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African Societies are increasingly becoming highly sophisticated and urban. How is it possible for one to talk on a retrogressive topic like primitive oaths and covenants today? It is this author s view that wrestling with the question whether the Old Testament covenant is relevant for theological- ethical understanding of covenant amongst African believing communities from an Old Testament approach is necessary. The author shows certain African terms can be used to explain covenant. The biblical explanation of a covenant shows it is an oath and there are places in the Bible where a covenant is an oath. Specifically, the author pursues a narrow context among the Kamba people of Kenya showing that they make oaths which are covenants. The method used was socio-rhetorical criticism an approach used to explore textures in a multidimensional manner. This approach´s intra and intertextures shows it is possible to gain a narrator s rhetorical strategy and use African terms such as muma to explain Old Testament covenants. Using Isaiah 42:1-9,Covenant is not as traditionally understood but is ethical, calls for care of the poor, widow and the orphan.

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Joseph M. Muutuki was born in Kitui, Kenya. He holds a PhD in the Old Testament from the University of Stellenbosch, Cape Town South Africa. He is a senior lecturer at Daystar University in Nairobi, Kenya. Dr. Muutuki is a Research Associate Fellow at the University of Stellenbosch, Cape Town South Africa.

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