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.
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The Kings Unite Against Israel

1
And it came to pass, when all the kings which were on this side Jordan, in the hills, and in the valleys, and in all the coasts of the great sea over against Lebanon, the Hittite, and the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, heard thereof; ​
2
That they gathered themselves together, to fight with Joshua and with Israel, with one accord.

The Gibeonites Seek a Treaty Through Deception

3
And when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done unto Jericho and to Ai,
4
They did work wilily, and went and made as if they had been ambassadors, and took old sacks upon their asses, and wine bottles, old, and rent, and bound up; ​
5
And old shoes and clouted upon their feet, and old garments upon them; and all the bread of their provision was dry and mouldy.
6
And they went to Joshua unto the camp at Gilgal, and said unto him, and to the men of Israel, We be come from a far country: now therefore make ye a league with us. ​
7
And the men of Israel said unto the Hivites, Peradventure ye dwell among us; and how shall we make a league with you?
8
And they said unto Joshua, We are thy servants. And Joshua said unto them, Who are ye? and from whence come ye?
9
And they said unto him, From a very far country thy servants are come because of the name of the LORD thy God: for we have heard the fame of him, and all that he did in Egypt, ​
10
And all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites, that were beyond Jordan, to Sihon king of Heshbon, and to Og king of Bashan, which was at Ashtaroth.
11
Wherefore our elders and all the inhabitants of our country spake to us, saying, Take victuals with you for the journey, and go to meet them, and say unto them, We are your servants: therefore now make ye a league with us.
12
This our bread we took hot for our provision out of our houses on the day we came forth to go unto you; but now, behold, it is dry, and it is mouldy:
13
And these bottles of wine, which we filled, were new; and, behold, they be rent: and these our garments and our shoes are become old by reason of the very long journey.
14
And the men took of their victuals, and asked not counsel at the mouth of the LORD. ​
15
And Joshua made peace with them, and made a league with them, to let them live: and the princes of the congregation sware unto them. ​

The Deception Is Discovered

16
And it came to pass at the end of three days after they had made a league with them, that they heard that they were their neighbours, and that they dwelt among them.
17
And the children of Israel journeyed, and came unto their cities on the third day. Now their cities were Gibeon, and Chephirah, and Beeroth, and Kirjathjearim.
18
And the children of Israel smote them not, because the princes of the congregation had sworn unto them by the LORD God of Israel. And all the congregation murmured against the princes. ​
19
But all the princes said unto all the congregation, We have sworn unto them by the LORD God of Israel: now therefore we may not touch them.
20
This we will do to them; we will even let them live, lest wrath be upon us, because of the oath which we sware unto them. ​
21
And the princes said unto them, Let them live; but let them be hewers of wood and drawers of water unto all the congregation; as the princes had promised them.

The Gibeonite Servitude

22
And Joshua called for them, and he spake unto them, saying, Wherefore have ye beguiled us, saying, We are very far from you; when ye dwell among us?
23
Now therefore ye are cursed, and there shall none of you be freed from being bondmen, and hewers of wood and drawers of water for the house of my God. ​
24
And they answered Joshua, and said, Because it was certainly told thy servants, how that the LORD thy God commanded his servant Moses to give you all the land, and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land from before you, therefore we were sore afraid of our lives because of you, and have done this thing. ​
25
And now, behold, we are in thine hand: as it seemeth good and right unto thee to do unto us, do.
26
And so did he unto them, and delivered them out of the hand of the children of Israel, that they slew them not.
27
And Joshua made them that day hewers of wood and drawers of water for the congregation, and for the altar of the LORD, even unto this day, in the place which he should choose. ​

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.

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