In the context of the Bible, the concept of an "ally" is often understood as a partner or supporter in a common cause, particularly in times of conflict or need. The idea of alliances is prevalent throughout the biblical narrative, where individuals, tribes, and nations form partnerships for mutual benefit or protection.

Old Testament Alliances

The Old Testament provides numerous examples of alliances, both divinely sanctioned and humanly orchestrated. One of the earliest instances is the alliance between Abram (later Abraham) and the Amorite chiefs, Mamre, Eshcol, and Aner, who aided him in rescuing Lot from captivity (Genesis 14:13-16). This alliance underscores the importance of mutual support and loyalty among allies.

The Israelites themselves were often involved in alliances, sometimes with divine approval and other times to their detriment. For instance, God instructed the Israelites to avoid alliances with the inhabitants of Canaan to prevent idolatry and moral corruption (Exodus 23:32-33). Despite this, Israel frequently sought alliances with neighboring nations, such as Egypt and Assyria, often leading to negative consequences. Isaiah 30:1-2 warns, "Woe to the obstinate children, declares the LORD, who carry out a plan that is not Mine, forming an alliance, but against My will, heaping up sin upon sin; who set out to go down to Egypt without consulting Me, to seek help from Pharaoh’s protection and take refuge in Egypt’s shadow."

Alliances in Warfare

Alliances were particularly significant in the context of warfare. The coalition of kings against Israel, such as the alliance of the five Amorite kings against Gibeon, which was under Israel's protection, illustrates the strategic nature of alliances in military conflicts (Joshua 10:1-5). Conversely, King Jehoshaphat of Judah formed an alliance with King Ahab of Israel to fight against Ramoth-gilead, which ended disastrously for Ahab (1 Kings 22:1-37).

Divine Alliance

The most profound alliance in the Bible is the covenant relationship between God and His people. This divine alliance is characterized by God's promises and faithfulness, contrasted with human unfaithfulness. The covenant with Abraham (Genesis 15), the Mosaic Covenant at Sinai (Exodus 19-24), and the New Covenant prophesied in Jeremiah 31:31-34 and fulfilled in Christ (Luke 22:20) are central to understanding God's commitment to His people.

New Testament Perspective

In the New Testament, the concept of an ally takes on a spiritual dimension. Believers are called to be allies in the faith, supporting one another in love and good deeds (Hebrews 10:24). The early church exemplified this through communal living and mutual support (Acts 2:42-47). The Apostle Paul frequently emphasizes the importance of unity and partnership among believers, urging them to "stand firm in one spirit, contending side by side for the faith of the gospel" (Philippians 1:27).

Spiritual Warfare

The New Testament also speaks of spiritual alliances in the context of spiritual warfare. Believers are encouraged to put on the full armor of God and stand together against the schemes of the devil (Ephesians 6:10-18). This spiritual alliance is rooted in the shared faith and the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, who empowers and unites believers in their struggle against spiritual forces of evil.

In summary, the concept of an ally in the Bible encompasses both human and divine relationships, highlighting the importance of loyalty, support, and unity in fulfilling God's purposes.1. (n.) A partner united with a common purpose

2. (v. t.) To connect or form a relation between by similitude, resemblance, friendship, or love.

3. (n.) A relative; a kinsman.

4. (n.) One united to another by treaty or league; -- usually applied to sovereigns or states; a confederate.

5. (v.) Anything associated with another as a helper; an auxiliary.

6. (v.) Anything akin to another by structure, etc.

7. (n.) See Alley, a marble or taw.

1947. epikouria -- aid, assistance
... help, aid, assistance. Word Origin from epikouros (helper, ally) Definition
aid, assistance NASB Word Usage help (1). help. From a ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1947.htm - 6k4471. Mamre -- a place in Palestine, also an ally of Abraham
... 4470, 4471. Mamre. 4472 . a place in Palestine, also an ally of Abraham.
Transliteration: Mamre Phonetic Spelling: (mam-ray') Short Definition: Mamre. ...
/hebrew/4471.htm - 6k

6063. Aner -- an ally of Abram, also a place in Manasseh
... 6062, 6063. Aner. 6064 . an ally of Abram, also a place in Manasseh.
Transliteration: Aner Phonetic Spelling: (aw-nare') Short Definition: Aner. ...
/hebrew/6063.htm - 6k

6955. Qehath -- a son of Levi
... Kohath. From an unused root meaning to ally oneself; allied; Kehath, an Israelite --
Kohath. 6954, 6955. Qehath. 6956 . Strong's Numbers.
/hebrew/6955.htm - 5k

5826. azar -- to help, succor
... root Definition to help, succor NASB Word Usage ally (1), furthered (1), granted
(1), help (38), helped (19), helper (6), helpers (2), helping (1), helps (8 ...
/hebrew/5826.htm - 6k

4920. Meshelemyah -- a Levite
... Meshelemiah. Or Mshelemyahuw {mesh-eh-lem-yaw'-hoo}; from shalam and Yahh; ally
of Jah; Meshelemjah, an Israelite -- Meshelemiah. see HEBREW shalam. ...
/hebrew/4920.htm - 6k

Our Ally
... OUR ALLY. 'But ... world. I. Now consider briefly the first of these points, the
great promise of an Ally in the conflict with the world. ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture st john chaps xv to xxi/our ally.htm

August the First God as Our Ally!
... AUGUST The First GOD AS OUR ALLY! ROMANS viii.31-39. "If God is for us!" But we
must make sure of that. Is God on the field, taking sides with us? ...
/.../jowett/my daily meditation for the circling year/august the first god as.htm

May the First the Conditions of Serenity
... And if I would be like the Psalmist, I must clearly recognize my great Ally.
"If it has not been the Lord, who was on our side!" To ...
/.../my daily meditation for the circling year/may the first the conditions.htm

Rome Taken and Sacked by Alaric.
... About this same time [931] it happened that Rome was taken by the barbarians; for
a certain Alaric, a barbarian who had been an ally of the Romans, and had ...
/.../the ecclesiastical history of scholasticus/chapter x rome taken and sacked.htm

September the Sixteenth the Steadfastness of the Lord
... and destroys my peace. If I am sure of my great Ally, my heart will not
be troubled, neither will it be afraid. And such a divine ...
/.../september the sixteenth the steadfastness.htm

The Allies of the Tempter.
... proceed. I observe, then, in the first place, that the Tempter has one Ally
in Public Sanction. ... direction. It is an ally of the tempter. ...
/.../chapin/humanity in the city/discourse vi the allies of.htm

The Provinces.
... It seems that in the midst of his prosperity, his friend and ally, the King of
Egypt"for these events, though narrated here, occurred before the invasion of ...
//christianbookshelf.org/abbott/darius the great/chapter v the provinces.htm

Exhortation to Abandon the Impious Mysteries of Idolatry for the ...
... was attracted by the song of Eunomos, as the fable represents, according to which
also a brazen statue of Eunomos with his lyre, and the Locrian's ally in the ...
/.../clement/exhortation to the heathen/chapter i exhortation to abandon the.htm

God with Us, and we with God
... Where He comes He comes to help; not to be a spectator, but an ally in the warfare;
and whoever sets the Lord before him will have the Lord at his right hand. ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture j/god with us and we.htm

Ahab and Micaiah
... made. Ahab does not at all see the necessity for such a thing, but, to
please his scrupulous ally, he sends for his priests. They ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture f/ahab and micaiah.htm

Ally (5 Occurrences)
... Multi-Version Concordance Ally (5 Occurrences). ... Psalms 41:9 Even mine ally, in whom
I trusted, One eating my bread, made great the heel against me, (YLT). ...
/a/ally.htm - 8k

Alliance (12 Occurrences)
... 3. (n.) The persons or parties allied. 4. (vt) To connect by alliance; to ally.
Int. ... Josiah fought against Pharaoh-necoh as an ally of Assyria (2 Kings 23:29). ...
/a/alliance.htm - 21k

Confederate (3 Occurrences)
... 3. (n.) One who is united with others in a league; a person or a nation engaged
in a confederacy; an ally; also, an accomplice in a bad sense. ...
/c/confederate.htm - 9k

Jehoram (27 Occurrences)
... brother. Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, assisted Jehoram in this effort. He
was further helped by his ally the king of Edom. Elisha ...
/j/jehoram.htm - 30k

Nero
... Burrus. Seneca lost in him a powerful ally, and Poppea gained in one of
the new prefects, Sofonius Tigellinus, a powerful ally. ...
/n/nero.htm - 41k

Nebaioth (5 Occurrences)
... Josephus, followed by Jerome, regarded Nebaioth as identical with the Nabateans,
the great trading community and ally of Rome, whose capital and stronghold was ...
/n/nebaioth.htm - 9k

Odomera
... Itala Odaren; the King James Version Odonarkes, margin Odomarra): It is not certain
whether Odomera was an independent Bedouin chief, perhaps an ally of the ...
/o/odomera.htm - 6k

Jehu (63 Occurrences)
... a battle at Ramoth-gilead Jehoram, the king of Israel, had been wounded; and leaving
his army there, had returned to Jezreel, whither his ally, Ahaziah, king ...
/j/jehu.htm - 47k

Judaeus
... of Philo: A Jew by nature and nurture, an oriental mystic by accident of residence,
a Greek humanist by higher education and professional study, an ally of the ...
/j/judaeus.htm - 29k

Joram (26 Occurrences)
... Moabites. He called to his aid the ally of his father, Jehoshaphat, king
of Judah, and the latter's vassal, the king of Edom. Jehoram ...
/j/joram.htm - 27k

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