bible verses about covenant

Bible Verses About Covenant: 12 Scriptures on God's Promises

Key Bible verses about covenant, what a covenant means, and how God's covenants with Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, and the new covenant fit together.

Illustrated portrait of Christopher McAllister

By Christopher McAllister

Founder of theBibleand.Love

Published September 30, 2026Updated October 23, 20267 min readHebrews 8:10 (NIV)

A figure with a lamp walks a ridge path as dawn light arrives among wildflowers.

"This is the covenant I will establish with the people of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts."

— Hebrews 8:10 (NIV)

People who search bible verses about covenant want Scripture on God's binding bond — not only the broader promises list or the God's plan list alone. This page is a numbered list of twelve passages with the NIV text and a short note on each. Related lists: Bible verses about promises, Bible verses about God's plan, Bible verses about scripture, Bible verses about God's love, Bible verses about faithfulness, and Bible verse of the day. Covenant here means berith / diathēkē — the Lord's sworn relationship with his people — distinct from general promise themes alone. Psalm 25:14 ties the Lord's covenant, made known to those who fear him, to the fear of the Lord Bible verses.

Word study (lead theme). In Hebrew, "covenant" is often בְּרִית berith (Strong's H1285; Bible Hub H1285) — covenant, alliance, pledge. In Greek it is διαθήκη diathēkē (Strong's G1242; Bible Hub G1242) — covenant, testament, arrangement. Genesis 15 shows God cutting a covenant with Abram; Hebrews 8 names the better covenant in Christ. Covenant is God's initiated bond — not a bargain we invent.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Genesis 15 marks God's covenant with Abram as a sure promise sealed by God himself (Bible Hub MHC Genesis 15; Blue Letter Bible, Matthew Henry on Genesis 15). On Hebrews 8 he presses the new covenant written on the heart, better than the first (Bible Hub MHC Hebrews 8; Blue Letter Bible, Matthew Henry on Hebrews 8). (Broader promises and plan lists live on those pages; this list centers the covenant bond itself.)

What is a covenant in the Bible?

A covenant in the Bible is a binding promise. God makes the bond and God keeps it. It is a sworn relationship, not a bargain people invent and not a general hope with no pledge behind it.

The covenants most often named in Scripture are these:

  • Noah, Genesis 9. God makes a covenant with Noah, with every living creature, and for all generations, and he sets the rainbow as its sign.
  • Abraham, Genesis 15 and Genesis 17. The Lord makes a covenant with Abram, then establishes an everlasting covenant to be God to Abraham and to his descendants.
  • Sinai and Moses, Exodus 19-24. The Lord calls Israel to keep his covenant, and Moses reads the Book of the Covenant and seals it in blood.
  • David, 2 Samuel 7. The Lord makes a covenant promise to David about his house and his throne.
  • The new covenant, Jeremiah 31:31-34 and Luke 22:20. The Lord promises a new covenant, with his law written on the heart, and Jesus gives the cup as the new covenant in his blood.

12 Bible verses about covenant

  1. Genesis 9:12-13. "And God said, 'This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: I have set my rainbow in the clouds…'" Noahic covenant sign. See Bible verses about promises.

  2. Genesis 15:18. "On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram and said, 'To your descendants I give this land…'" God cuts covenant with Abram. See Bible verses about God's plan.

  3. Genesis 17:7. "I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you." Everlasting covenant — God with Abraham's line. See Bible verses about God's love.

  4. Exodus 19:5. "Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession." Sinai covenant call. See Bible verses about scripture.

  5. Exodus 24:7-8. "Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it to the people. They responded, 'We will do everything the Lord has said; we will obey.' Moses then took the blood, sprinkled it on the people and said, 'This is the blood of the covenant…'" Blood of the covenant at Sinai. See Bible verses about the blood of Jesus.

  6. Jeremiah 31:31-33. "'The days are coming,' declares the Lord, 'when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah… I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts.'" New covenant promised. See Bible verses about God's plan.

  7. Ezekiel 36:26-27. "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you… And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees…" Covenant renewal as new heart. See Bible verses about the Holy Spirit.

  8. Luke 22:20. "In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, 'This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.'" New covenant in Christ's blood. See Bible verses about the blood of Jesus.

  9. Hebrews 8:6. "But in fact the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant of which he is mediator is superior to the old one, since the new covenant is established on better promises." Better covenant, better promises. See Bible verses about Jesus.

  10. Hebrews 8:10. "'This is the covenant I will establish with the people of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.'" Law on the heart. See Bible verses about scripture.

  11. Hebrews 9:15. "For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance…" Mediator of the new covenant. See Bible verses about Jesus.

  12. Hebrews 13:20-21. "Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus… equip you with everything good for doing his will…" Blood of the eternal covenant. See Bible verses about the blood of Jesus.

How to use these verses

Pick one verse when you need God's covenant — not twelve as a grind. If you need the Abrahamic bond, start with Genesis 15:18. If you need the new covenant in Christ, open Luke 22:20 or Hebrews 8:6. If you need a new heart, open Ezekiel 36:26-27. For the broader promises list, open Bible verses about promises. For God's plan, open Bible verses about God's plan. For a daily verse, open Bible verse of the day.

Questions people ask

What is a good Bible verse about covenant?

Genesis 15:18 (covenant with Abram), Jeremiah 31:31-33 (new covenant promised), and Luke 22:20 (new covenant in Christ's blood) are clear starting places.

How do Bible verses about covenant differ from promises?

The live promises page can cover God's pledges broadly. A covenant page centers berith / diathēkē as the binding relationship God initiates — then cross-links promises, plan, and faithfulness. See Bible verses about promises.

What do berith and diathēkē mean?

Hebrew berith (H1285) means covenant, alliance, or pledge. Greek diathēkē (G1242) means covenant or testament. Together they name God's sworn bond with his people.

Is the new covenant only in the New Testament?

Jeremiah 31 promises it; Luke and Hebrews show it fulfilled in Christ's blood. See Bible verses about Jesus. The new-covenant list is on Bible verses about New Covenant. Malachi's messenger of the covenant is on Bible verses about Messenger of the Covenant.

Where can I read more about promises, plan, and faithfulness?

Start with Bible verses about promises, then Bible verses about God's plan, Bible verses about faithfulness, and Bible verses about scripture.

How many covenants are in the Bible?

Noah (Genesis 9), Abraham (Genesis 15 and 17), Sinai with Moses (Exodus 19-24), David (2 Samuel 7), and the new covenant (Jeremiah 31:31-34 and Luke 22:20) are the covenants most commonly named. Traditions count differently. Scripture does not give one settled total.

What is the new covenant?

Jeremiah 31:31-33 says the Lord will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah, put his law in their minds, and write it on their hearts. Luke 22:20 says the cup is the new covenant in Jesus' blood, poured out for you. Hebrews 8:6 says the covenant Jesus mediates is superior to the old one, and that the new covenant is established on better promises.

Sources

A woman with a lamp walks a ridge path at dawn.

Keep reading