The Covenant of Grant in the Old Testament and in the Ancient near East

Two types of covenants occur in the Old Testament: the obligatory type reflected in the Sinai covenant and the promissory type reflected in the covenants with Abraham and David. It has been recently shown that the covenant between Yahweh and Israel was based on the treaty pattern prevalent in the ancient Near East, but no judicial prototype has been as yet found for the promissory type of the covenant. The author shows that the covenants with Abraham and with David are modelled on the so common in the ancient Near East. Gift of land and dynasty, the subjects of the Abrahamic and Davidic covenants, are most prominent in the suzerain-vassal relationship. Like the royal grant in the ancient Near East so the covenants with Abraham and David are gifts bestowed upon individuals who excelled in serving loyally their masters. The terminology used in this context is very close to that used in the grants. Especially characteristic are: he kept my charge, walked before me in truth, heart was whole to his master, walked in perfection.