Joshua 9:17

17 So the Israelites set out and on the third day arrived at their cities—Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath-jearim.

Joshua 9:17 Meaning and Commentary

Joshua 9:17

And the children of Israel journeyed
Not the whole camp, for that still remained at Gilgal, and continued there until the Gibeonites in distress sent to them for assistance in virtue of the league, as appears from the following chapter; but a party of them, who were sent along with some of the princes, to know the truth whether the Gibeonites were their neighbours or not, as had been reported to them:

and came unto their cities on the third day;
not on the third day from their setting out on their journey, for it was but one night's march from Gilgal to them, ( Joshua 10:9 ) ; but on the third day from the making of the league; it is very probable it was early on the third day they heard of their being their neighbours, upon which a party was sent out at once to know the truth of it, who arrived thither the same day:

now their cities [were] Gibeon and Chephirah, and Beeroth and
Kirjathjearim;
Gibeon was the metropolis, and the other three were subject to it; the three first fell to the lot of Benjamin, and the last to the tribe of Judah; we shall meet with them again in the lots of the several tribes, in ( Joshua 15:60 ) ( Joshua 18:25 Joshua 18:26 ) .

Joshua 9:17 In-Context

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

16 Three days after they had made the treaty with the Gibeonites, the Israelites learned that they were neighbors, living among them.

17 So the Israelites set out and on the third day arrived at their cities—Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath-jearim.

18 But the Israelites did not attack them, because the leaders of the congregation had sworn an oath to them by the LORD, the God of Israel. And the whole congregation grumbled against the leaders.

19 All the leaders answered, “We have sworn an oath to them by the LORD, the God of Israel, and now we cannot touch them.