Joshua 9:19

19 and the princes answered to them, We swore to them in the name of the Lord God of Israel, and therefore we may not touch them; (and the leaders answered to them, and said, We swore to them in the name of the Lord God of Israel, and so we cannot touch them;)

Joshua 9:19 Meaning and Commentary

Joshua 9:19

But all the princes said to all the congregation
That is, all the princes that went to Gibeon addressed all the Israelites that were there:

we have sworn unto them by the Lord God of Israel;
by the Word of the Lord God, as the Targum; an oath is a solemn sacred thing, and not to be broken, and a good man will make conscience of it, and keep it, though he has sworn to his own hurt: and

now therefore we may not touch them;
neither take away their lives nor their substance.

Joshua 9:19 In-Context

17 And the sons of Israel moved their tents, and came in the third day into the cities of them (And the Israelites moved their camp, and came on the third day into their cities), of which cities these be the names; Gibeon, and Chephirah, and Beeroth, and Kiriathjearim.

18 And Israel destroyed not them, for the princes of the multitude had sworn to them in the name of the Lord God of Israel. Therefore all the common people grouched against the princes of Israel; (But Israel did not destroy them, for the leaders of the multitude had sworn to them in the name of the Lord God of Israel. And so all the common people grumbled against Israel's leaders;)

19 and the princes answered to them, We swore to them in the name of the Lord God of Israel, and therefore we may not touch them; (and the leaders answered to them, and said, We swore to them in the name of the Lord God of Israel, and so we cannot touch them;)

20 but we shall do this thing to them; be they kept that they live, lest the ire of the Lord be stirred against us, if we forswear us to them; (but we shall do this to them; let them be kept alive, lest the Lord's anger be stirred up against us, if we break our oath to them;)

21 but so live they, that they hew trees, and bear waters, into the uses of all the multitude (but let them live, so that they can cut wood, and carry water, for the use of all the multitude of Israel). And while they spake these things,