Note: Many Bible Scholars will refer to these Promises as Covenants that God made with the individuals involved. The following comments from an article by Les Fleetwood should help in our understanding of these ideas -

OT Covenants or Covenant Theology?

It is necessary to begin this article with some clarification. The OT covenants (biblical covenants) are not to be confused with Covenant Theology (theological covenants). What is the difference?

Covenant Theology refers to the theological system that views history primarily through two covenants between God and man: the covenant of works and the covenant of grace. For more information on Covenant Theology, refer to the article on this web site by Jack Brooks. As a theological system, Covenant Theology is unable to provide us with an adequate understanding into God's endtime plan. The OT covenants, on the other hand, are mentioned explicitly in the OT and as promises of a future hope for the nation Israel, are directly concerned with God's endtime plan.….

What does "covenant" mean?

The word "covenant" is used many times in the OT, and it refers to an agreement or a contract between two parties such as man to man, or God to man. The Hebrew word from which "covenant" is translated is "berith". "Berith" probably originated from the Akkadian word "biritu" meaning "to clasp or bond," which adds the nuance of "a binding agreement or contract" to the word "covenant." …the contracts were made between God and people.

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