The Covenant: Abraham, Moses and the Promised Land
What Is a Covenant?
A covenant is not a simple contract. It is a solemn, binding relationship — in the Jewish context, an agreement between God and the Jewish people that carries profound obligations and promises on both sides. The covenants at the heart of Jewish theology are not merely ancient historical events; Jewish teaching holds that they remain active and binding today. They define who the Jewish people are in relation to God and what God expects of them.
Two covenants stand at the foundation of Jewish belief: the covenant with Abraham (recorded in Genesis 12 and 17) and the covenant at Sinai (recorded in Exodus 20), sealed through the giving of the Torah and the Ten Commandments.
The Covenant With Abraham
In Genesis 12:1-3, God calls Abraham to leave his homeland and travel to a land that God will show him. The promise is threefold: land (“the promised land”), descendants (a great nation), and blessing (through Abraham’s descendants, all the families of the earth will be blessed). This is one of the most important passages in the Tenakh because it establishes the special relationship between God and the Jewish people and holds out a universal vision — Abraham’s family becoming a source of blessing for the entire world.
The covenant with Abraham was renewed and developed in Genesis 17, where God gives Abraham the sign of Brit Milah (circumcision) as the physical mark of the covenant. Every Jewish male circumcised at eight days old carries the sign of this covenant in his body — making it an embodied, communal identity marker across all generations.
The Covenant with Abraham (Genesis 12:1-3) contains three promises: a land (Canaan, the “promised land”); descendants (a great nation); and blessing to all peoples of the earth through Abraham’s family. These promises form the bedrock of Jewish identity and hope.
Moses and the Covenant at Sinai
Moses is the most significant human figure in the Torah. After leading the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt, Moses ascended Mount Sinai and received God’s revelation. The covenant made at Sinai is qualitatively different from the covenant with Abraham: at Sinai, the entire Israelite people — not just one individual and his family — entered into a binding agreement with God. They would be God’s people; God would be their God. In return, they accepted the Torah and its commandments as their way of life.
The significance of Moses cannot be overstated. He is described in the Torah as the greatest of all prophets — the only person who spoke with God “face to face, as a man speaks to his friend” (Exodus 33:11). Jewish teaching holds that no prophet would arise in Israel greater than Moses, and his role as the transmitter of the Torah — both written and oral — makes him the founding teacher of the Jewish tradition.
The Ten Commandments
The Ten Commandments (Decalogue) recorded in Exodus 20:1-17 are the most prominent and widely recognised part of the Sinai revelation. Jewish tradition divides them into two groups of five. The first five concern the relationship between people and God: God’s declaration “I am the Lord your God”; no other gods or idols; not taking God’s name in vain; keeping Shabbat holy; and honouring your father and mother, which the Talmud compares to honouring God. The remaining five concern the relationship between people: do not murder; do not commit adultery; do not steal; do not give false witness; do not covet.
Jewish tradition teaches that the full covenant at Sinai involved not just the Ten Commandments but the complete Torah — 613 commandments covering every aspect of life. The Ten Commandments are understood as a summary or foundational statement rather than the entirety of divine law. In synagogue services, the Ten Commandments are recited on certain occasions, and many synagogues display them on plaques near the ark.
The Torah divides the 613 mitzvot into two broad categories. Mitzvot between man and God (bein adam l’Makom) include prayer, observing Shabbat and festivals, keeping dietary laws, and daily rituals of study and gratitude. These sanctify the individual’s relationship with the divine. Mitzvot between man and man (bein adam l’chavero) include not stealing, not lying, caring for the poor, and treating every person with dignity. These sanctify communal life. Jewish teaching holds that, for the mitzvot between man and man, God’s forgiveness on Yom Kippur cannot substitute for making direct amends to the person wronged.
The “promised land” (Eretz Yisrael) has remained a central element in Jewish consciousness throughout history, even during centuries of exile. Orthodox communities typically understand the promise of the land as literal and ongoing. Some Orthodox Jews make aliyah (immigration to Israel) as a religious act, fulfilling the covenant. Reform and Liberal communities hold more varied views: many affirm a spiritual or cultural connection to the land of Israel without prioritising physical settlement as a religious obligation. It is important to note that these are internal Jewish theological debates — the exam expects you to describe what different Jewish traditions teach, not to adjudicate the political dimensions.
Two foundational covenants: (1) Abraham — Genesis 12:1-3: land, descendants, blessing for all peoples. Sign: Brit Milah (circumcision). (2) Sinai — Exodus 20:1-17: the entire Israelite people accept God’s Torah and commandments; God becomes their God. Moses is the mediator. Together these covenants define Jewish identity and obligation.