Topical Encyclopedia In biblical times, the concept of a contract was integral to social, economic, and religious life. While the term "contract" as understood in modern legal contexts is not explicitly mentioned in the Bible, the principles underlying contracts—agreements, covenants, and promises—are deeply embedded in the biblical narrative.Old Testament Context The Old Testament frequently uses the term "covenant" (Hebrew: berith) to describe agreements between individuals, tribes, and nations, as well as between God and humanity. These covenants often included stipulations, promises, and signs or seals. For example, the covenant between God and Noah included the promise that God would never again flood the earth, with the rainbow serving as the sign of this covenant (Genesis 9:12-17). Another significant example is the covenant between God and Abraham, where God promised Abraham numerous descendants and the land of Canaan. This covenant was marked by the rite of circumcision (Genesis 17:1-14). The Abrahamic covenant set a precedent for understanding divine-human agreements as binding and sacred. In human interactions, contracts were often related to property, marriage, and servitude. For instance, the purchase of the cave of Machpelah by Abraham from Ephron the Hittite was a formal transaction involving negotiation and witnesses (Genesis 23:16-20). Similarly, marriage agreements, such as the one between Jacob and Laban, involved specific terms and conditions (Genesis 29:18-30). New Testament Context In the New Testament, the concept of covenant is central to the understanding of Jesus Christ's mission and the establishment of the New Covenant. Jesus' sacrificial death is seen as the fulfillment of the Old Covenant and the establishment of a new agreement between God and humanity, characterized by grace and faith rather than adherence to the Law (Hebrews 8:6-13). The Apostle Paul often uses the language of contracts and covenants to explain the relationship between believers and God. In Galatians 3:15-17 , Paul discusses the irrevocable nature of God's promises, likening them to human covenants that cannot be annulled once ratified. Legal and Ethical Implications The Bible emphasizes the importance of honesty, integrity, and faithfulness in all agreements. Leviticus 19:11 commands, "You must not steal. You must not lie or deceive one another." Similarly, Psalm 15:4 praises those who "keep their oath even when it hurts." These principles underscore the ethical dimensions of contracts, highlighting the expectation that individuals honor their commitments. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus teaches about the importance of sincerity in one's word, advising against oaths and instead encouraging straightforward honesty: "Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No'" (Matthew 5:37). Conclusion The biblical understanding of contracts, while not identical to modern legal frameworks, provides foundational principles for agreements and covenants. These principles emphasize the sacredness of promises, the necessity of integrity, and the divine model of faithfulness, as exemplified in God's covenants with humanity. Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary 1. (n.) To draw together or nearer; to reduce to a less compass; to shorten, narrow, or lessen; as, to contract one's sphere of action.2. (n.) To draw together so as to wrinkle; to knit. 3. (n.) To bring on; to incur; to acquire; as, to contract a habit; to contract a debt; to contract a disease. 4. (n.) To enter into, with mutual obligations; to make a bargain or covenant for. 5. (n.) To betroth; to affiance. 6. (n.) To shorten by omitting a letter or letters or by reducing two or more vowels or syllables to one. 7. (v. i.) To be drawn together so as to be diminished in size or extent; to shrink; to be reduced in compass or in duration; as, iron contracts in cooling; a rope contracts when wet. 8. (v. i.) To make an agreement; to covenant; to agree; to bargain; as, to contract for carrying the mail. 9. (a.) Contracted; as, a contract verb. 10. (a.) Contracted; affianced; betrothed. 11. (n.) The agreement of two or more persons, upon a sufficient consideration or cause, to do, or to abstain from doing, some act; an agreement in which a party undertakes to do, or not to do, a particular thing; a formal bargain; a compact; an interchange of legal rights. 12. (n.) A formal writing which contains the agreement of parties, with the terms and conditions, and which serves as a proof of the obligation. 13. (n.) The act of formally betrothing a man and woman. Greek 4958. sustello -- to draw together, hence wrap up ... up. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: sustello Phonetic Spelling: (soos-tel'- lo) Short Definition: I shorten, swathe Definition: I contract, shorten, wrap ... //strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4958.htm - 6k 3014. lepra -- leprosy 1242. diatheke -- testament, will, covenant 4112. plastos -- formed, molded 4932. suntemno -- to cut in pieces Strong's Hebrew 6821. tsaphad -- to draw together, contract... tsaphad. 6822 . to draw together, contract. Transliteration: tsaphad Phonetic Spelling: (tsaw-fad') Short Definition: shriveled. Word Origin a prim. ... /hebrew/6821.htm - 5k 7939. sakar -- hire, wages 6915. qadad -- to bow down 7091. qippoz -- perhaps arrow snake 331. atam -- to shut, shut up 3648. kamar -- to grow warm and tender, to be or grow hot 680. atsal -- to lay aside, reserve, withdraw, withhold 7088. qaphad -- gather together, roll up 2859. chathan -- make oneself a daughter's husband Library Whether Seven Years is Fittingly Assigned as the Age for Betrothal ... Whether Impotence is an Impediment to Marriage? Whether Christ Contracted These Defects? Whether Original Sin Would be Contracted by a Person Formed ... Whether a Betrothal Can be Dissolved? Whether if Eve, and not Adam, had Sinned, their Children Would ... Whether Affinity is a Cause of Affinity? Whether Marriage Already Contracted Should be Annulled by the ... Introduction. On the Evening of the 18Th of February The Thing that Follows is not the Same as the Thing that it ... Thesaurus Contract (3 Occurrences)... 1. (n.) To draw together or nearer; to reduce to a less compass; to shorten, narrow, or lessen; as, to contract one's sphere of action. ... /c/contract.htm - 8k Narrow (21 Occurrences) Obligation (17 Occurrences) Instrument (45 Occurrences) Rust (7 Occurrences) Breach (55 Occurrences) Bargain (7 Occurrences) Condition (38 Occurrences) Article (17 Occurrences) Shrink (10 Occurrences) Resources What is the difference between a covenant and a contract? | GotQuestions.orgWhat was betrothal in biblical times? | GotQuestions.org What is deontological ethics / deontology? | GotQuestions.org Contract: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com Bible Concordance • Bible Dictionary • Bible Encyclopedia • Topical Bible • Bible Thesuarus Concordance Contract (3 Occurrences)Isaiah 16:14 Isaiah 21:16 Jeremiah 32:10 Subtopics Contracts by Consummating in the Presence of the Public at the Gate of the City Contracts by Erecting a Heap of Stones Contracts by Taking off the Shoe Contracts: Between Abraham and Abimelech, Concerning Wells of Water Contracts: Between Solomon and Hiram Contracts: Dissolved by Blotting Out Contracts: Dissolved by Mutual Consent Contracts: First Contract Between Laban and Jacob for Laban's Daughter Contracts: Modes of Ratifying by Giving Presents Contracts: Scriptures Illustrative of the Binding Force of Related Terms |
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