Treaties between people or nations were common in Bible times, as they are today. Such treaties were formal agreements that dealt with matters of mutual concern, such as peace, security and trade (Genesis 21:25-33; Genesis 26:28-30; 1 Kings 9:26-28; 1 Kings 20:34; Isaiah 7:3; Isaiah 30:1-5; Isaiah 31:1).

God warned the Israelites of Moses’ time that when they entered Canaan, they were not to make treaties with the former people of the land, but destroy them. In this way Israel would avoid the possibility of moral and religious corruption through adopting Canaanite practices (Exodus 34:12-16).

Nevertheless, in the centuries that followed, a number of Israelite kings made treaties with neighbouring nations. One danger of this practice was that it led to the possibility of moral and religious corruption, because the two parties to the treaty usually paid respect to each other’s gods. The treaty was sometimes strengthened by a marriage between members of the two royal families, which gave further opportunity for the introduction of foreign religious practices into Israel (1 Kings 3:1; 1 Kings 11:1-6; 1 Kings 16:30-33).

A treaty may also have been a sign of a lack of faith. This was particularly so when Israel (or Judah) trusted for military victory in an alliance with a foreign nation instead of trusting in God (1 Kings 15:18-20; Isaiah 30:1-3; Isaiah 30:15). Such a treaty would lead inevitably to political and religious domination by the foreign nation in whom Israel trusted (2 Kings 16:7-10; Isaiah 39:3-7; Hosea 7:8-10). By becoming a party to the treaty, Israel broke its covenant with God and so brought God’s judgment upon itself (Hosea 7:11-13; Hosea 8:8-10; see COVENANT).

Bibliography Information
Fleming, Don. Entry for 'Treaty'. Bridgeway Bible Dictionary. https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/eng/bbd/t/treaty.html. 2004.

Bible Dictionaries Treaty

Bridgeway Bible Dictionary

Bible Dictionaries
Treaty