Joshua 9

The Gibeonites Act with Cunning

1 Now when all the kings who [were] beyond the Jordan in the hill country and in the Shephelah, and on all the coast of the great sea toward Lebanon--the Hittites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites--heard of [this],

2 they gathered themselves together to fight with one accord against Joshua and Israel.

3 But the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua did to Jericho and Ai,

4 and they acted on their part with cunning: they went and prepared provisions, and took worn-out sacks for their donkeys and old wineskins [that were] torn and mended.

5 The sandals on their feet [were] patched and old, their clothes [were] old, and their food was dry and crumbled.

6 And they went to Joshua at the camp [at] Gilgal and said to him and to the men of Israel, "We have come from a far land; so then {make a covenant with us}."

7 And the men of Israel said to the Hivites, "Perhaps you [are] living among us; how can we {make a covenant} with you?"

8 They said to Joshua, "We [are] your servants." And Joshua said to them, "Who [are] you, and from where do you come?"

9 And they said to him, "Your servants have come from a very far land because of the name of Yahweh your God; we have heard of his reputation, of all that he did in Egypt,

10 and of all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites who [were] beyond the Jordan--to Sihon king of Heshbon and to Og king of Bashan, who [was] in Ashtaroth.

11 So our elders said to us and all the inhabitants of our land, 'Take in your hand provisions for the journey, and go to meet them, and say to them, "We [are] your servants; so then {make a covenant with us}." '

12 This [is] our bread; [it was] hot [when] we took it from our houses as provisions on the day we set out to come to you. But now, look, it is dry and crumbled.

13 These [are] the wineskins that we filled new, but look, they have burst; and these [are] our clothes and sandals that have worn out from the very long journey."

14 So the leaders took from their provisions, but {they did not ask direction from Yahweh}.

15 And Joshua made peace with them, and {he made a covenant with them} to allow them to live happily, and the leaders of the congregation swore [an oath] to them.

16 And it happened that at the end of three days, after they made a covenant with them, they heard that {they were their neighbors} and living among them.

17 And the {Israelites} set out and went to their cities on the third day (their cities [were] Gibeon, Kephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath Jearim).

18 But the {Israelites} did not attack them, because the leaders of the congregation had sworn to them by Yahweh the God of Israel. And all the congregation murmured {against their leaders}.

19 But all the leaders of the congregation said, "We have sworn to them by Yahweh the God of Israel, and so we cannot touch them.

20 This we will do to them: [we will] let them live so that wrath will not be on us because of the oath we swore to them."

21 And the leaders said to them, "Let them live." So they became woodcutters and water carriers for all the congregation, just as the leaders had said to them.

22 And Joshua summoned them and said, "Why have you deceived us saying, 'We [are] very far from you' when you [are] living among us?

23 Therefore you [are] cursed; some of you will always be slaves as woodcutters and water carriers for the house of my God."

24 And they answered Joshua and said, "Because it was told with certainty to your servants that Yahweh your God commanded Moses his servant to give to you all the land and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land before you, so we were very afraid for our lives because of you, and so we did this thing.

25 So then, look, we [are] in your hand; do with us whatever seems good and right in your eyes."

26 So he did this to them: he saved them from the hand of the {Israelites}, and they did not kill them.

27 And that day Joshua made them woodcutters and water carriers for the congregation and for the altar of Yahweh, to this day, in the place that he should choose.

Joshua 9 Commentary

Chapter 9

The kings combine against Israel. (1,2) The Gibeonites apply for peace. (3-13) They obtain peace, but are soon detected. (14-21) The Gibeonites are to be bondmen. (22-27)

Verses 1-2 Hitherto the Canaanites had defended themselves, but here they consult to attack Israel. Their minds were blinded, and their hearts hardened to their destruction. Though often at enmity with each other, yet they united against Israel. Oh that Israel would learn of Canaanites, to sacrifice private interests to the public welfare, and to lay aside all quarrels among themselves, that they may unite against the enemies of God's kingdom!

Verses 3-13 Other people heard these tidings, and were driven thereby to make war upon Israel; but the Gibeonites were led to make peace with them. Thus the discovery of the glory and the grace of God in the gospel, is to some a savour of life unto life, but ( 2 Corinthians. 2:16 ) softens wax and hardens clay. The falsehood of the Gibeonites cannot be justified. We must not do evil that good may themselves to the God of Israel, we have reason to think Joshua would have been directed by the oracle of God to spare their lives. But when they had once said, "We are come from a far country," they were led to say it made of skins, and their clothes: one lie brings on another, and that a third, and so on. The way of that sin is especially down-hill. Yet their faith and prudence are to be commended. In submitting to Israel they submitted to the God of Israel, which implied forsaking their idolatries. And how can we do better than cast ourselves upon the mercy of a God of all goodness? The way to avoid judgment is to meet it by repentance. Let us do like these Gibeonites, seek peace with God in the rags of abasement, and godly sorrow; so our sin shall not be our ruin. Let us be servants to Jesus, our blessed Joshua, and we shall live.

Verses 14-21 The Israelites, having examined the provisions of the Gibeonites, hastily concluded that they confirmed their account. We make more haste than good speed, when we stay not to take God with us, and do not consult him by the word and prayer. The fraud was soon found out. A lying tongue is but for a moment. Had the oath been in itself unlawful, it would not have been binding; for no obligation can render it our duty to commit a sin. But it was not unlawful to spare the Canaanites who submitted, and left idolatry, desiring only that their lives might be spared. A citizen of Zion swears to his own hurt, and changes not, ( Psalms 15:4 ) . Joshua and the princes, when they found that they had been deceived, did not apply to Eleazar the high priest to be freed from their engagement, much less did they pretend that no faith is to be kept with those to whom they had sworn. Let this convince us how we ought to keep our promises, and make good our bargains; and what conscience we ought to make of our words.

Verses 22-27 The Gibeonites do not justify their lie, but plead that they did it to save their lives. And the fear was not merely of the power of man; one might flee from that to the Divine protection; but of the power of God himself, which they saw engaged against them. Joshua sentences them to perpetual bondage. They must be servants, but any work becomes honourable, when it is done for the house of the Lord, and the offices thereof. Let us, in like manner, submit to our Lord Jesus, saying, We are in thy hand, do unto us as seemeth good and right unto thee, only save our souls; and we shall not repent it. If He appoints us to bear his cross, and serve him, that shall be neither shame nor grief to us, while the meanest office in God's service will entitle us to a dwelling in the house of the Lord all the days of our life. And in coming to the Saviour, we do not proceed upon a peradventure. We are invited to draw nigh, and are assured that him that cometh to Him, he will in nowise cast out. Even those things which sound harsh, and are humbling, and form sharp trials of our sincerity, will prove of real advantage.

Footnotes

• [a]. Or "And it happened"
• [b]. Or "lowlands"; a geographical region on the western edge of the hills of Judea
• [c]. Literally "white mountain"
• [d]. Hebrew "Hittite"
• [e]. Hebrew "Amorite"
• [f]. Hebrew "Canaanite"
• [g]. Hebrew "Perizzite"
• [h]. Hebrew "Hivite"
• [i]. Hebrew "Jebusite"
• [j]. Hebrew "with"
• [k]. The Hebrew is difficult here. Some ancient manuscripts read, "they sent out a delegation/an envoy"
• [l]. Or "sackcloths"
• [m]. Literally "cut for us a covenant"
• [n]. Hebrew "Hivite"
• [o]. Literally "cut a covenant"
• [p]. Literally "cut for us a covenant"
• [q]. Or "men"
• [r]. Literally "the mouth of Yahweh they did not ask"
• [s]. Literally "he cut a covenant with them"
• [t]. Literally "they [were] near them"
• [u]. Literally "sons/children of Israel"
• [v]. Literally "sons/children of Israel"
• [w]. Literally "against the leaders of the congregation"
• [x]. Or "men"
• [y]. Literally "sons/children of Israel"

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO JOSHUA 9

This chapter gives an account of the combination of the several kings of Canaan against Israel, Jos 9:1,2; and of the craftiness of the Gibeonites, pretending they were ambassadors from a far country, and desired to enter into a league with Israel, which they obtained, Jos 9:3-15; but when it was discovered who they were, it occasioned a murmuring among the people, Jos 9:16-18; which the princes quelled by proposing to make them hewers of wood, and drawers of water, Jos 9:19-21; in order to which Joshua summoned them before him, and chided them for beguiling them; and after they had made their excuse, he ordered them to the service the princes proposed, and so peace in the congregation of Israel was preserved, Jos 9:21-27.