Joshua 9

Jos 9:1 And it happened, when all the kings who were on this side Jordan, in the hills and in the valleys, and in all the coast of the great sea over against Lebanon heard, the Hittite, and the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite,

when all the kings which [were] on this side Jordan - On the side Israel now were, and was that in which the land of Canaan lay, and was now governed by many kings, and all that were now remaining, even all but the kings of Jericho and Ai.

in the hills, and in the valleys, and in all the coasts of the great sea--This threefold distinction marks out very clearly a large portion of Canaan. The first designates the hill country, which belonged afterwards to the tribes of Judah and Ephraim: the second, all the low country from Carmel to Gaza; and the third, the shores of the Mediterranean, from the Isthmus of Tyre to the plain of Joppa.

And it came to pass, when all the kings - heard thereof - From this account it appears that the capture and destruction of Jericho and Ai had been heard of to the remotest parts of the land, that a general fear of the Israeli arms prevailed, and that the different dynasties or petty governments into which the land was divided, felt all their interests at stake, and determined to make the defense of their country a common cause.

Jos 9:2 they all, with one mind, gathered themselves to fight with Joshua and with Israel.

Jos 9:3 And when those who lived in Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and to Ai,

Gibeon - was the head of the four towns Joshua 9:17 And the sons of Israel journeyed and came to their cities on the third day. Now their cities were Gibeon, and Chephirah, and Beeroth, and Kirjath-jearim occupied by the Hivites Joshua 11:19 There was not a city that made peace with the sons of Israel, except the Hivites, the inhabitants of Gibeon. All others they took in battle. The inhabitants were Amorites 2Samuel 21:2 And the king called the Gibeonites and spoke to them. And the Gibeonites were not of the sons of Israel, but of the remnant of the Amorites. And the sons of Israel had sworn to them. And Saul sought to kill them in his zeal to the sons of Israel and Judah. The name “Amorites” was used as a general name for the Canaanite population. The Hivites seem to have had a non-monarchical form of government Joshua 9:11 And our elders and all those who live in our country spoke to us saying, Take provisions with you for the journey, and go to meet them. Say to them, We are your servants. And now make a treaty with us but their city was Joshua 10:2 they feared greatly, because Gibeon was a great city, like one of the royal cities, and because it was greater than Ai, and all of its men were mighty in size and importance equal to those cities which the kings of the country made their capitals. Gibeon signifies “pertaining to a hill,” i. e. built on a hill, and describes the site, which is on two of the rounded hills unique to this district. It is known as El-Jib, and lies about five miles north of Jerusalem by the most direct route. It stands at the head of the pass of Beth-horon, through which lies the main route from Jerusalem and the lower Jordan valley to Joppa and the sea coast. Thus from its position, no less than from the number and valor of its people Jos_10:2, it was one of the most important cities of southern Canaan. Gibeon fell within the lot of Benjamin Joshua 18:21, 25 And the cities of the tribe of the sons of Benjamin according to their families were Jericho, and Beth-hoglah, and the valley of Keziz......Gibeon, and Ramah, and Beeroth, and was one of the cities assigned to the priests Joshua 21:13, 17 And to the sons of Aaron the priest they gave Hebron and its open lands as a city of refuge for the manslayer, and Libnah and its open lands…..And out of the tribe of Benjamin, Gibeon and its open lands, Geba and its open lands. In later times it was famous as the scene of various events (2Sa_2:12-17; 2Sa_20:4-13; 1Ki_2:28-29). It was for a long time the spot where the tabernacle of Moses, together with the brass altar of burnt offering 1Ch_21:29 and other portions of the sacred furniture, were placed. It was the scene of the magnificent ceremonial with which Solomon inaugurated his reign 1 Kings 3, but no doubt lost much of its importance after the tabernacle and its accompaniments were removed to the temple of Solomon.

The inhabitants of Gibeon heard - These alone did not join the confederation. Gibeon is supposed to have been the capital of the Hivites.

Jos 9:4 they worked slyly. For they came and acted as if they were ambassadors. And they took old sacks on their asses, and old and torn and bound up wineskins,

Jos 9:5 and old and patched sandals on their feet, and old clothes on them. And all the bread they had taken was dry and moldy.

Jos 9:6 And they went to Joshua to the camp at Gilgal, and said to him and to the men of Israel, We have come from a far country. Now therefore, make a treaty with us.

Jos 9:7 And the men of Israel said to the Hivites, Perhaps you are living among us, and how shall we make a treaty with you?

and how shall we make a league with you? - which they were forbid to do with any of the seven nations, Deuteronomy 7:2 and Jehovah your God shall deliver them before you, you shall crush them, completely destroy them. You shall make no covenant with them nor show mercy to them. Exodus 23:32 You shall make no covenant with them or with their gods. Exodus 34:12 Take heed to yourself, lest you make a covenant with the people of the land where you go, lest it be for a snare in the midst of you.

Jos 9:8 And they said to Joshua, We are your servants. And Joshua said to them, Who are you, and from where do you come?

We are thy servants - This appears to have been the only answer they gave to the question of the Israelite elders, and this they gave to Joshua, not to them, as they saw that Joshua was commander-in-chief of the host. 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. 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.

Jos 9:9 And they said to him, Your servants have come from a very far country, because of the name of Jehovah your God. For we have heard of His fame and all that He did in Egypt,

Jos 9:10 and all that He did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond Jordan, to Sihon king of Heshbon, and to Og king of Bashan, who was at Ashtaroth.

to Sihon king of Heshbon, and to Og king of Bashan in Ashtaroth; the history of which see in Numbers 21:21-35 and Deuteronomy 2:26-3:17.

Jos 9:11 And our elders and all those who live in our country spoke to us saying, Take provisions with you for the journey, and go to meet them. Say to them, We are your servants. And now make a treaty with us.

Jos 9:12 We took this bread hot for our provision out of our houses on the day we came out to go to you. But now, see, it is dry, and it is moldy.

Jos 9:13 And these wineskins which we filled were new. And, see, they are torn. And these clothes and shoes of ours have become old because of the very long journey.

Jos 9:14 And they received the men because of their provisions, and did not ask at the mouth of Jehovah.

and asked not counsel at the mouth of the Lord; as they might and should have done, by desiring the high priest to inquire of the Lord by Urim and Thummim; but this they neglected, which, had they attended to, the fraud would have been discovered; or however, they would have had the mind of God about making peace with the Gibeonites. In this precipitate conclusion the Israelites were guilty of excessive credulity and culpable negligence, in not asking by the high priest's Urim and Thummim the mind of God, before entering into the alliance. It is not clear, however, that had they applied for divine direction they would have been forbidden to spare and connect themselves with any of the Canaanite tribes who renounced idolatry and embraced and worshipped the true God. At least, no fault was found with them for making a covenant with the Gibeonites; while, on the other hand, the violation of it was severely punished 2Samuel 21:1 And there was a famine in the days of David three years, year after year. And David inquired of the LORD. And the LORD answered, For Saul, and for his bloody house, because he killed the Gibeonites. Joshua 11:19- 20 There was not a city that made peace with the sons of Israel, except the Hivites, the inhabitants of Gibeon. All others they took in battle. For it was of the LORD to harden their hearts so that they should come against Israel in battle, so that they might be destroyed, so that they might have no favor, but that He might destroy them, as the LORD commanded Moses.

At the mouth of the Lord - by the Urim and Thummim Exodus 28:30 And you shall put in the breast-pocket of judgment the Urim and the Thummim. And they shall be upon Aaron's heart, when he goes in before the LORD. And Aaron shall bear the judgment of the sons of Israel upon his heart before the LORD continually

Joshua should have known to use the Urim and Thummim to seek God’s will, since he had been trained in its use, as well as having been with Moses on the Mount Sinai. Numbers 27:18-21 And the LORD said to Moses, Take Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand upon him. And set him before Eleazar the priest, and before all the congregation, and give him a charge in their sight. And you shall put of your honor on him, so that all the congregation of the sons of Israel may be obedient. And he shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall ask for him according to the judgment of Urim before the LORD. At his word they shall go out, and at his word they shall come in, he and all the sons of Israel with him, even all the congregation. Exodus 24:13-14 And Moses rose up, and his attendant Joshua. And Moses went up into the mountain of God. And he said to the elders, You stay here for us until we come again to you. And behold, Aaron and Hur are with you. If any man has any matters to do, let him come to them.

Jos 9:15 And Joshua made peace with them, and made a treaty with them, to let them live. And the rulers of the congregation swore to them.

concluded a covenant with them to let them live - Letting them live is the only article of the league that is mentioned, both because this was the main point, and also with special reference to the fact that the Gibeonites, being Canaanites, ought properly to have been destroyed. It is true that Joshua and the princes of the congregation had not violated any express command of God by doing this; for the only thing prohibited in the law was making treaties with the Canaanites, which they did not suppose the Gibeonites to be, whilst in Deu_20:11, where wars with foreign nations (not Canaanites) are referred to, permission is given to make peace with them, so that all treaties with foreign nations are not forbidden. But they had failed in this respect, that, trusting to the crafty words of the Gibeonites, and to outward appearances only, they had forgotten their attitude to the Lord their God who had promised to His congregation, in all important matters, a direct revelation of His own will.

Jos 9:16 And it happened at the end of three days after they had made a treaty with them, they heard that they were their neighbors and that they lived among them.

Jos 9:17 And the sons of Israel journeyed and came to their cities on the third day. Now their cities were Gibeon, and Chephirah, and Beeroth, and Kirjath-jearim.

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 And Joshua came to them suddenly, coming up from Gilgal all night but on the third day from the making of the league. Some of the cities mentioned here were afterwards in great repute among the Israelites: and God chose to make one of them, Kirjath-jearim, the residence of the ark of the covenant for twenty years, in the reigns of Saul and David.

Jos 9:18 And the sons of Israel did not strike them, because the rulers of the congregation had sworn to them by Jehovah, the God of Israel. And all the congregation murmured against the rulers.

and all the congregation murmured against the princes; not only for taking such an oath, but chiefly because they restrained them from smiting the Gibeonites, and taking their substance for a prey; their eager desire of revenge, and of seizing their goods, and inhabiting their cities, raised a murmur in them against the princes.

Jos 9:19 But all the rulers said to the congregation, We have sworn to them by Jehovah, the God of Israel. Now, therefore, we may not touch them.

We have sworn unto them - Although the Israelites were deceived in this business, yet, because the elders had eaten with them, offered a covenant sacrifice, and sworn by Jehovah, they did not consider themselves at liberty to break the terms of the agreement, as far as the lives of the Gibeonites were concerned. That their conduct in this respect was highly pleasing to God is evident from this, that Joshua is nowhere reprehended for making this covenant, and sparing the Gibeonites; and that Saul, who four hundred years after this thought himself and the Israelites loosed from this obligation, and in consequence oppressed and destroyed the Gibeonites, was punished for the breach of this treaty, being considered as the violator of a most solemn oath and covenant engagement. 2Samuel 21:2-9 And the king called the Gibeonites and spoke to them. And the Gibeonites were not of the sons of Israel, but of the remnant of the Amorites. And the sons of Israel had sworn to them. And Saul sought to kill them in his zeal to the sons of Israel and Judah. And David said to the Gibeonites, What shall I do for you? And with what shall I atone for this, so that you may bless the inheritance of the LORD? And the Gibeonites said to him, We will have no silver nor gold from Saul, nor from his house. Also, we will have no man in Israel put to death. And he said, What you shall say, I will do for you. And they answered the king, The man who destroyed us, and who devised against us, that we should be destroyed from remaining in any of the borders of Israel, let seven men of his sons be delivered to us, and we will hang them up to the Lord in Gibeah of Saul, the chosen of the LORD. And the king said, I will give them . But the king spared Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan the son of Saul, because of the LORD's oath that was between them, between David and Jonathan the son of Saul. But the king took the two sons of Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, whom she bore to Saul, Armoni and Mephibosheth, and the five sons of Michal the daughter of Saul, whom she bore to Adriel the son of Barzillai the Meholathite. And he delivered them into the hands of the Gibeonites. And they hanged them in the hill before the LORD. And they fell, seven together, and were put to death in the days of harvest, in the first days , in the beginning of barley harvest.

Jos 9:20 This we will do to them. We will even let them live, lest wrath be on us because of the oath which we swore to them.

because of the oath which we sware unto them - that is, lest the wrath of God come upon us princes, and upon the whole community, for perjury, a breach of the third command, Exodus 20:7 You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain. For the LORD will not hold him guiltless that takes His name in vain a sin highly displeasing to God; since an oath is made not only in his presence, and before him as a witness, who is appealed unto, but in his name, and is often severely threatened, and sorely punished; and as even the breach of this oath was several hundreds of years after, in the times of David, 2 Samuel 21:1 And there was a famine in the days of David three years, year after year. And David inquired of the LORD. And the LORD answered, For Saul, and for his bloody house, because he killed the Gibeonites.

Jos 9:21 And the rulers said to them, Let them live, but let them be woodcutters and drawers of water to all the congregation, as the rulers had promised them.

let them be hewers of wood, and drawers of water - which was a very low and mean employment, menial duties belonging to the lowest classes only, Deuteronomy 29:11 your little ones, your wives, and your stranger that is in your camp, from the cutter of your wood to the drawer of your water; as well as wearisome; and this being a yoke of servitude on the Gibeonites, and a punishment of them for their fraud, and of service, profit, and advantage to the people of Israel, the princess proposed it in hopes of pacifying them, and that they would yield to spare the lives of the Gibeonites.

as the princes promised them - which is to be connected, not with their being hewers of wood and drawers of water, this the princes had said nothing of before, but with their being let to live; this they had promised and sworn to, even all the princes, not only all that were now at Gibeon, and were persuading the people to let the Gibeonites live, but all the princes, even those that were not present, but in the camp at Gilgal.

let them be hewers of wood, and drawers of water - The curse of Noah on the children of Ham was thus fulfilled to the letter in the case of these Hivites. Genesis 9:25 And he said, Cursed be Canaan. He shall be a servant of servants to his brothers.

Moses said that the Israelites were to subject any cities they made peace with outside of Canaan to servitude. This seems to be what Joshua and the rulers held the Gibeonites to, despite the fact that the Hivites were to be destroyed. God was invoked in the treaty and it must be honored. Deuteronomy 20:10-18 When you come near a city to fight against it, then shout peace to it. And it shall be, if it makes the answer of peace and opens to you, then all the people found in it shall be forced laborers to you, and they shall serve you. But if it will make no peace with you, but will make war against you, then you shall besiege it. And when the LORD your God has delivered it into your hands, you shall strike every male of it with the edge of the sword. But the women, and the little ones, and the cattle, and all that is in the city, all the spoil of it, you shall take to yourself. And you shall eat the spoil of your enemies, which the LORD your God has given you. So you shall do to all the cities which are very far off from you, which are not of the cities of these nations. But of the cities of these people, which the LORD your God gives you for an inheritance, you shall save alive nothing that breathes. But you shall utterly destroy them: the Hittites, and the Amorites, the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, the Hivites and the Jebusites; as the LORD your God has commanded you, so that they may not teach you to do according to all their abominations which they have done to their gods. So you would sin against the LORD your God.

Jos 9:22 And Joshua called for them, and he spoke to them, saying, Why have you fooled us saying, We are very far from you, when you dwell among us?

Jos 9:23 And now you are cursed, and there shall none of you be freed from being slaves and woodcutters and drawers of water for the house of my God.

Now therefore ye are cursed – The curse of Canaan, "a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren," Genesis 9:25; as these Gibeonites were.

For the house of my God - This only service they mention here, because it was their durable servitude, being first in the tabernacle, and then in the temple, whence they were called Nethinim, 1Chronicles 9:2 And the first people in their possessions in their cities were the Israelites, the priests, Levites, and the temple slaves. Ezra 2:43 The temple-slaves: The sons of Ziha, the sons of Hasupha, the sons of Tabbaoth,

Jos 9:24 And they answered Joshua and said, Because it was certainly told your servants how Jehovah your God commanded His servant Moses to give you all the land, and to destroy all those who lived in the land from before you; therefore, we were very much afraid of our lives because of you, and have done this thing.

and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land - as the gift of the land of Canaan to Israel was often spoken of by the Lord to Moses, and frequently mentioned by him; so there were instructions given him from the Lord, utterly to destroy the inhabitants of Canaan, so, that these people had accurate intelligence and information of this matter; Deuteronomy 7:1 When the LORD your God shall bring you into the land where you go to possess it, and has cast out many nations before you, the Hittites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, seven nations greater and mightier than you, and the LORD your God shall deliver them before you, you shall crush them, completely destroy them. You shall make no covenant with them nor show mercy to them.

It was mere fear which drove the Gibeonites to act as they did. They sought for union with God’s people, not for its own sake, but to save their lives. Rahab’s motives were higher. Hence, she was adopted into Israel; the Gibeonites remained forever bondsmen of Israel.

Jos 9:25 And now, behold, we are in your hand. As it seems good and right to you to do to us, do it.

As it seemeth good and right unto thee - Whatever justice and mercy dictate to thee to do to us, that perform. They expect justice, because they deceived the Israelites; but they expect mercy also, because they were driven to use this expedient for fear of losing their lives.

Jos 9:26 And so he did to them, and delivered them out of the hand of the sons of Israel, so that they did not kill them.

And so did he unto them - That is, he acted according to justice and mercy: he delivered them out of the hands of the people, so that they slew them not - here was mercy; and he made them hewers of wood and drawers of water for the congregation, and to the altar of God - here was justice. Thus Joshua did nothing but what was good and right, not only in his own eyes, but also in the eyes of the Lord.

Jos 9:27 And Joshua made them that day woodcutters and drawers of water for the congregation, and for the altar of Jehovah, even to this day, in the place which He should choose.