PETER S. KNOBEL
in the presence of witnesses a lovers’ covenant between them and declare a partnership to establish a household among the people of Israel .
The agreement in which and are entering is a holy covenant like the ancient covenant of our people, made in faithfulness and peace to stand forever. It is a covenant of protection and hope like the covenant God swore to Noah and his descendants saying,
When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures, all flesh that is on earth. That, God said to Noah,“shall be a sign of the covenant I have established between me and all flesh”(Gen.
16-17).
It is a covenant of devotion, joining hearts like the covenant David and Jonathan made, as it is said,
As Jonathan’s soul was bound up with the soul of David. Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself(1 Sam. 11:3).
It is a covenant of mutual loving kindness like the wedding covenant between God and Zion as it is said,
I will espouse you forever. I will espouse you with righteousness and justice and loving kindness and compassion. I will espouse you in faithfulness and you shall know God (Hos. 2:21-22).
Provisions of the Covenant
The following are the provisions of the lovers’ covenant into which,(Hebrew name) daughter/son of and
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