covenant

In the Ancient Near East covenants were contracts. They were commonly marked by:

statement of terms (1 Sam 20:12-15);
oath (1 Sam 20:16);
conditional curses - in case the terms are broken - (Dt 27:14ff.);
ritual acts e.g. sacrifice (Gen 15:7ff. & Jer 34:18), or meal (Gen 26:28-30).

Contracts between human partners form the basis for understanding God's relationship with his people: Abraham Gen 15:1ff.; Israel Ex 19 -20; David Ps 89:4. Israel's unfaithfulness led prophets to look forward to a New Covenant, an idea of importance to the New Testament; whose Greek name kaine diatheke means New Covenant.

In Amos the word, berit (covenant) itself is used speaking of a human treaty, a covenant of brothers or of kinship (1:9). However Amos makes use of the exodus and election traditions and lists punishments (4:6-11) which many authors notice are similar to the covenant punishments found in Lev 26:16ff. for example.