Abrahamic Covenant
/eɪ.brəˈhæm.ɪk ˈkʌv.ən.ənt/
noun phrase
The covenant God made with Abraham in Genesis 12, 15, and 17, in which He promised land, seed, and blessing to Abraham and through him to all the families of the earth.

📖 Biblical Definition

The Abrahamic Covenant is one of the most important covenants in Scripture — arguably the foundation of redemptive history. In Genesis 12:1-3, God called Abram: "Get out of your country, from your family and from your father's house, to a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed." This covenant has three great promises: (1) Land — Canaan, "from the river of Egypt to the great river, the River Euphrates" (Genesis 15:18); (2) Seed — descendants as numerous as the stars and sand (Genesis 15:5, 22:17); (3) Blessing — not just for Abraham's family but through them for "all the families of the earth." The covenant was unilateral — in Genesis 15, God put Abraham into a deep sleep and passed between the cut animals Himself, signifying that He alone bore the obligation. The Abrahamic Covenant is fulfilled in Christ: He is the true Seed through whom all nations are blessed (Galatians 3:16). Every Christian is "Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise" (Galatians 3:29).

📖 Key Scripture

Genesis 12:1-3 — "Get out of your country, from your family and from your father's house, to a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation... and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed."

Genesis 15:6 — "And he believed in the LORD, and He counted it to him for righteousness."

Genesis 15:18 — "On the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying: "To your descendants I have given this land.""

Galatians 3:16 — "Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, "And to seeds," as of many, but as of one, "And to your Seed," who is Christ."

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