Joshua 9

King James Version

Full text for Joshua Chapter 9

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];

2That they gathered themselves together, to fight with Joshua and with Israel, with one accord.

3¶ And when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done unto Jericho and to Ai,

4They 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;

5And old shoes and clouted upon their feet, and old garments upon them; and all the bread of their provision was dry [and] mouldy.

6And 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.

7And the men of Israel said unto the Hivites, Peradventure ye dwell among us; and how shall we make a league with you?

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

9And 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,

10And 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.

11Wherefore 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.

12This 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:

13And 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.

14And 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.

16And 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.

17And 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.

18And 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.

19But 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.

20This 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.

21And 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.

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?

23Now 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.

24And 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.

25And now, behold, we [are] in thine hand: as it seemeth good and right unto thee to do unto us, do.

26And so did he unto them, and delivered them out of the hand of the children of Israel, that they slew them not.

27And 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.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

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.

Medium Summary

When the kings west of Jordan heard of Israel's conquests, they gathered to fight against Joshua. However, the Gibeonites, hearing of Jericho and Ai, chose a different path, employing cunning to secure their survival. They presented themselves to Joshua at Gilgal as ambassadors from a far country, displaying worn provisions and garments as proof of a long journey. Without seeking counsel from the LORD, Joshua and the princes made a league of peace with them, swearing an oath. Three days later, Israel discovered that the Gibeonites were their close neighbours. Though the congregation murmured, the princes upheld their oath made by the LORD God of Israel, lest wrath come upon them, and instead condemned the Gibeonites to be bondmen, serving as hewers of wood and drawers of water for the congregation and the altar of the LORD.

Long Summary

Upon hearing of Israel's formidable conquests, particularly the fall of Jericho and Ai, the various kings on the west side of Jordan, including the Hittite, Amorite, Canaanite, Perizzite, Hivite, and Jebusite, united with one accord to wage war against Joshua and Israel. In contrast, the inhabitants of Gibeon, a Hivite city, devised a cunning stratagem to preserve their lives. They presented themselves to Joshua at the camp in Gilgal as weary travellers from a very distant land, exhibiting old sacks, rent wine bottles, clouted shoes, worn garments, and mouldy bread as evidence of their arduous journey. They claimed their motivation was the great fame of the LORD God of Israel, having heard of His deeds in Egypt and against the Amorite kings beyond Jordan. Tragically, Joshua and the men of Israel took of their victuals and made a league of peace with them, and the princes of the congregation swore an oath to let them live, critically failing to ask counsel at the mouth of the LORD. After three days, the deception was revealed when Israel journeyed to the Gibeonites' cities and discovered they were close neighbours. The congregation murmured against the princes for this mistake, but the princes steadfastly declared they must honour their oath sworn by the LORD, lest divine wrath befall them. Joshua confronted the Gibeonites for their beguilement, and they confessed their fear of Israel and their God, knowing the command to destroy all inhabitants of the land. Consequently, Joshua cursed them, decreeing that they would perpetually serve as bondmen, hewers of wood and drawers of water for the congregation and the house of God, a status they maintained even unto that day.

Core Concepts

  • Gibeonite DeceptionThe inhabitants of Gibeon employed a cunning ruse, pretending to be from a far country with worn provisions and garments, to deceive Joshua and the Israelites into making a peace treaty with them.
  • Lack of Divine CounselA critical error made by Joshua and the princes of Israel was their failure to consult the LORD before entering into a league with the Gibeonites, leading to an agreement based on falsehood.
  • Sanctity of the OathDespite discovering the Gibeonites' deception, the princes of Israel felt bound to uphold the oath they had sworn by the LORD God of Israel, fearing divine wrath if they broke their covenant.
  • Perpetual ServitudeAs a consequence of their deception and the binding oath, the Gibeonites were condemned to perpetual servitude, serving the congregation as 'hewers of wood and drawers of water' for the house of God.
  • Fear of the LORD's PowerThe Gibeonites explained their deceit by stating they were 'sore afraid of our lives' because of Israel and the fame of the LORD God, who commanded the destruction of the land's inhabitants.
  • Congregational MurmuringUpon learning of the Gibeonites' proximity and the deceit, the children of Israel murmured against their princes, expressing discontent over the binding nature of the ill-advised league.