And he declared unto you his covenant, which he commanded you to perform, even ten commandments; and he wrote them upon two tables of stone. (Deuteronomy 4:13)
The Hebrew word thus translated may be applied to any agreement or contract. It probably comes from the Hebrew verb “to bind,”“to fetter.” It is used of a treaty or alliance (Gen. 14:13; Ex. 23:32), an agreement (2 Sam. 3:12, 13, 21; Jer. 34:8), and of the marriage vow (Mal. 2:14).