Lexicon
בְּרִית
be.rit
H1285
H:N-F Hebrew

covenant

284
Occurrences
27
Books
Hebrew
Language

be.rit denotes a binding commitment, including commitments kept before the LORD, agreements between people, and the designation of the ark.

The supplied verses most often place the noun in the fixed construct expression “ark of the covenant of the LORD,” while other contexts show binding commitments that are remembered, kept, forsaken, or entered before the LORD, and agreements made between individuals, communities, or kings.

Senses in use

  1. Covenant in the ark designation · dominant

    In 1 Chronicles 15:25 and 1 Kings 8:6, the construct-form noun occurs within the designation of the ark being brought or placed in the sanctuary. In 1 Kings 8:21, the APB renders the clause as an ark “in which is the covenant of the LORD,” linking the ark’s designation with the commitment made when the fathers were brought from Egypt.

  2. Commitment involving the LORD and his people · common

    The noun names a commitment that may be remembered and confirmed for Israel in 1 Chronicles 16:15 and 1 Chronicles 16:17, or kept by servants walking before the LORD in 1 Kings 8:23. It can also be forsaken or rejected: in 1 Kings 19:10 and 2 Kings 17:15, the APB describes Israel as having forsaken or rejected what the LORD made with their fathers.

  3. Agreement between persons or political parties · occasional

    In 1 Samuel 18:3, Jonathan and David make an agreement in connection with Jonathan’s love for David. In 1 Kings 15:19, the APB presents an agreement between two rulers and then a request to break an agreement with Baasha; 1 Kings 20:34 similarly connects an agreement with restoring cities and dismissal.

In the Anselm Project Bible: Across these verses, the APB regularly presents the noun as “covenant,” including the recurring phrase “ark of the covenant of the LORD.” It also uses clauses such as “made a covenant,” “kept my covenant,” and “break your covenant”; these are verse-level renderings rather than definitions.

Passages featuring this word

Across Scripture