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The Significance of “Cutting a Covenant”

In Genesis 15:9-10, Abraham receives specific instructions from Jehovah regarding the ritual for ratifying the covenant promise. The text reads: “Jehovah said to him, ‘Bring me a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old female goat, a three-year-old ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.’ So he brought him all these and cut them in two and placed each piece opposite the other, but he did not cut up the birds.” This ancient ceremony, where sacrificial animals were divided, exemplifies the solemnity and binding nature of the covenant.

The Hebrew phrase karath berith (כָּרַת בְּרִית), translated as “to cut a covenant,” derives from the physical cutting involved in the ritual. This practice was a well-understood cultural act in the ancient Near East, symbolizing the seriousness of the agreement and often invoking divine witnesses to the terms.

The Animals Used and Their Symbolism

The animals listed— a three-year-old heifer, a female goat, a ram, a turtledove, and a pigeon—were significant within the context of Israelite worship and later sacrificial practices. Each of these animals would appear in the Levitical system, which codified offerings as symbols of devotion, atonement, and fellowship with God (Leviticus 1–7). The use of these animals prefigures the establishment of Israel’s sacrificial system, emphasizing that the covenant with Abraham serves as a foundation for the nation’s future relationship with Jehovah.

The act of dividing the animals and arranging their halves was a visual and participatory affirmation of the covenant. By cutting the animals in half and walking between the pieces, the covenanting parties symbolically pledged that they would uphold their commitments under penalty of death. In Jeremiah 34:18-19, this act of walking between the pieces was explicitly tied to the consequences of covenant violation: “I will make those who violated my covenant and did not fulfill the words of the covenant they made before me like the calf they cut in two and then walked between its pieces.”

Jehovah’s Covenant with Abraham: Divine Initiative

In the account of Genesis 15, Jehovah takes the initiative to establish and ratify the covenant with Abraham. Unlike a bilateral agreement in which both parties pass through the animal pieces to demonstrate mutual obligations, Genesis 15:17 describes Jehovah alone as passing between the divided animals in the form of “a smoking firepot and a flaming torch.” This act underscores the unilateral nature of the covenant. Jehovah obligates Himself to fulfill the promises made to Abraham, including the grant of the land of Canaan and the establishment of a great nation (Genesis 15:18-21).

The imagery of the smoking firepot and flaming torch is rich with theological meaning. Fire and smoke are often associated with Jehovah’s presence in Scripture, as seen at Mount Sinai (Exodus 19:18) and in the pillar of fire and cloud that guided Israel in the wilderness (Exodus 13:21). By passing through the animal pieces alone, Jehovah communicates His absolute commitment to the covenant and His power to bring His promises to fruition.

Connections to Ancient Near Eastern Practices

The ritual described in Genesis 15:9-10 reflects common treaty-making practices in the ancient Near East. Archaeological discoveries, such as the Hittite and Mari texts, document similar ceremonies involving the division of animals. These rituals often included curses pronounced upon anyone who violated the treaty’s terms, symbolized by the fate of the severed animals. For example, in some Hittite treaties, the parties invoked the gods to punish any breach of the covenant by causing the offender to suffer the same fate as the slaughtered animals.

In Genesis, however, there is a significant departure from these cultural norms. While human covenants often involved mutual obligations, the covenant between Jehovah and Abraham places the fulfillment of the promise entirely on Jehovah. This divine self-binding demonstrates that the covenant is not dependent on human ability or faithfulness but on Jehovah’s sovereign will and power.

Abraham’s Role in the Ceremony

Although Jehovah assumes the responsibility of passing through the divided animals, Abraham’s involvement in preparing the ritual elements is significant. By bringing the animals and arranging their pieces, Abraham participates in the external aspects of the covenant, demonstrating his faith and obedience. His actions symbolize the importance of human cooperation in Jehovah’s divine plan, even when the ultimate fulfillment of the promise depends solely on God.

Additionally, Genesis 15:11 describes Abraham driving away the birds of prey that sought to consume the sacrificial pieces. This detail, though seemingly minor, highlights the challenges Abraham and his descendants would face in receiving and maintaining the covenant blessings. Just as Abraham actively protected the covenant ceremony from interference, his descendants would need to remain vigilant and faithful as they awaited the fulfillment of Jehovah’s promises.

The Theological Significance of the Covenant Ratification

The covenant ratification in Genesis 15 establishes key theological principles that resonate throughout Scripture. First, it emphasizes Jehovah’s faithfulness and unchanging character. Despite Abraham’s human limitations and uncertainties, Jehovah confirms His promises with a dramatic and unilateral act. This assurance provides a foundation for understanding the nature of Jehovah’s covenants with humanity.

Second, the covenant ratification foreshadows the ultimate fulfillment of Jehovah’s redemptive plan through Jesus Christ. In Galatians 3:16, the apostle Paul identifies Jesus as the ultimate “seed” promised to Abraham. The self-sacrificial nature of the covenant ceremony, where the severed animals symbolized the penalty for breaking the covenant, points forward to Christ’s sacrificial death. Unlike the divided animals, Christ’s sacrifice was not a symbol but the reality of atonement, securing the blessings promised to Abraham for all who share his faith (Galatians 3:7-9).

Third, the unilateral nature of Jehovah’s covenant with Abraham underscores the concept of grace. While human covenants often involve reciprocal obligations, Jehovah’s covenant with Abraham is grounded in divine initiative and mercy. This principle is echoed in the new covenant established through Christ, where salvation is offered as a gift of grace, not based on human works (Ephesians 2:8-9).

The Promise of Land and Its Fulfillment

Genesis 15:18-21 explicitly connects the covenant ceremony to the promise of land, delineating the boundaries of the territory that Abraham’s descendants would inherit. This promise was reaffirmed throughout Israel’s history and partially fulfilled in the conquest under Joshua (Joshua 21:43-45). However, the ultimate fulfillment of the land promise finds its spiritual expression in the inheritance of eternal life, made possible through Jesus Christ. Hebrews 11:10-16 describes Abraham’s faith as focused on “the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God.”

Conclusion: The Enduring Lessons of the Covenant Ceremony

The method of ratifying the covenant in Genesis 15:9-10 offers profound insights into the nature of Jehovah’s promises and His relationship with humanity. Through this dramatic and solemn ritual, Jehovah demonstrates His absolute commitment to fulfilling His covenant with Abraham, providing a foundation for the entire biblical narrative of redemption.

This account also illustrates the interplay between divine sovereignty and human faith. While Jehovah alone takes responsibility for the covenant’s fulfillment, Abraham’s participation in the ceremony reflects the importance of trust and obedience in the life of faith. The covenant ratification ultimately points to Jesus Christ, the mediator of the new covenant, whose sacrificial death secures the blessings of eternal life for all who believe.

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About the Author

EDWARD D. ANDREWS (AS in Criminal Justice, BS in Religion, MA in Biblical Studies, and MDiv in Theology) is CEO and President of Christian Publishing House. He has authored over 220+ books. In addition, Andrews is the Chief Translator of the Updated American Standard Version (UASV).