thou trust upon the staff of this bruised reed, even upon Egypt, on which if a man leans it will go into his hand, and pierce it. So is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who trust on him.
How then can thou turn away the face of one captain of the least of my master's servants, and put thy trust on Egypt for chariots and for horsemen?
And now what have thou to do in the way to Egypt, to drink the waters of the Shihor? Or what have thou to do in the way to Assyria, to drink the waters of the River?
Why do thou gad about so much to change thy way? Thou shall be ashamed of Egypt also, as thou were ashamed of Assyria.
For they have gone up to Assyria [like] a wild donkey alone by himself. Ephraim has hired lovers.
Thus says LORD: For three transgressions of Tyre, yea, for four, I will not turn away the punishment of it, because they delivered up the whole people to Edom, and did not remember the brotherly covenant.
Now Herod was angry at the Tyrians and Sidonians. But they came with one accord to him, and, having persuaded Blastus the man over the king's bedchamber, they requested peace, because their country was sustained from the monarchy.
Morish
On the Israelites entering into Canaan they were forbidden to make any league with the people of the land, they were not to show them any mercy, nor to make any marriages with them, De 7:2-3; and later, when Joshua was about to die, he said to them, that with the nations that were still left they were to make no marriages, nor to go in unto them. If they did, God would drive out no more of the nations, and they would be snares and traps unto them, and scourges in their sides and thorns in their eyes. Jos 23:12-13. Joshua and the princes of Israel were, alas, deceived by the Gibeonites, and without seeking counsel of God they made a covenant with them. Jos 9:3-21. The failure of the Israelites in this particular (cf. Ezr 9:1; 10:1 ; Neh. 13.) is typical of the church making alliances with the world which have so sadly dimmed and destroyed the testimony which should have been borne by a heavenly people.
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and when LORD thy God shall deliver them up before thee, and thou shall smite them, then thou shall utterly destroy them. Thou shall make no covenant with them, nor show mercy to them. Neither shall thou make marriages with them. Thy daughter thou shall not give to his son, nor his daughter shall thou take to thy son.
But when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and to Ai, they also worked shrewdly, and went and made as if they had been ambassadors, and took old sacks upon their donkeys, and wine-skins, old and torn and bound up, read more. and old and patched shoes upon their feet, and old garments upon them, and all the bread of their provision was dry and became moldy. And they went to Joshua to the camp at Gilgal, and said to him, and to the men of Israel, We have come from a far country, now therefore make ye a covenant with us. And the men of Israel said to the Hivites, Perhaps ye dwell among us, and how shall we make a covenant with you? And they said to Joshua, We are thy servants. And Joshua said to them, Who are ye, and from where do ye come? And they said to him, From a very far country. Thy servants have come because of the name of LORD thy God, for we have heard the fame of him, and all that he did in Egypt, and all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon king of Heshbon, and to Og king of Bashan, who was at Ashtaroth. And our elders and all the inhabitants of our country spoke to us, saying, Take provision in your hand for the journey, and go to meet them, and say to them, We are your servants, and now make ye a covenant with us. This our bread we took hot for our provision out of our houses on the day we came forth to go to you, but now, behold, it is dry, and has become moldy. And these wine-skins, which we filled, were new, and, behold, they are torn. And these our garments and our shoes have become old by reason of the very long journey. And the men took of their provision, and did not ask counsel at the mouth of LORD. And Joshua made peace with them, and made a covenant with them to let them live, and the rulers of the congregation swore to them. And it came to pass at the end of three days after they had made a covenant with them, that they heard that they were their neighbors, and that they dwelt among them. And the sons of Israel journeyed, and came to their cities on the third day. Now their cities were Gibeon, and Chephirah, and Beeroth, and Kiriath-jearim. And the sons of Israel did not smite them, because the rulers of the congregation had sworn to them by LORD, the God of Israel. And all the congregation murmured against the rulers. But all the rulers said to all the congregation, We have sworn to them by LORD, the God of Israel, now therefore we may not touch them. This we will do to them, and let them live, lest wrath be upon us because of the oath which we swore to them. And the rulers said to them, Let them live. So they became hewers of wood and drawers of water to all the congregation, as the rulers had spoken to them.
Else if ye do at all go back, and cling to the remnant of these nations, even these that remain among you, and make marriages with them, and go in to them, and they to you, know for a certainty that LORD your God will no more drive these nations from out of your sight, but they shall be a snare and a trap to you, and a scourge in your sides, and thorns in your eyes, until ye perish from off this good
Now when these things were done, the rulers drew near to me, saying, The people of Israel, and the priests and the Levites, have not separated themselves from the peoples of the lands, [doing] according to their abominations, even
Now while Ezra prayed and made confession, weeping and casting himself down before the house of God, there was gathered together to him out of Israel a very great assembly of men and women and children, for the people wept very muc