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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Then came one that had escaped, and told Abram the Hebrew; which dwelt in the oak grove of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol and Aner, which were confederate with Abram.
And he took all these and divided them in the midst, and laid every piece, one over against another. But the fowls divided he not.
And it chanced, the same season, that Abimelech and Phicol his chief captain spake unto Abraham saying, "God is with thee in all that thou doest. Now therefore swear unto me even here by God, that thou wilt not hurt me nor my children, nor my children's children. But that thou shalt deal with me and the country where thou art a stranger, according unto the kindness that I have showed thee." read more. Then said Abraham, "I will swear." And Abraham rebuked Abimelech for a well of water, which Abimelech's servants had taken away. And Abimelech answered, "I wist not who did it: Also thou toldest me not, neither heard I of it, but this day." And Abraham took sheep and oxen and gave them unto Abimelech. And they made both of them a bond together. And Abraham set seven lambs by themselves. And Abimelech said unto Abraham, "What mean these seven lambs which thou hast set by themselves?" And he answered, "Seven lambs shalt thou take of my hand, that it may be a witness unto me, that I have digged this well." Wherefore the place is called Beersheba, because they sware both of them. Thus made they a bond together at Beersheba. Then Abimelech and Phicol his chief Captain rose up and turned again unto the land of the Philistines.
this heap be witness and also this mark, that I will not come over this heap to thee, and thou shalt not come over this heap and this mark, to do any harm.
Wherefore after the doings of the land of Egypt wherein ye dwelt, see that ye do not; neither after the doings of the land of Canaan, whither I will bring you, neither walk ye in their ordinances; but do after my judgments, and keep mine ordinances, to walk therein: for I am the LORD your God.
"'See that ye keep therefore all mine ordinances and all my judgments, and that ye do them: that the land, whither I bring you to dwell therein, spew you not out. And see that ye walk not in the manners of the nations which I cast out before you: For they committed all these things, and I abhorred them.
All the holy heave offerings which the children of Israel heave unto the LORD, I give thee, and thy sons and thy daughters with thee, to be a duty forever. And it shall be a salted covenant forever, before the LORD: unto thee and to thy seed with thee."
But when the Inhabiters of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done unto Jericho, and Ai, they played wilily, and went and sent ambassadors: and took old sacks upon their asses, and wine bottles old and rent and knit together again, read more. and old clouted shoes upon their feet, and old raiment upon them and all their provision of bread was dried up and hoared. And they came unto Joshua, unto the host to Gilgal, and said unto him and unto the men of Israel, "We be come from a far country, now therefore make agreement with us." And the men of Israel said unto the Hivites, "Peradventure you dwell among us, and then how should we make peace with you?" And they said unto Joshua, "We are thy servants." And Joshua said unto them, "What are ye, and whence come ye?" And they answered him, "From a very far country thy servants are come, in the name of the 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 beyond Jordan, Sihon king of Heshbon and Og king of Bashan which dwelt at Ashtaroth. Wherefore our elders and all the inhabiters of our country spake to us saying, 'Take victuals with you to serve by the way, and go against them, and say unto them: We are your servants.' Now therefore make a covenant of peace with us. This, our provision of bread, we took with us out of our houses, hot, the day we departed to come unto you. And now behold it is dried up and hoared. And these bottles of wine which we filled were new: and see, they be rent. And these our garments and shoes are waxen old by reason of the exceeding long journey." And the men took of their victuals, and counseled not with the mouth of the LORD. And Joshua made peace with them, and made a covenant with them, to save their lives: and the lords of the congregation sware unto them. But three days after they had made peace with them, they heard that they were neighbours unto them, and that they dwelt among them. For the children of Israel took their journey and came unto their cities the third day: and their cities were Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth and Kiriathjearim. And the children of Israel slew them not, because the lords of the congregation had sworn unto them by the LORD God of Israel. And therefore all the multitude murmured against the lords.
And the children of Israel slew them not, because the lords of the congregation had sworn unto them by the LORD God of Israel. And therefore all the multitude murmured against the lords. But all the lords said unto all the congregation, "We have sworn unto them by the LORD God of Israel, and therefore we may not hurt them. read more. But this we will do to them and let them live: and so shall no wrath be upon us because of the oath which we sware unto them." And the lords said unto them, "Let them live, that they may be hewers of wood and drawers of water unto all the congregation," as the lords said unto them. Then Joshua sent for them, and talked with them, and said, "Wherefore have ye beguiled us and yet ye dwell among us? And now therefore cursed be you, and there shall not cease to be of you, bondmen and hewers of wood and drawers of water unto the house of my God." And they answered Joshua and said, "It was told thy servants, how that the LORD thy God had commanded his servant Moses to give you all the land, and to destroy all the inhabiters thereof out of your sight, and therefore we were exceeding sore afraid of our lives because of you. And now, behold, we are in thine hand; as it seemeth good and right in thine eyes to do unto us, so do." And he dealt as it is said with them, and rid them out of the hands of the children of Israel, that they slew them not. And Joshua made them that same day hewers of wood and drawers of water unto the congregation and unto the altar of God unto this day, in the place which God should choose.
And the LORD gave Solomon wisdom as he promised him. And there was peace between Hiram and Solomon and they were confedered together.
And Solomon's horses came out of Egypt from Kue: the merchants fetched them from Kue at a price. A chariot came out of Egypt for six hundred sicles of silver, and a horse for a hundred and fifty. And even so, by the hands of the said merchants, horses were brought out for all the kings of the Hittites and for the kings of Syria.
Yea, those men that have broken my covenant, and not kept the words of the covenant which they made before me - when they hewed the calf in two, and when there went through the two halves thereof -
As truly as I live, sayeth the LORD God, he shall die at Babylon: in the place where the king dwelleth, that made him king, whose oath he hath despised, and whose covenant he hath broken.
Thus sayeth the LORD, 'For three and four wickednesses of the city of Tyre, I will not spare her: because they have increased the captivity of the Edomites, and have not remembered 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 chanced, the same season, that Abimelech and Phicol his chief captain spake unto Abraham saying, "God is with thee in all that thou doest.
Now therefore, come on, let us make a bond, I and thou together, and let it be a witness between thee and me."
But in any wise let him not hold too many horses, that he bring not the people again to Egypt through the multitude of horses, forasmuch as the LORD hath said unto you, 'Ye shall henceforth go no more again that way.'
And Barak called Zebulun and Naphtali to Kadesh. And he went up afoot with ten thousand men: and Deborah went with him.
and sent messengers throughout all Manasseh and called them up to follow him also. And he sent messengers unto Asher, Zebulun and Naphtali, which came also to meet him.
Then Solomon drew 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 the LORD and the walls of Jerusalem round about.
For Pharaoh, king of Egypt, went up and took Gezer and burnt it with fire, and slew the Cananites that dwelt in the city, and gave it for a present unto his daughter that was Solomon's wife.
"There is a bond between thee and me as was between thy father and mine. Therefore, I send thee both gold and silver for a gift, that thou go and break the covenant between thee and Baasha king of Israel, that he may depart from me."
For it seemed him a light thing to walk in the sin of Jeroboam - But took Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians to wife, and went and served Baal and bowed unto him.
Then Rezin king of Syria and Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel came up to Jerusalem to fight. And they besieged Ahaz, but could not overcome him.
Then Ahaz sent messengers to Tiglathpileser king of Assyria, saying, "I am thy servant and thy son, come and deliver me out of the hand of the king of Syria, and out of the hand of the king of Israel, which are risen against me."
Dost thou trust to the staff of this broken reed Egypt, on which if a man lean it will run into his hand and pierce it? For even so is Pharaoh king of Egypt unto all that trust on him.
and, if thou be not, how then art thou able to resist one of the least dukes of my master's servants? Or trustest thou to Egypt for chariots and horsemen?
And what hast thou now to do in the street of Egypt? To drink foul water? Either, what makest thou in the way to Assyria? To drink water of the flood?
O how evil will it be for thee to abide it, when it shall be known how oft thou hast gone backward? For thou shalt be confounded as well of Egypt, as thou wast of the Assyrians.
Since they went up to the Assyrians, they are become like a wild ass in the desert. Ephraim giveth rewards to get lovers.
Thus sayeth the LORD, 'For three and four wickednesses of the city of Tyre, I will not spare her: because they have increased the captivity of the Edomites, and have not remembered the brotherly covenant.
Herod was displeased with them of Tyre and Sidon. And they came all at once, and made intercession unto Blastus the king's chamberlain, and desired peace, because their country was nourished by the king's land.
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 the LORD thy God hath set them before thee that thou shouldest smite them: see that thou utterly destroy them and make no covenant with them nor have compassion on them. Also thou shalt make no marriages with them, neither give thy daughter unto his son nor take his daughter unto thy son.
But when the Inhabiters of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done unto Jericho, and Ai, they played wilily, and went and sent ambassadors: and took old sacks upon their asses, and wine bottles old and rent and knit together again, read more. and old clouted shoes upon their feet, and old raiment upon them and all their provision of bread was dried up and hoared. And they came unto Joshua, unto the host to Gilgal, and said unto him and unto the men of Israel, "We be come from a far country, now therefore make agreement with us." And the men of Israel said unto the Hivites, "Peradventure you dwell among us, and then how should we make peace with you?" And they said unto Joshua, "We are thy servants." And Joshua said unto them, "What are ye, and whence come ye?" And they answered him, "From a very far country thy servants are come, in the name of the 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 beyond Jordan, Sihon king of Heshbon and Og king of Bashan which dwelt at Ashtaroth. Wherefore our elders and all the inhabiters of our country spake to us saying, 'Take victuals with you to serve by the way, and go against them, and say unto them: We are your servants.' Now therefore make a covenant of peace with us. This, our provision of bread, we took with us out of our houses, hot, the day we departed to come unto you. And now behold it is dried up and hoared. And these bottles of wine which we filled were new: and see, they be rent. And these our garments and shoes are waxen old by reason of the exceeding long journey." And the men took of their victuals, and counseled not with the mouth of the LORD. And Joshua made peace with them, and made a covenant with them, to save their lives: and the lords of the congregation sware unto them. But three days after they had made peace with them, they heard that they were neighbours unto them, and that they dwelt among them. For the children of Israel took their journey and came unto their cities the third day: and their cities were Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth and Kiriathjearim. And the children of Israel slew them not, because the lords of the congregation had sworn unto them by the LORD God of Israel. And therefore all the multitude murmured against the lords. But all the lords said unto all the congregation, "We have sworn unto them by the LORD God of Israel, and therefore we may not hurt them. But this we will do to them and let them live: and so shall no wrath be upon us because of the oath which we sware unto them." And the lords said unto them, "Let them live, that they may be hewers of wood and drawers of water unto all the congregation," as the lords said unto them.
But and if ye shall go back and cleave unto the rest of these nations that remain with you and shall make marriages with them, and shall go to them and they come to you: be sure that the LORD your God will not cast out all these nations before you. But they shall be snares and traps unto you, and scourges for your sides, and pricks in your eyes, until ye perish from off this good land which the LORD your God hath given you.
Then all this was performed, the rulers came to me, and said, "The people of Israel, and the priests, and Levites are not separated from the nations in the lands as touching their abominations, namely of the Cananites, Hittites, Perezites, Jebusites, Ammonites, Moabites, Egyptians, and Amorites.
And when Ezra prayed after this manner, and knowledged, wept, and lay before the house of God, there resorted unto him out of Israel a very great congregation of men and women and children: For the people wept very sore.