Covenant of salt 2Chron 13:5

The Bible uses the expression covenant of salt to denote the permanence and immutability of a
covenant Among ancient peoples it was a sign of friendship to eat salt together and denoted
enduring fidelity and loyalty (Insight under Covenant).
Permanence: Meat or fish that has been dried and soaked in salt water will be preserved for quite a
while since mold and bacteria find it hard to grow on these when impregnated with salt.
Survival of the custom of a covenant of salt among the Arabs. Before becoming more
sedentary in recent times, the Bedouin Arabs in the 18 th and 19th Centuries kept customs that
had been unchanged for thousands of years, such as the covenant of salt: An Arab who just
before would have robbed and murdered you, once you taste his salt, would die to save you
(Fausset under Salt).
It is not customary among Arabs to place salt on a common table, but only when an Arab prince
enters into an alliance with a [high official], which is called baret-millah or the salt alliance [beriyth
melach is Hebrew for covenant of salt]. This is done as follows: The Arab prince, when he wishes to
live within the jurisdiction of a pacha sends messengers to him As soon as the bargain is
concluded, a dinner is prepared the high official, who takes a piece of bread, dips it in the salt
calls out, 'Salaam!' that is Peace, 'I am the friend of your friend, and the enemy of your enemy' The
dish is now presented to the Arab prince, who likewise takes a piece of bread, dips it in the salt, and
says to the high official, 'Peace! I am the friend of your friend, and the enemy of your enemy!'
A European adventurer, while on the upper Jordan [latter half of 19th C.], was taken prisoner by the
Arabs. As he discussed his terms of release with the old sheikh in his tent, the European opened a
box of fine salt and offered a pinch of it to his captor. The sheikh had never before seen salt so white
and fine (since the salt they were used to was darker), and, therefore, thinking it was sugar, he tasted
it. Instantly the European put a portion also into his own mouth, and with a loud, laughing shout he
clapped the old sheikh on his back. The sheikh was dumbfounded. His followers wondered what had
happened. What is it?' all asked from him. 'Is it sugar?' He answered No, it's salt! We had now
eaten salt together, says the European , and in his own tent, and so he was bound by the strongest
tie, and he knew it. The result was that the European and his canoe were carried back to the river,
and speeded on their way, while the people on the banks shouted salaams to their brother in the
covenant of salt (The Covenant of Salt by H. Clay Trumbull pp. 28-30, 32-33, New York, Charles
Scribners Sons, 1899).
So, today, when we enter into a covenant or make a vow to Jehovah, it is also binding, and that for
until the indefinite future.
Marriage is such a vow, and Jehovah only accepts adultery or death as the means to end it. Like the
covenant of salt, Jehovah intended it to be binding indefinitely.
Our dedication vow to Jehovah is one binding forever. Even though a person may not seem to be
living up to it, and even may be inactive as far as preaching the good news, or no longer attends
Christian meetings, that one is still viewed by Jehovah as a person dedicated to Him. When a person
is disfellowshipped and then is re-instated, does that person have to make a new dedication to
Jehovah? No! His dedication never ceased to have validity. We should thus view all who are
dedicated to Jehovah as ones in a special relationship with him and deserving of our love. May we
do all we can to assist all of Jehovahs dedicated ones to serve him whole-heartedly.