Joshua 9:8

8 And they said to Joshua, We be thy servants. To whom Joshua said, What men be ye, and from whence came ye?

Joshua 9:8 Meaning and Commentary

Joshua 9:8

And they said unto Joshua, we [are] thy servants
Not that they meant to be subjects of his, and tributaries to him; but this they said in great humility and lowliness of mind, being willing to be or do anything he should enjoin them. Abarbinel observes, that this they proposed to Joshua singly, not to be servants to all the people, but to him only, and to have him for their head and governor:

and Joshua, said, who [are] ye? and from whence come ye?
by what name are ye called? and from what country do ye come? suspecting, as it should seem, that they were the inhabitants of Canaan; or however he was cautious and upon his guard, lest they should be such, and yet was not enough upon his guard to prevent imposition.

Joshua 9:8 In-Context

6 And they went to Joshua, that dwelled then in tents in Gilgal (who lived then in the camp at Gilgal); and they said to him, and to all Israel together, We [have] come from a far land, and we covet to make peace with you.

7 And the men of Israel answered to them, and said, Lest peradventure ye dwell in the land, which is due to us by heritage, and we may not make bond of peace with you. (And the Israelites answered, and said to them, Agreed, unless ye live in the land that is due to us by inheritance, and then we cannot make a covenant with you.)

8 And they said to Joshua, We be thy servants. To whom Joshua said, What men be ye, and from whence came ye?

9 They answered, (We) Thy servants came from a full far land in the name of thy Lord God; for we have heard the fame of his power, and all (the) things which he did in Egypt,

10 and to the two kings of Amorites beyond (the) Jordan; to Sihon king of Heshbon, and to Og king of Bashan, that were in Ashtaroth. (and to the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan River; that is, to Sihon, the king of Heshbon, and to Og, the king of Bashan, who lived in Ashtaroth.)