בְּרִית285 H1285
Covenant, pact, treaty; a solemn binding agreement between parties, whether divine-human or between nations
One of the most theologically weighty nouns in the Hebrew Bible, berit appears 284 times to designate a solemn, binding agreement. It covers the full arc of Scripture's covenantal theology: God's promises to Noah (Gen 9:13), Abraham (Gen 15:18), Moses at Sinai, and David, as well as the prophesied new covenant (Jer 31:31). Beyond the divine-human axis, it also denotes political treaties between nations (Josh 9:6) and personal pacts between individuals (Gen 31:44). The rendering across languages reflects the concept's weight: Spanish pacto, French alliance, German Bund, each carrying overtones of solemn obligation.
Senses
1. covenant, pact, treaty — A solemn binding agreement establishing mutual obligations or promises between two parties. Encompasses God's covenants with Noah, Abraham, Israel at Sinai, and David, as well as political treaties between nations (Gen 21:27; Josh 9:6) and personal compacts (Gen 31:44). The consistent rendering as Spanish pacto, French alliance, and German Bund underscores the term's gravity as an institution of sworn commitment. 284×
AR["عَهداً", "عَهْدًا", "عَهْدٍ"]·ben["চুক্তি", "চুক্তি।", "চুক্তির,", "তোমার-সঙ্গে", "নিয়ম", "নিয়মের"]·DE["Bund", "des-Bundes", "ein-Bund", "einen-Bund"]·EN["a-covenant", "covenant"]·FR["alliance", "un-alliance", "une-alliance"]·heb["ברית"]·HI["वअध", "वाचा", "वाचा-का"]·ID["perjanjian"]·IT["patto", "un-patto"]·jav["prajanjen.", "prajanjian", "prajanjian;", "prajanjèn", "prejanjian"]·KO["언약-의", "언약을", "언약의"]·PT["aliança"]·RU["завет", "завета"]·ES["pacto", "un-pacto"]·SW["agano"]·TR["antlaşma", "antlaşmanın"]·urd["عہد", "عہد-کا", "عہد-کی"]
Gen 9:13, Gen 15:18, Gen 17:11, Gen 21:27, Gen 21:32, Gen 26:28, Gen 31:44, Exod 23:32, Exod 34:10, Exod 34:12, Exod 34:15, Exod 34:27 (+38 more)
Related Senses
H5971a 1. people, nation (1836×)H5973a 1. accompaniment, together with (956×)H0854 1. with (accompaniment) (665×)H1471a 1. nations, peoples (plural/collective) (466×)G3326 1. with (368×)G2453 1. Jewish person, Jew (194×)H4150 1. meeting (tent of meeting) (151×)G2992 1. people/nation (an ethnic or political community) (142×)G4862 1. (129×)G1484 1. Gentiles, non-Jewish nations (128×)H1471a 2. nation, people-group (singular) (98×)H3162b 1. together (97×)H1616 1. sojourner, resident alien (92×)H0567 1. Amorite (people group) (87×)H3064 1. Jew, Jewish person (81×)H3669a 1. Canaanite (ethnic designation) (70×)G1122 1. scribe / expert in the Law (63×)H2114a 1. stranger, foreigner (person) (54×)H5608b 1. scribe, royal secretary (48×)H3162a 1. together, all together, alike (44×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
בְּרִית285 n.f. covenant (‖ Aramaic קְיָם, διαθήκη; constitutio)—ב׳ Gn 9:13 + 199 times; sf. בְּרִיתִי Gn 6:18 + 50 times; בְּרִיתְךָ Dt 33:9; בְּרִיתֶ֑ךָ ψ 44:18 + 11 times; בְּרִיתְכֶם Is 28:18; בְּרִיתֵךְ Ez 16:61; בְּרִיתוֹ Ex 2:24 + 18 times;—pact, compact, covenant. I. between men. 1. treaty, alliance, league: Abraham and Amorites Gn 14:13; Edom and its allies Ob 7; with Philistines Gn…