Cutting Covenant in the Bible

"Cutting covenant" translates the Hebrew idiom karat berit, literally "to cut a covenant," and it lies at the heart of how Scripture describes God binding Himself to His people. The phrase reflects an ancient Near Eastern ceremony in which animals were slaughtered and divided, and the parties to the agreement passed between the pieces, invoking upon themselves the fate of the slain animals should they break their word. The most striking example is found in Genesis 15, where the LORD makes His promise to Abram. Abram brings a heifer, a goat, a ram, a turtledove, and a pigeon, cutting the larger animals in two (GEN.15.9, GEN.15.10). Then, as a deep sleep and dreadful darkness fall upon Abram, "a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch passed between these pieces" (GEN.15.17). Remarkably, God alone passes through, signifying that He takes the full obligation of the covenant upon Himself; the promise of the land rests entirely on His faithfulness (GEN.15.18). This sobering ritual reappears throughout Scripture. In Genesis 21, Abraham and Abimelech seal a treaty with sheep and oxen (GEN.21.27). At Sinai, Moses confirms the covenant by sprinkling sacrificial blood on the people, declaring, "Behold the blood of the covenant" (EXO.24.8). The prophet Jeremiah later condemns Judah for treacherously violating a covenant they had cut by passing between the pieces of a calf, warning that they themselves would be given over to destruction (JER.34.18). For the Christian, the cutting of covenant finds its fulfillment in Jesus Christ, whose own blood inaugurates the new covenant. The torn animals of Genesis 15 anticipate the broken body and shed blood of the Savior, who bears the curse so that we might inherit the blessing. To understand covenant-cutting is to grasp the costly, blood-sealed, unbreakable nature of God's commitment to redeem a people for Himself.