TRV
See on the biblical-era map
Study This Verse
Commentary on Joshua 9 verses 3–14
Here, I. The Gibeonites desire to make peace with Israel, being alarmed by the tidings they heard of the destruction of Jericho, Jos 9:3. Other people heard those tidings, and were irritated thereby to make war upon Israel; but the Gibeonites heard them and were induced to make peace with them. Thus the discovery of the glory and grace of God in the gospel is to some a savour of life unto life, but to others a savour of death unto death, Co2 2:16. The same sun softens wax and hardens clay. I do not remember that we read any where of a king of Gibeon. Had their government been at this time in a single person, perhaps his heart would have been too high to yield to Israel, and he would have joined with the rest of the kings against Israel. But these four united cities (mentioned Jos 9:17) seem to have been governed by elders, or senators (Jos 9:11), who consulted the common safety more than their own personal dignity. The inhabitants of Gibeon did well for themselves. We have,
II. The method they took to compass it. They knew that all the inhabitants of the land of Canaan were to be cut off; perhaps they had some spies in the congregation at Ebal, when the law was read, who observed and brought them notice of the command given to Israel (Deu 7:1-3), that they should show no mercy to the Canaanites, give them no quarter in battle, which made them afraid of fighting them, and that they should make no covenant with them, which made them despair of gaining any advantage by treating with them; and therefore there was no way of saving their lives from the sword of Israel unless they could, by disguising themselves, make Joshua believe that they came from some very country, which the Israelites were not commanded to make war upon nor forbidden to make peace with, but were particularly appointed to offer peace to, Deu 20:10, Deu 20:15. Unless they could be admitted under this notion, they saw there was but one way with them: they must submit to the fate of Jericho and Ai. Though the neighbouring princes knew that all the men thereof were mighty (Jos 10:2), and they knew it themselves, yet they durst not contend with Israel, who had an Almighty God on their side. This therefore is the only game they have to play, and observe,
1.They play it very artfully and successfully. Never was any such thing more craftily managed.
(1.)They come under the character of ambassadors from a foreign state, which they thought would please the princes of Israel, and make them proud of the honour of being courted by distant countries: we find Hezekiah fond of those that came to him from a far country (Isa 39:3); they were not used to be thus courted.
(2.)They pretended to have undergone the fatigues of a very long journey, and produced what passed for an ocular demonstration of it. It should seem it was then usual for those that undertook long journeys to take with them, as we do now for long voyages, all manner of provision in kind, the country not being furnished as ours is now with houses of entertainment, for the convenience of which, when we have occasion to make use of them, we have reason to be very thankful. Now they here pretended that their provision, when they brought it from home, was fresh and new, but now it appeared to be old and dry, whereas it might well be presumed they had not loitered, but made the best of their way; so that hence it must be inferred that they came, as they said they did, from a very far country: their sacks or portmanteaus were old; the wine was all drunk, and the bottles in which it had been were broken; their shoes and clothes were worse than those of the Israelites in forty years, and their bread was mouldy, Jos 9:4, Jos 9:5, and again, Jos 9:12, Jos 9:13. Thus God's Israel have often been deceived and imposed upon with a show of antiquity. But (as bishop Hall expresses it) errors are never the older for being patched, and so seeming old; but those that will be caught with this Gibeonitish stratagem prove they have not consulted with God. And thus there are those who make themselves poor with the badges of want and distress and yet have great riches (Pro 13:7), or at least have no need of relief, by which fraud charity is misplaced and diverted from those that are real objects of it.
(3.)When they were suspected, and more strictly examined as to whence they came, they industriously declined telling the name of their country, till the agreement was settled. [1.] The men of Israel suspected a fraud (Jos 9:7): "Peradventure you dwell among us, and then we may not, we must not, make any league with you." This might have discouraged the Gibeonites from urging the matter any further, concluding that if the peace were made the Israelites would not think themselves obliged to keep it, having thus solemnly protested against it in case they dwelt among them; but, knowing that there was no hope at all if they stood it out, they bravely ventured a submission. "Who knows but the people of Israel may save us alive, though thus inveigled into a promise; and if we tell them at last we shall but die." [2.] Joshua put the questions to them, Who are you? and whence come you? He finds himself concerned to stand upon his guard against secret fraud as well as against open force. We in our spiritual warfare must stand against the wiles of the devil, remembering he is a subtle serpent as well as a roaring lion. In all leagues of relation and friendship we must first try and then trust, lest we repent at leisure agreements made in haste. [3.] They would not tell whence they came; but still repeat the same thing: We have come from a very far country, Jos 9:9. They will have it thought that it is a country Joshua knows nothing of nor ever heard of, and therefore would be never the wiser if they should tell him the name of it.
(4.)They profess a respect for the God of Israel, the more to ingratiate themselves with Joshua, and we charitably believe they were sincere in this profession: "We have come because of the name of the Lord thy God (v. 9), because of what we have heard of that name, which has convinced us that it is above every name, and because we have a desire towards that name and the remembrance of it, and would gladly come under its protection."
(5.)They fetch their inducements from what had been done some time before in Moses's reign, the tidings whereof might easily be supposed ere this to have reached distant regions, the plagues of Egypt and the destruction of Sihon and Og (v. 9, 10), but prudently say nothing of the destruction of Jericho and Ai (though this was the true inducement, v. 3), because they will have it supposed that they came from home long before those conquests were made. We need not be long to seek for reasons why we should submit to the God of Israel; we may be furnished either with new or old, which we will.
(6.)They make a general submission - We are our servants; and humbly sue for a general agreement - Make a league with us, v. 11. They insist not upon terms, but will be glad of peace upon any terms; nor will the case admit of delays, lest the fraud be discovered; they would fain have the bargain struck up immediately; if Joshua will but make a league with them, they have all they come for, and they hope their ragged clothes and clouted shoes will be no exception against them. God and Israel reject none for their poverty. But,
2.There is a mixture of good and evil in their conduct. (1.) Their falsehood cannot be justified, nor ought it to be drawn into a precedent. We must not do evil that good may come. Had they owned their country but renounced the idolatries of it, resigning the possession of it to Israel and themselves to the God of Israel, we have reason to think Joshua would have been directed by the oracle of God to spare their lives, and they needed not to have made these pretensions. It is observable that when they had once said, We have come from a far country (Jos 9:6), they found themselves necessitated to say it again (Jos 9:9), and to say what was utterly false concerning their bread, their bottles, and their clothes (Jos 9:12, Jos 9:13), for one lie is an inlet to another, and that to a third, and so on. The way of that sin is down-hill. But, (2.) Their faith and prudence are to be greatly commended. Our Lord commended even the unjust steward, because he had done wisely and well for himself, Luk 16:8. In submitting to Israel, they submitted to the God of Israel, which implied a renunciation of the god they had served, a resignation to the laws of true religion. They had heard enough to convince them of the infinite power of the God of Israel, and thence might infer his other perfections of wisdom and goodness; and how can we do better for ourselves than surrender at discretion to infinite wisdom, and cast ourselves upon the mercy of a God of infinite goodness. The submission of these Gibeonites was the more laudable because it was, [1.] Singular. Their neighbours took another course, and expected they should join with them. [2.] Speedy. They did not stay till Israel had besieged their cities; then it would have been too late to capitulate; but when they were at some distance they desired conditions of peace. Thy way to avoid a judgment is to meet it by repentance. Let us imitate these Gibeonites, and make our peace with God in the rags of humiliation, godly sorrow, and mortification, so our iniquity shall not be our ruin. Let us be servants to Jesus, our blessed Joshua, and make a league with him and the Israel of God, and we shall live.
Then the Gibeonites, fearing his strong hand, came with guile, pretending that they were from a land very far away, and by traveling so long had rent their shoes and worn out their clothing, of which they showed proofs that it was growing old. They said, too, that their reason for undergoing so much labor was their desire to obtain peace and to form friendship with the Hebrews, and [they] began to ask Joshua to form an alliance with them. And he, being as yet ignorant of localities and not knowing anything of the inhabitants, did not see through their deceit, nor did he enquire of God but readily believed them.So sacred was one’s promised word held in those days that no one would believe that others could try to deceive. Who could find fault with the saints in this, namely, that they should consider others to have the same feelings as themselves and suppose no one would lie because truth was their own companion? They do not know what deceit is, they gladly believe of others what they themselves are, while they cannot suspect others to be what they themselves are not. Hence Solomon says, “An innocent man believes every word.” We must not blame his readiness to believe but should rather praise his goodness. To know nothing of anything that may injure another, this is to be innocent. And although he is cheated by another, still he thinks well of all, for he thinks there is good faith in all.
Continue studying Joshua 9:12 across the web’s major study libraries — every link below opens this exact verse, chapter, or book on the destination site.
Read & Compare
BibleGatewayThis verse in more than 200 translations and 70 languages.
Bible.comThe YouVersion reader — hundreds of translations, reading plans, and highlights.
ESV.orgCrossway's official English Standard Version reader.
NET BibleThe NET translation with 60,000+ translators' notes on every rendering decision.
STEP BibleTyndale House's free study tool — original text, vocabulary, and scholarly resources.
BibliaLogos Bible Software's free web reader.
USCCBThe New American Bible (Revised Edition) with the U.S. bishops' study notes.
Commentaries
BibleHub CommentariesDozens of classic commentaries on this verse, gathered on one page.
StudyLightMore than 100 commentary sets — the largest collection on the web.
BibleRefPlain-English commentary on what this verse means, verse by verse.
Enduring WordDavid Guzik's free commentary on this chapter, widely used by Bible teachers.
Bible Study ToolsVerse commentary alongside Greek and Hebrew study aids.
Original Language & Research
- BibleHub InterlinearThe verse word by word — original language, transliteration, and English.
- BibleHub LexiconEvery word's original-language definition and Strong's entry.
Blue Letter BibleDeep-study tools — Strong's numbers, concordance, and word studies.
SefariaThe Hebrew text with Rashi and centuries of Jewish commentary.
Sermons, Hymns & Audio
TrulyRandomVerse is not affiliated with these sites and doesn’t control their content. They’re linked because they’re genuinely useful.
SUMMARY
Joshua 9:12 details a pivotal element of the Gibeonites' elaborate deception, presenting their deteriorated bread as tangible evidence of a long and arduous journey from a distant land. This verse showcases the Gibeonites' shrewd strategy to circumvent Israel's divine mandate to conquer Canaan, as they skillfully manipulate Joshua and the Israelite leaders into an unwitting covenant by fabricating a compelling narrative supported by seemingly undeniable physical proof of their far-off origin.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
The narrative in Joshua 9:12 employs several effective literary devices to convey its message and impact. Irony is profoundly present, as the mighty Israelite army, fresh from divinely-aided victories over powerful cities, is outmaneuvered not by military might but by a clever ruse involving common household items. The very people commanded by God to conquer and dispossess the land's inhabitants are instead deceived into a binding covenant with them. Symbolism is also at play; the mouldy bread, along with the worn clothes and wineskins, symbolizes the Gibeonites' fabricated narrative of a long journey, acting as a tangible, yet false, representation of truth. This "evidence" is a carefully constructed performance, a dramatic presentation designed to manipulate the Israelites' perceptions and emotions. Furthermore, the Gibeonites' appeal to their arduous journey and deteriorated provisions is a clear attempt at pathos, aiming to evoke pity and sympathy from Joshua and the elders, thereby lowering their guard and making them more susceptible to the deception. This verse also serves as foreshadowing, subtly hinting at the future consequences and complications that will arise from this ill-advised covenant, impacting Israel for generations to come.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Joshua 9:12 serves as a powerful reminder of the ever-present danger of deception and the critical importance of spiritual discernment. The Israelites, despite their recent triumphs and direct access to God, failed to "inquire of the Lord" (Joshua 9:14) before making a life-altering decision. This highlights a universal spiritual principle: appearances can be profoundly misleading, and human wisdom, even when seemingly logical and supported by "evidence," is insufficient without divine guidance. The Gibeonites' mouldy bread was a meticulously crafted lie, appealing to visible evidence rather than spiritual truth. This narrative underscores that true wisdom comes from consistently seeking God's counsel in all matters, especially those with significant implications, rather than relying solely on our own understanding or what appears to be true on the surface.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
The Gibeonites' mouldy bread serves as a timeless parable for believers today, urging us to cultivate a posture of profound discernment and unwavering dependence on God in a world saturated with artifice and misdirection. We are constantly bombarded with information, claims, and carefully constructed appearances that may not reflect the underlying truth. This narrative challenges us to look beyond the superficial, to question what seems too good to be true, or what demands a hasty, unexamined decision. It reminds us that even after significant spiritual victories or periods of great blessing, we remain vulnerable to deception if we neglect to consistently seek the Lord's wisdom through diligent prayer, faithful engagement with His Word, and the sensitive guidance of the Holy Spirit. Our decisions, whether personal, familial, or communal, should always be bathed in prayer and meticulously aligned with divine principles, preventing us from entering into "covenants" or commitments that are contrary to God's revealed will, even if they appear expedient or harmless at first glance.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why did the Israelites, led by Joshua, fall for such an obvious trick?
Answer: The Israelites' failure to discern the Gibeonites' deception is explicitly attributed to their neglect to "inquiring of the Lord" (Joshua 9:14). While the Gibeonites' disguise was elaborate and their story well-rehearsed, Israel had direct access to God's infallible wisdom and guidance. Their recent, overwhelming victories at Jericho and Ai might have led to a sense of overconfidence or spiritual complacency, causing them to rely on their own human judgment and the visible, albeit fabricated, evidence presented, rather than seeking divine revelation. They were likely flattered by the Gibeonites' apparent humility and desire for peace, overlooking God's clear command not to make treaties with the inhabitants of Canaan (Deuteronomy 7:1-2).
What was the ultimate significance of the Gibeonites' mouldy bread and other "proofs"?
Answer: The mouldy bread, along with their worn-out clothes, wineskins, and patched sandals (Joshua/9-5), served as crucial tangible evidence to support the Gibeonites' fabricated story of coming from a "very distant country" (Joshua/9-6). In a culture where travel was arduous and provisions were carefully managed, such deteriorated items were highly convincing indicators of an incredibly long journey. These "proofs" were meticulously designed to evoke sympathy, establish credibility, and ultimately manipulate the Israelite leaders into believing their lie, thereby securing a peace treaty and avoiding the destruction mandated by God for the Canaanite inhabitants.
What happened to the Gibeonites after this deception?
Answer: Despite the deception, the covenant made with the Gibeonites was upheld by Israel due to the sanctity of an oath sworn before the Lord (Joshua 9:15). However, once the truth was discovered, Joshua did not allow them to live among Israel as equals. Instead, he condemned them to be "hewers of wood and drawers of water for the congregation and for the altar of the Lord" (Joshua 9:21), effectively making them perpetual servants. Centuries later, during the reign of King David, a famine struck Israel because King Saul had violated this ancient covenant by attempting to exterminate the Gibeonites. David sought to atone for this breach, leading to further consequences for Saul's descendants, highlighting the enduring sacredness of the oath (2 Samuel 21:1-6).
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
The narrative of the Gibeonites' mouldy bread and the resulting deception points us to the ultimate truth revealed in Jesus Christ, who stands in stark contrast to all forms of human cunning and perishable provision. In a world permeated by falsehoods and superficial appearances, Jesus presents Himself as the embodiment of truth, declaring, "I am the way, the truth, and the life" (John 14:6). Unlike the Gibeonites' deceptive "provision," which was dry and mouldy, Jesus offers Himself as the "Bread of Life" (John 6:35), providing eternal nourishment that never spoils, deceives, or fails to satisfy. Where Israel failed to discern truth due to their reliance on outward signs and human judgment, believers in Christ are promised the indwelling Holy Spirit, who "will guide you into all truth" (John 16:13). The New Covenant established through Christ's perfect sacrifice is not one entered into through trickery or human fallibility, but through God's unwavering faithfulness, eternal grace, and perfect wisdom (Hebrews 8:6). This narrative thus serves as a profound contrast, highlighting the fundamental difference between the deceptive, perishable "bread" of human cunning and the living, eternal "bread" of Christ, who perfectly fulfills God's will and provides infallible guidance and sustenance for all who trust in Him.