Joshua 9:1-15

Deception by Gibeon

1 When all the kings heard [about Jericho and Ai], those who were west of the Jordan in the hill country, in the Judean foothills,^[a] and all along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea toward Lebanon-the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites-

2 they formed a unified alliance to fight against Joshua and Israel.

3 When the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai,

4 they acted deceptively. They gathered provisions^[b] and took worn-out sacks on their donkeys and old wineskins, cracked and mended.

5 [They wore] old, patched sandals on their feet and threadbare clothing on their bodies. Their entire provision of bread was dry and crumbly.

6 They went to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal and said to him and the men of Israel, "We have come from a distant land. Please make a treaty with us."

7 The men of Israel replied to the Hivites,^[c] "Perhaps you live among us. How can we make a treaty with you?"

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

9 They replied to him, "Your servants have come from a far away land because of the reputation of the Lord your God. For we have heard of His fame, and all that He did in Egypt,

10 and all that He did to the two Amorite kings beyond the Jordan-Sihon king of Heshbon and Og king of Bashan, who was in Ashtaroth.

11 So our elders and all the inhabitants of our land told us, 'Take provisions with you for the journey; go and meet them and say, "We are your servants. Please make a treaty with us." '

12 This bread of ours was warm when we took it from our houses as food on the day we left to come to you. But take a look, it is now dry and crumbly.

13 These wineskins were new when we filled them, but look, they are cracked. And these clothes and sandals of ours are worn out from the extremely long journey."

14 Then the men [of Israel] took some of their provisions, but did not seek the Lord's counsel.

15 So Joshua established peace with them and made a treaty to let them live, and the leaders of the community swore an oath to them.

Joshua 9:1-15 Meaning and Commentary

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.

Footnotes

• [a]. Or the Shephelah
• [b]. Some Hb mss, LXX, Syr, Vg; MT reads They went disguised as ambassadors
• [c]. the men of Gibeon