Covenant and prophecy

The prophetic tradition had its origin in the crisis and breakdown of the usual cultic relationship between YHWH and his worshipers. In the entire tradition of the Hebrew Bible, this rupture triggered reflection on this relationship and on the question of how it would be possible to restore it. One fruit of this reflection was the idea of the “covenant” YHWH makes with Israel by grace alone: “I will be your God and you will be my people.” How the covenant is spelled out in detail differs.—The Prophets of Israel, page 77