Joshua9

After hearing of Israel's victories, the inhabitants of Gibeon craftily deceived Joshua and the princes of Israel into making a league with them, pretending to be from a very distant land. Israel's leaders failed to consult the LORD before agreeing to the covenant. Upon discovering the deception three days later, the Israelites were bound by their oath, and the Gibeonites were spared from destruction but condemned to perpetual servitude as hewers of wood and drawers of water.

The Kings Unite Against Israel

1
When all the kings on the west side of the Yarden in the hills, in the Sh'felah and all along the shore of the Great Sea that fronts the L'vanon - the Hitti, Emori, Kena'ani, P'rizi, Hivi and Y'vusi - heard what had happened, ​
2
they joined forces to fight together against Y'hoshua and Isra'el.

The Gibeonites Seek a Treaty Through Deception

3
But when the inhabitants of Giv'ah heard what Y'hoshua had done to Yericho and 'Ai,
4
they developed a clever deception: they made themselves look as if they had been on a long journey by putting old sacks on their donkeys and taking used wineskins that had burst and been mended back together. ​
5
They put old, patched sandals on their feet and dressed in worn-out clothes; and took as provisions nothing but dried-up bread that was crumbling to pieces.
6
Then they went to Y'hoshua in the camp at Gilgal and said to him and the men of Isra'el, "We have come from a country far away. Now, make a covenant with us." ​
7
The men of Isra'el said to the Hivi, "How do we know that you don't live here among us? If you do, we don't want to make a covenant with you."
8
But they answered Y'hoshua, "We are your servants." Y'hoshua asked, "Who are you, and where do you come from?"
9
They answered him, "Your servants have come from a very distant country because of the reputation of ADONAI your God. We have heard reports about him - everything he did in Egypt, ​
10
and everything he did to the two kings of the Emori across the Yarden, Sichon king of Heshbon and 'Og king of Bashan at 'Ashtarot.
11
So our leaders and all the people living in our country said to us, "Take provisions with you for the journey, go to meet them, and say to them, 'We are your servants, and now make a covenant with us.'
12
Here is the bread which we took for our provisions. It was still warm when we took it out of our homes the day we left to come to you. Now look at it! It's dry and turned to crumbs!
13
And these wineskins were new when we filled them, but look, now they're torn. Likewise these clothes of ours and our shoes are worn out because of the very long journey."
14
The men sampled some of their food but didn't seek the advice of ADONAI, ​
15
so Y'hoshua made peace with them and made a covenant with them to spare their lives, and the leading officials of the community swore to them. ​

The Deception Is Discovered

16
But three days later, after they had made the covenant with them, they heard that they were their neighbors, that they lived there with them.
17
The people of Isra'el traveled and arrived at their cities on the third day. Their cities were Giv'on, K'firah, Be'erot and Kiryat-Ye'arim.
18
The people of Isra'el did not attack them, because the leading officials of the community had sworn to them by ADONAI, the God of Isra'el; but all the community grumbled against the leaders. ​
19
However, the leaders replied to the whole community, "We have sworn to them by ADONAI, the God of Isra'el; so we can't touch them.
20
Here is what we will do to them: we will let them live, so that God's anger will not be on us because of the oath we swore to them. ​
21
Yes, let them live," the leaders continued, "but let them chop wood and draw water for the whole community." This is what the leaders said.

The Gibeonite Servitude

22
Y'hoshua summoned them and said this to them: "Why have you deceived us by saying, 'We come from a place very far away,' when in fact you are living right here with us?
23
Now you have a curse on you: you will be slaves forever, supplying people to chop wood and draw water for the house of my God." ​
24
They answered Y'hoshua, "It is because we heard the reports that ADONAI your God had ordered his servant Moshe to give you all the land and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land from ahead of you. So we were terrified for our lives on account of you; that's why we did this. ​
25
Now, as you see, we are in your hands; do to us whatever seems good and right to you."
26
So Y'hoshua did exactly that: he saved them from the power of the people of Isra'el, so that they didn't kill them.
27
But he did that same day make them choppers of wood and drawers of water for the community and for the altar of ADONAI in the place which he would choose; and they remain so to this day. ​

Study Notes for Joshua 9

Verse 1

The previous victories at Jericho and Ai prompted the various local kings to set aside their differences and form a unified military coalition, recognizing Israel as a serious existential threat.

Verse 4

They did work wilily (or 'cunningly') by staging a scene of extreme travel hardship. This was a strategic plan to appear as if they came from outside the promised land, thus circumventing the command to destroy local inhabitants (Deut 7:1-2).

Verse 6

The Gibeonites requested a 'league' (covenant or peace treaty). Israel was permitted to make treaties with distant nations, but forbidden from making them with Canaanites living within the land (Exod 23:32).

Verse 9

The Gibeonites cunningly framed their request by acknowledging Yahweh’s power demonstrated in Egypt and the Transjordan. This appeal to God's reputation made their story seem credible to Israel.

Verse 14

This verse reveals Israel's critical failure: they relied solely on circumstantial evidence (the moldy bread and worn clothes) and neglected to seek divine counsel through the Urim and Thummim, or the High Priest.

Verse 15

Joshua established a binding covenant confirmed by an oath sworn by the princes. Under ancient Near Eastern law and Israelite covenant theology, an oath, even if secured through deception, was considered sacred if sworn in God’s name.

Verse 18

The princes upheld the oath despite the deception, demonstrating the sanctity of a covenant sworn by the LORD. Breaking such a promise would invite divine wrath upon the entire community (cf. 2 Sam 21:1).

Verse 20

The leaders prioritized the theological consequence of the oath, fearing Yahweh's 'wrath' more than the political implications of sparing Canaanites, thus affirming the supreme importance of covenant fidelity.

Verse 23

The Gibeonites are placed under a perpetual curse of servitude. Their labor is specifically assigned to the religious function of providing wood and water for the tabernacle/temple service ('the house of my God').

Verse 24

The Gibeonites confessed that their fear of God's command to destroy the inhabitants (the *herem*) was their primary motivation for the deception, showing they were aware of Israel's divine mandate.

Verse 27

This permanent role integrated the Gibeonites into the community's service structure, fulfilling the oath while ensuring their subjugation. The phrase 'unto this day' confirms the persistence of this arrangement long after Joshua’s time.

Use ← → arrow keys to navigate
Settings

Reading Style

Typeface

Font Size 19px

Reading Width 45 chars

Options