The Obligations of the Parties

Covenants may be categorized based on obligations. In a kinship or parity treaty, both parties have obligations. In a vassal treaty, obligations are stated only for the inferior party. In a royal grant, the only obligations mentioned are for the ruler. Some treaties could be hybrids, in which the obligations of one are significantly greater than that of the other (Hahn, Kinship, 31).

In the Abrahamic promises, God sometimes gives blessings contingent on what Abraham will do, sometimes states divine obligations without specifying any for Abraham, and sometimes states blessings in response to what Abraham has already done. Goldingay summarizes, “A covenant does involve a mutual commitment, but it is not exactly conditional. In this respect it rather resembles … a personal relationship such as marriage more than a contract, alliance, or treaty” (“Covenant, Old Testament and New Testament,” 771).