What is "covenant"

Covenant \Cov"e*nant\, v. t. To grant or promise by covenant.

My covenant of peace that I covenanted with you.
--Wyclif.

Covenant \Cov"e*nant\ (k?v"?-n?nt), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Covenanted; p. pr. & vb. n. Covenanting.] To agree (with); to enter into a formal agreement; to bind one's self by contract; to make a stipulation.

Jupiter covenanted with him, that it should be hot or cold, wet or dry, . . . as the tenant should direct.
--L'Estrange.

And they covenanted with him for thyrty pieces of silver.
--Matt. xxvi. 15.

Syn: To agree; contract; bargain; stipulate.

Covenant \Cov"e*nant\ (k?v"?-nant), n. [OF. covenant, fr. F. & OF. convenir to agree, L. convenire. See Convene.]

1. A mutual agreement of two or more persons or parties, or one of the stipulations in such an agreement.

   Then Jonathan and David made a covenant.
   --1 Sam. xviiii. 3.

   Let there be covenants drawn between us.
   --Shak.

   If we conclude a peace, It shall be with such strict and severe covenants As little shall the Frenchmen gain thereby.
   --Shak.

2. (Eccl. Hist.) An agreement made by the Scottish Parliament in 1638, and by the English Parliament in 1643, to preserve the reformed religion in Scotland, and to extirpate popery and prelacy; -- usually called the ``Solemn League and Covenant.''

   He [Wharton] was born in the days of the Covenant, and was the heir of a covenanted house.
   --Macaulay.

3. (Theol.) The promises of God as revealed in the Scriptures, conditioned on certain terms on the part of man, as obedience, repentance, faith, etc.

   I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.
   --Gen. xvii. 7.

4. A solemn compact between members of a church to maintain its faith, discipline, etc.

5. (Law)

   1. An undertaking, on sufficient consideration, in writing and under seal, to do or to refrain from some act or thing; a contract; a stipulation; also, the document or writing containing the terms of agreement.

   2. A form of action for the violation of a promise or contract under seal.

      Syn: Agreement; contract; compact; bargain; arrangement; stipulation.

      Usage: Covenant, Contract, Compact, Stipulation. These words all denote a mutual agreement between two parties. Covenant is frequently used in a religious sense; as, the covenant of works or of grace; a church covenant; the Solemn League and Covenant. Contract is the word most used in the business of life. Crabb and Taylor are wrong in saying that a contract must always be in writing. There are oral and implied contracts as well as written ones, and these are equally enforced by law. In legal usage, the word covenant has an important place as connected with contracts. A compact is only a stronger and more solemn contract. The term is chiefly applied to political alliances. Thus, the old Confederation was a compact between the States. Under the present Federal Constitution, no individual State can, without consent of Congress, enter into a compact with any other State or foreign power. A stipulation is one of the articles or provisions of a contract.

c.1300, from Old French covenant "agreement," originally present participle of covenir "agree, meet," from Latin convenire "come together" (see convene). Applied in Scripture to God's arrangements with man as a translation of Latin testamentum, Greek diatheke, both rendering Hebrew berith (though testament also is used for the same word in different places).

c.1300, from covenant (n.). Related: Covenanted; covenanting. Covenanter (1638) was used especially in reference to Scottish Presbyterians who signed the Solemn League and Covenant (1643) for the defense and furtherance of their cause.

n. 1 (context legal English) An agreement to do or not do a particular thing. 2 (context legal English) A promise, incidental to a deed or contract, either express or implied. 3 A pact or binding agreement between two or more parties. 4 An incidental clause in an agreement. vb. 1 to enter into, or promise something by, a covenant 2 (context legal English) To enter a formal agreement. 3 (context legal English) To bind oneself in contract. 4 (context legal English) To make a stipulation.

1. n. a signed written agreement between two or more parties (nations) to perform some action [syn: compact, concordat]

2. (Bible) an agreement between God and his people in which God makes certain promises and requires certain behavior from them in return

3. v. enter into a covenenant

4. enter into a covenant or formal agreement; "They covenanted with Judas for 30 pieces of silver"; "The nations covenanted to fight terrorism around the world"

Covenant is an electronic band formed in 1986 in Helsingborg, Sweden. The band is currently composed of Eskil Simonsson and Joakim Montelius (born 22 August 1969) alongside touring members Andreas Catjar and Daniel Jonasson from Dupont.

Their music comprises a mixture between synthpop and electronic body music. They have been releasing music since the early 1990s.

Covenant is the fifteenth album by the British hard rock band UFO. It was published as a limited edition 2-disc album, with disc 1, titled Covenant, containing entirely new material, and disc 2, titled Live USA, containing a collection of classics performed live. Covenant saw the return of Michael Schenker on guitar, as he had left the band in the middle of the Walk on Water tour.

Covenant may refer to:

__NOTOC__ "Covenant" is the 159th episode of the television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, the ninth episode of the seventh season. First aired November 25, 1998.

Covenant is an album by American folk singer/guitarist Greg Brown, released in 2000. It was released only a few months after Over and Under.

"Rexroth's Daughter" was later covered by Joan Baez on her album Dark Chords on a Big Guitar.

After the album's official end there is a "hidden" track titled "Marriage Chant".

In religion, a covenant is a formal alliance or agreement made by God with a religious community or with humanity in general. It is central to the Abrahamic religions and derived from the biblical covenants, notably the Abrahamic covenant.

The Covenant are a fictional theocratic military alliance of alien races who serve as the main antagonists in the first trilogy of the Halo video game series. They are composed of a variety of diverse species, united under the religious worship of the Forerunners and their belief that Forerunner ringworlds known as Halos will provide a path to salvation. After the Covenant leadership—the High Prophets—declare humanity an affront to their gods, the Covenant prosecute a lengthy genocidal campaign against the technologically inferior human race.

The Covenant were first introduced in the 2001 video game Halo: Combat Evolved as enemies of the playable character, a human supersoldier known as the Master Chief. Not realizing the Halos were meant as weapons of destruction rather than salvation, the Covenant attempt to activate the rings on three separate occasions throughout the series, inadvertently releasing a virulent parasite known as the Flood in the process.

To develop a distinctive look for the various races of the Covenant, Bungie artists drew inspiration from reptilian, ursine, and avian characteristics. A Covenant design scheme of purples and reflective surfaces was made to separate the aliens from human architecture. The Covenant were generally well received by critics who appreciated the challenge they provided to players; several critics lamented the change of the main enemies from Elites to Brutes in Halo 3 and conversely praised their return in the later Halo: Reach.

A biblical covenant is a religious covenant that is described in the Bible. All Abrahamic religions consider biblical covenants important. Of the covenants found in the Pentateuch or Torah or the first five books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy, the Noahic Covenant is unique in applying to all humanity, while the other covenants are principally agreements made between God and the biblical Israelites.

In the Book of Jeremiah, verses predict "a new covenant" that God will establish with "the house of Israel". Most Christians believe this New Covenant is the "replacement" or "final fulfilment" of the Old Covenant described in the Old Testament and as applying to the People of God, while a minority believe both covenants are still applicable in a dual covenant theology. According to the bible the covenant was made to all humanity. Israel*Gal 3:28 KJV* There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus*Gal 3:29 KJV* And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.

A covenant, in its most general sense and historical sense, is a solemn promise to engage in or refrain from a specified action. Under historical English common law a covenant was distinguished from an ordinary contract by the presence of a seal. Because the presence of a seal indicated an unusual solemnity in the promises made in a covenant, the common law would enforce a covenant even in the absence of consideration. In United States contract law, an implied covenant of good faith is presumed.

A covenant is a type of contract in which the covenantor makes a promise to a covenantee to do (affirmative covenant) or not do some action (negative covenant). In real property law, the term real covenants is used for conditions tied to the use of land. A "covenant running with the land", also imposes duties or restrictions upon the use of that land regardless of the owner. Restrictive covenants are somewhat similar to easements and equitable servitudes, leading to some discussion about whether these concepts should be unified; the Restatement (Third) of Property takes steps to merge these concepts as servitudes. Real covenant law in the United States has been referred to as an "unspeakable quagmire" by one court.

Covenants for title are covenants which come with a deed or title to the property, in which the grantor of the title makes certain guarantees to the grantee. Non-compete clauses in the United States are also called restrictive covenants.

Covenant is the third official full-length album by Florida-based death metal band Morbid Angel. It was released on June 22, 1993. This album represented Morbid Angel's first foray into mainstream metal, through their contract with Giant Records. The music video for "God of Emptiness" was featured on Beavis and Butt-head and received airplay on MTV. The style of this album is more akin to the slower style of the previous album Blessed Are the Sick. Some early pressings of the album had a Parental Advisory logo on the cover. Future pressings of the album were produced without the advisory.

Covenant was produced by Morbid Angel and Flemming Rasmussen; engineered by Tom Morris and Flemming Rasmussen at Morrisound Recording in Tampa, Florida. Mixed by Flemming Rasmussen at Sweet Silence Studios in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Coventant was reissued as a Digipak in 2011.

Much of the lyrics for this album, written by David Vincent, could be considered Morbid Angel's most Occult and Satanic based. The album's cover image shows a page from The Book of Ceremonial Magic by Arthur Edward Waite to the right, and a reproduction of "The Pact of Urbain Grandier" on the left.

According to Nielsen Soundscan, Covenant was the best selling death metal album as of 2003, with sales of over 150,000 in the United States alone.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) encourages its members to make and keep several covenants as a part of the new and everlasting covenant of the gospel. In Latter Day Saint theology, making and keeping covenants is necessary for exaltation.

A covenant is a promise to God whereby he also promises blessings in return. Latter-day Saints believe that making covenants helps in overcoming difficulties in their lives. Latter-day Saint leaders teach that just as the God of Israel asked the children of Israel to be a covenant people, "a peculiar treasure unto me ... a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation," today God has asked for a latter-day people who will make and keep covenants with Him.

In the LDS Church, there are formal covenants and informal covenants. Formal covenants are limited in number and are always accompanied by the performance of an ordinance. Informal covenants are made without the performance of an ordinance. Typically, formal covenants are made in the presence of other Latter-day Saints, while informal covenants are made privately between a Latter-day Saint and God without the performance of an ordinance. Informal covenants are most commonly referred to simply as commandments.

"'Covenant" is the sixteenth episode of the first season of the American crime- thriller television series Millennium. It premiered on the Fox network on March 21, 1997. The episode was written by Robert Moresco, and directed by Roderick J. Pridy. "Covenant" featured guest appearances by John Finn, Michael O'Neill and Sarah Koskoff.

Millennium Group consultant Frank Black ( Lance Henriksen) travels to Utah to construct a profile on a convicted murderer (Finn) who is asking for the death sentence. Reconstructing the crime, Black begins to doubt the man's guilt.

Elements of "Covenant" were inspired by real-life murderers Albert Fish, Susan Smith and Arthur Shawcross. The episode was viewed by approximately 6.7 million households in its original broadcast. It has received positive reviews, with Moresco's script praised for its subtlety.

In a historical context, a covenant applies to formal promises that were made under oath, or in less remote history, agreements in which the name actually uses the term 'covenant', implying that they were binding for all time. One of the earliest attested covenants between parties is the so-called Mitanni treaty, dating to the 14th or 15th century BC, between the Hittites and the Mitanni.

Historically, certain treaties and compacts have been given the name "covenant", most notably the Solemn League and Covenant that marked the Covenanters, a Protestant political organization important in the history of Scotland. The term 'covenant' appears throughout Scottish, English and Irish history.

The term covenant could be used in English to refer to either the Bundesbrief of 1291, or the Pfaffenbrief of 1370, documents which led to the formation of the Swiss state or " Eidgenossenschaft". In this usage the German "Eid" is being translated as "covenant" rather than "oath" in order to reflect its written status.