ALLIANCE, ALLIANCES (חָבַר֮, H2489, to bind, to unite, e.g. of nations, to be allied, Gen 14:3; to form a league with, 2 Chron 20:36; חָתַן, H3161, to combine, join affinity, as in marriage, 2 Chron 18:1; 1 Kings 3:1; כָּרַ֧ת, בְּרִ֣ית to cut a covenant, make a covenant, Gen 15:18; 21:27).

1. Nature and confirmation. Alliances are akin to covenants, although the former apply more to the political and military and the latter to the religious and personal. Alliance implies reciprocal action. It involves obligations, risks, protection, and rewards. Because of the anticipated threat of religious contamination by cults of Canaanite neighbors, Moses issued a law prohibiting Israel’s alliance with them (Exod 34:15ff.; Deut 7:3ff.). The manner of making alliances varied, but most of them had certain factors in common, e.g., oral agreement of mutual protection, oaths, exchange of gifts, eating together, and often intermarriages.

2. Military and political incidents. The earliest record of Heb. alliance is that between Abraham and three Amorite chieftain brothers, Mamre, Eshcol, and Aner—“these were allies of Abram” (Gen 14:13). Later Abraham made an alliance with Abimelech, king of Gerar (21:22-34). Likewise Isaac and King Abimelech made an alliance, from which it is said that Beersheba received its name (26:26-33). Jacob and Laban made a divisional covenant whereby Galeed was established and enclosed by a heap of stones as the boundary between Israel and Syria (31:44-54). Moses married a Kenite woman and formed an alliance with the Kenites that lasted for generations (Exod 18; Num 10:29ff.; Judg 1:16; 4:11; 5:24; 1 Sam 15:6). Joshua was confronted in his early expeditions with a Canaanite alliance of six “nations” (Josh 9:1ff.). The Gibeonites tricked Joshua into making an alliance with them, and the Israelites honored it even after learning of the deception (ch. 9). David, while an exile in Philistia, made an alliance with King Achish by which he received Ziklag for his military exploits (1 Sam 27:5-12). He later formed an alliance with Abner, resulting in the union of all the tribes under David (2 Sam 3:12-21). In the successful expansion of his kingdom David secured his holdings by forming alliances with his neighbors, e.g., Hiram of Tyre and King Toi of Hamath (2 Sam 5:11; 8:9-12).

3. Marriage alliances were formed by kings for political reasons. These intermarriages sealed the alliances, fostered good relationships, and were a guarantee to loyalty. The intermarriage of royalty was an approved custom with alliances. David had twenty or more wives and concubines, of which two or more were foreign princesses (2 Sam 3:2-5; 5:13-16). “Solomon made a marriage alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt,” and with many other neighbor countries (1 Kings 3:1; 9:16; 11:1). Omri and Ethbaal formed a Phoenician-Israelite alliance and ratified it by the marriage of Prince Ahab to Princess Jezebel (16:23-31). Jehoshaphat “made a marriage alliance with Ahab” (2 Chron 18:1). Both Israel and Judah made alliances with Syria (1 Kings 15:15-20; 20:30-34). Three southern kings formed alliances with Assyria (2 Kings 16:5-9; 23:29-33). Hezekiah and Zedekiah allied with Babylon (2 Kings 20:12-16).

Bibliography B. Davies, Student’s Hebrew Lexicon (1960) 193, 238, 308; R. de Vaux, Ancient Israel (1962), 31, 116f.; E. W. K. Mould, Essentials of Bible History (1966), 220, 229, 262.