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 he having escaped, will come and declare to Abram, the Hebrew; and he dwelt by the oaks of Mamra, the Amorite, the brother of Eshcol, and the brother of Aner: and these having a covenant with Abram.
And he will take to him all these, and he will divide them, asunder in the midst, and will put each of its parts divided, opposite its companion: and the birds he divided not
And it shall be in that tune, and Abimelech will speak, and Phicol, leader of his army, to Abraham, saying, God is with thee in all that thou doest And now swear to me in God, whether if thou shalt lie to me and to my progeny, and to my progenies; according to the kindness which I did to thee, thou shalt do to me, and to the land in which thou didst sojourn in it read more. And Abraham will say, I will swear. And Abraham rebuked Abimelech on account of the well of waters which Abimelech's servants took away by force. And Abimelech will say, I knew not who did this thing; and also thou didst not announce to me, and also I heard not except this day. And Abraham will take sheep and oxen, and give to Abimelech; and they two made a covenant And Abraham set, seven ewe lambs of the sheep alone. And Abimelech will say to Abraham, What here these seven ewe lambs which thou didst set alone? And he will say, For the seven ewe lambs thou shalt take from my hand, in order to be to me for a testimony that I dug this well. For this he called that place, The well of the oath, for there they two aware. And they will make a covenant, at the well of the oath, and Abimelech will rise up, and Phicol, the leader of his army, and they will turn back to the land of the Philistines,
A witness this heap, and a witness the pillar, if I will not pass over this heap to thee, and thou shalt not pass over to me, this heap and this pillar for evil.
According to the doings of the land of Egypt where ye dwelt in it, ye shall not do: and according to the doings of the land of Canaan where I brought you there, ye shall not do: and in their laws ye shall not go. My judgments shall ye do, and my laws shall ye watch to go in them; am Jehovah your God.
And ye watched all my laws, and all my judgments, and did them: and the land shall not vomit you forth, which I brought you there to dwell in it And ye shall not walk in the laws of the nations which I sent out from before you: for they did all these things and I shall be disgusted with them.
All the offerings of the holy things which the sons of Israel shall lift up to Jehovah, I gave to thee, and to thy sons, and to thy daughters with thee, for a law forever: it a covenant of salt forever before Jehovah to thee, and to thy seed with thee.
And the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua did to Jericho and to Ai. And they will do in guile, and will go and will lay snares, and will take sacking worn out, for their asses, and leather sacks of wine worn out, and being rent and bound up; read more. And shoes worn out and mended, upon their feet, and garments worn out upon them; and all the bread of their food dry; it was crumbs. And they will come to Joshua to the camp at Gilgal, and will say to him and to the men of Israel, From a land far off we came: and now cut out to us a covenant. And the men of Israel will say to the Hivite, Perhaps thou shalt dwell in the midst of me, and I shall not make a covenant to thee. And they will say to Joshua, We thy servants. And Joshua will say to them, Who are ye? and from whence will ye come? And they will say to him, From a land very far off thy servants came, for the name of Jehovah thy God; for we heard his fame and all that he did in Egypt And all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites on the other side of Jordan, to Sihon, king of Heshbon, and to Og, king of Bashan, in Ashtaroth. And our old men and all the inhabitants of our land will say to us, saying, Take in your hand food for the way, and go to meet them, and say to them, We your servants: and now cut out to us a covenant: This the hot bread we took it for food from our houses in the day we came forth to come to you; and now, behold, it dry, and it was crumbs And these leather sacks of wine which we filled, new, and behold, they were rent; and these our garments and our shoes worn out from the exceeding greatness of the way. And the men will take of their food, and they asked not the mouth of Jehovah. And Joshua will make peace to them, and will cut out to them a covenant to preserve them alive: and the chiefs of the assembly sware to them. And it will be from the end of three days after they cut out a covenant to them, and they will hear that they are near to him, and they dwell in the midst of him. And the sons of Israel will remove and will come to their cities in the third day. And their cities, Gibe-on and Chephirah and Barith, and Kirjath-Jearim. And the sons of Israel smote them not, for the chiefs of the assembly sware to them by Jehovah the God of Israel. And all the assembly will murmur against the chiefs.
And the sons of Israel smote them not, for the chiefs of the assembly sware to them by Jehovah the God of Israel. And all the assembly will murmur against the chiefs. And all the chiefs will say to all the assembly, We sware to them by Jehovah the God of Israel: and now we shall not be able to touch upon them. read more. This we will do to them, and preserve them alive; and anger shall not be upon us for the oath that we sware to them. And the chiefs will say to them, They shall live; and shall be cutting wood and drawing water to all the assembly as the chiefs spake to them. And Joshua will call to them and will speak to them, saying, For what did ye deceive us, saying, We are very far from you?. and ye dwell in the midst of us. And now ye are cursed, and there shall not be cut off from you to serve, and hewing wood and drawing water for the house of my God. And they will answer Joshua, and will say, Because being announced, it was announced to thy servants that Jehovah thy God commanded Moses his servant to give to you all the land, and to destroy all inhabiting the land from before you, and we shall be greatly afraid for our souls from your face; and we shall do this word. And now, behold us in thy hand: as is good and as is right in your eyes to do to us, do. And he will do so to them, and he will deliver them from the hand of the sons of Israel, and they slew them not And Joshua will give them in that day hewing wood and drawing water for the assembly and for the altar of Jehovah till this day, to the place which he shall choose.
And Jehovah gave wisdom to Solomon, as he spake to him: and peace will be between Hiram and between Solomon; and they two will cut out a covenant
And a going forth of horses out of Egypt to Solomon, and a caravan of the king's merchants will take the caravan at a price. And a chariot will go up and come forth out of Egypt with six hundred of silver, and a horse at fifty and a hundred: and thus for all the kings of the Hittites and for the kings of Aram, by their hand they will bring forth.
And I gave the men passing by my covenant who raised not up the words of the covenant which they cut out before me, the calf which they cut in two, and they will pass through between its parts.
I live, says the Lord Jehovah, if not in the place the king making him king which he despised his oath, and which he broke his covenant with him, in the midst of Babel he shall die.
Thus said Jehovah: For three transgressions of Tyre, and for four, I will not turn it back, for their delivering over the whole captivity to Edom, and they remembered not the covenant of their brethren:
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 shall be in that tune, and Abimelech will speak, and Phicol, leader of his army, to Abraham, saying, God is with thee in all that thou doest
Now come thou we will make a covenant, I and thou; and it was for witness between me and between thee.
Only he shall not multiply. to himself horses, and he shall not turn back the people to Egypt in order to multiply the horse: and Jehovah said to you, Ye shall no more add to turn back that way.
And Barak will cry out to Zebulon and Naphtali to Kadesh; and he will go up ten thousand men at his feet: and Deborah will go up with him.
And he sent messengers in all Manasseh; and he also will be called after him: and he sent messengers in Asher, and in Zebulon, and in Naphtali; and they will come up to meet them.
And Solomon will contract marriage with Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he will take Pharaoh's daughter and bring her to the city of David till he finished building his house, and the house of Jehovah and the wall of Jerusalem round about
Pharaoh king of Egypt came up, and he will take Gezer and burn it in fire, and he killed the Canaanite dwelling in the city, and he will give it a sending to his daughter, Solomon's
A covenant between me and between thee, between my father and between thy father: behold, I sent to thee a gift of silver and gold; go break thy covenant with Baasha king of Israel, and he will go up from me.
And it will be light for him to go in the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, and he will take a wife, Jezebel, daughter of Ethbaal, king of the Zidonians, and he will go and serve Baal and worship to him.
Then Rezin king of Aram will go up, and Pekah son of Remaliah, king of Israel, to Jerusalem to war: and they will press upon Ahaz, and they will not be able to fight
And Ahaz will send messengers to lath-Pileser, king of Assur, saying, I thy servant and thy son: come up and save me out of the hand of the king of Aram, and out of the hand of the king of Israel rising up against me.
Now behold, thou trustedst to thyself, upon the stay of this broken reed, upon Egypt, which a man shall lean upon it and it will go into his hand and bore it; thus Pharaoh king of Egypt to all trusting upon him.
And how wilt thou turn back the face of one prefect of my lord's servants of the least, and wilt thou trust to thyself upon Egypt for chariots and for horsemen?
And now what to thee for the way of Egypt, to drink the water of Sihor? and what to thee to the way of Amur, to drink the water of the river?
Why wilt thou despise greatly to do the second time thy way? also thou shalt be ashamed of Egypt as thou wert ashamed of Assur.
For they went up to Assur, Ephraim a wild ass alone to himself: they hired those loving.
Thus said Jehovah: For three transgressions of Tyre, and for four, I will not turn it back, for their delivering over the whole captivity to Edom, and they remembered not the covenant of their brethren:
And Herod was fighting with violent animosity, with Tyrians and Sidonians: but they came unanimously to him, and having conciliated Blastus, him over the king's bed-chamber, they asked peace; for their country was nourished from the king's.
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 Jehovah thy God gave them before thee, and thou didst smite them: exterminating, thou shalt exterminate them; thou shalt not make to them a covenant and thou shalt not show them mercy. Thou shall not marry with them; thy daughters thou shalt not give to his son, and his daughter thou shalt not take to thy son.
And the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua did to Jericho and to Ai. And they will do in guile, and will go and will lay snares, and will take sacking worn out, for their asses, and leather sacks of wine worn out, and being rent and bound up; read more. And shoes worn out and mended, upon their feet, and garments worn out upon them; and all the bread of their food dry; it was crumbs. And they will come to Joshua to the camp at Gilgal, and will say to him and to the men of Israel, From a land far off we came: and now cut out to us a covenant. And the men of Israel will say to the Hivite, Perhaps thou shalt dwell in the midst of me, and I shall not make a covenant to thee. And they will say to Joshua, We thy servants. And Joshua will say to them, Who are ye? and from whence will ye come? And they will say to him, From a land very far off thy servants came, for the name of Jehovah thy God; for we heard his fame and all that he did in Egypt And all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites on the other side of Jordan, to Sihon, king of Heshbon, and to Og, king of Bashan, in Ashtaroth. And our old men and all the inhabitants of our land will say to us, saying, Take in your hand food for the way, and go to meet them, and say to them, We your servants: and now cut out to us a covenant: This the hot bread we took it for food from our houses in the day we came forth to come to you; and now, behold, it dry, and it was crumbs And these leather sacks of wine which we filled, new, and behold, they were rent; and these our garments and our shoes worn out from the exceeding greatness of the way. And the men will take of their food, and they asked not the mouth of Jehovah. And Joshua will make peace to them, and will cut out to them a covenant to preserve them alive: and the chiefs of the assembly sware to them. And it will be from the end of three days after they cut out a covenant to them, and they will hear that they are near to him, and they dwell in the midst of him. And the sons of Israel will remove and will come to their cities in the third day. And their cities, Gibe-on and Chephirah and Barith, and Kirjath-Jearim. And the sons of Israel smote them not, for the chiefs of the assembly sware to them by Jehovah the God of Israel. And all the assembly will murmur against the chiefs. And all the chiefs will say to all the assembly, We sware to them by Jehovah the God of Israel: and now we shall not be able to touch upon them. This we will do to them, and preserve them alive; and anger shall not be upon us for the oath that we sware to them. And the chiefs will say to them, They shall live; and shall be cutting wood and drawing water to all the assembly as the chiefs spake to them.
For if turning back, ye shall turn back and cleave to the remainder of these nations, these being left with you, and marry with them, and go in to them, and they in to you, Knowing, ye shall know that Jehovah your God will not add to drive out these nations from before you: and they, were to you for a snare and for a noose, and for a scourge in your sides, and for thorns in your eyes, till your destruction from this good land which Jehovah your God gave to you.
And in these things being finished, the chiefs came near to me, saying, The people of Israel and the priests and the Levites were not separated from the people of the lands according to their abominations, to the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Jebusite, the Ammonite, the Moabite, the Egyptian and the imorite.
And as Ezra prayed, and as he confessed, weeping and casting himself down before the house of God, there were gathered to him from Israel a very great convocation of men and women and children: for the people wept a great weeping.