Joshua 9:8

8 “We are your servants,” they said to Joshua. But Joshua asked, “Who are you and where do you come from?”

Joshua 9:8 in Other Translations

8 And they said unto Joshua, We are thy servants. And Joshua said unto them, Who are ye? and from whence come ye?

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

8 They replied, “We are your servants.” “But who are you?” Joshua demanded. “Where do you come from?”

8 They said to Joshua, "We'll be your servants." Joshua said, "Who are you now? Where did you come from?"

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

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 Then they went to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal and said to him and the Israelites, “We have come from a distant country; make a treaty with us.”

7 The Israelites said to the Hivites, “But perhaps you live near us, so how can we make a treaty with you?”

8 “We are your servants,” they said to Joshua. But Joshua asked, “Who are you and where do you come from?”

9 They answered: “Your servants have come from a very distant country because of the fame of the LORD your God. For we have heard reports of him: all that he did in Egypt,

10 and all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan—Sihon king of Heshbon, and Og king of Bashan, who reigned in Ashtaroth.

Cross References

• 1. Deuteronomy 20:11; 2 Kings 10:5