1,2 The kings combine against Israel 3-21 The Gibeonites by craft obtain a league 22-27 They are condemned to perpetual bondage

all the kings Jos 10:2-5,23,28-39 11:1-5,10,11 12:7-24

on this Jos 1:15 3:17 5:1 22:4,7 De 4:49

of the great Jos 1:4 15:12 23:4 Nu 34:6

Lebanon Jos 11:17 12:7 13:5 De 3:25

Hittite Le 24:11 Ge 15:18-21 Ex 3:17 23:23,31 34:11 De 7:1

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

gathered 2Ch 20:1 Ps 2:1,2 83:2-8 Pr 11:21 Isa 8:9,10,12 54:15 Joe 3:9-13 Ac 4:26-28 Re 16:14 20:8,9

accord [heb] month

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

Gibeon Jos 9:17 10:2 2Sa 21:1,2

Jericho Jos 6:1-27 8:1-35

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;

work wilily Ge 34:13 1Ki 20:31-33 Mt 10:16 Lu 16:8

ambassadors the word tzier, an ambassador, properly denotes a hinge; because an ambassador is a person upon whom the business turns as upon a hinge. So the Latin Cardinalis, from cardo, a hinge, was the title of the prime minister of the emperor Theodosius, though now applied only to the Pope's electors and counsellors.

wine bottles These bottle being made of skin, were consequently liable to be rent, and capable of being mended; which is done, according to Chardin, by putting in a piece, or by gathering up the wounded piece in the manner of a purse; and sometimes by inserting a flat piece of wood. Ps 119:83 Mt 9:17 Mr 2:22 Lu 5:37,38

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.

old shoes Jos 9:13 De 29:5 33:25 Lu 15:22

clouted The word clouted signifies here patched, from the Anglo-Saxon clut a clout or rag; and not nailed from the French clou, a nail.

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.

the camp Jos 5:10 10:43

We be Jos 9:9 De 20:11-15 1Ki 8:41 2Ki 20:14

make ye. kirthoo lanoo beerith, `cut or divide with us a covenant,' or rather the covenant sacrifice offered on these occasions. (See note on De 29:12)

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

Hivites Jos 11:19 Ge 10:17 34:2 Ex 3:8

how shall Ex 23:31-33 34:12 Nu 33:52 De 7:2,3 20:16 Jud 2:2

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

Jos 8:11,23,25,27 Ge 9:25,26 De 20:11 1Ki 9:20,21 2Ki 10:5

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,

From a De 20:15

because 1Ki 8:41 2Ch 6:32,33 Ne 9:5 Ps 72:19 83:18 148:13 Isa 55:5 Ac 8:7

we have Jos 9:24 2:9,10 Ex 9:16 15:14 Nu 14:15 Isa 66:19

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.

two kings Nu 21:24-35 De 2:30-37 3:1-7

Ashtaroth Jos 12:4 De 1:4 1Ch 6:71

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.

our elders Es 8:17

Take Jos 1:11 Mt 10:9,10 Lu 9:3

with you [heb] in your hand Ge 43:12

we are your Jos 9:3 Es 8:17

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:

our bread Jos 9:4,5

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.

the men took of their victuals. or, they received the men by reason of their victuals.

asked not Ex 28:30 Nu 27:21 Jud 1:1 20:18,28 1Sa 14:18,19 22:10 23:9-12 30:7,8 2Sa 2:1 5:19 1Ch 10:13,14 Ezr 8:21 Pr 3:5,6 Isa 30:1,2 Jas 1:5

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.

made peace Jos 2:12-19 6:22-25 11:19 De 20:10,11 2Sa 21:2 Jer 18:7,8

and the 2Sa 21:2

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 neighbors, and that they dwelt among them.

that they heard Pr 12:19

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.

Gibeon Jos 10:2 18:25-28 1Ch 21:29 2Ch 1:3 Ezr 2:24 Ne 7:29

kirjath-jearim Jos 15:9,60 18:14 1Sa 7:1 1Ch 13:5,6 2Ch 1:4

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.

had sworn 2Sa 21:7 Ps 15:4 Ec 5:2,6 9:2

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.

We have Jos 9:20 Ec 8:2 9:2 Jer 4:2

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.

lest wrath 2Sa 21:1-6 2Ch 36:13 Pr 20:25 Eze 17:12-21 Zec 5:3,4 Mal 3:5 Ro 1:31 1Ti 1:10

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.

let them Jos 9:23,27 De 29:11 2Ch 2:17,18

as the princes Jos 9:15

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?

Wherefore Ge 3:13,14 27:35,36,41-45 29:25 2Co 11:3

We are Jos 9:6,9,10

ye dwell Jos 9:16

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.

cursed This may refer to the original curse pronounced against the descendants of Canaan: both of them seem to have implied nothing else than perpetual slavery. The gibeonites were brought, no doubt, under tribute; performed the meanest offices for the israelites; being in the same condition as the servile class of the Hindoos, called the Chetrees; had their national importance annihilated, and yet were never permitted to incorporate themselves with the Israelites. Ge 9:25,26 Le 27:28,29

none of you be freed [heb] not be cut off from you
hewers In the East, collecting wood for fuel, and carrying water, are the peculiar employment of females. The Arab women of Barbary, and the daughters of the Turcomans, are thus employed. Hence Mr.Harmer concludes, that the bitterness of the doom of the Gibeonites does not seem to have consisted in the labouriousness of the service enjoined them, but its disgracing them from the characteristic employment of men, that of bearing arms, and condemning them and their posterity for ever to the employment of females. Jos 9:21,27

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.

the Lord Ex 23:31-33 Nu 33:51,52,55,56 De 7:1,2,23,24 20:15-17

we were sore Ex 15:14-16 Job 2:4 Mt 10:28

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

we are Ge 16:6 Jud 8:15 2Sa 24:14 Isa 47:6 Jer 26:14 38:5

as it seemeth Jud 10:15 1Sa 3:18 Mt 11:26

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.

made them [heb] gave, or delivered to be Jos 9:21,23 1Ch 9:2 Ezr 2:43 8:20 Ne 7:60 11:3

Nethinim
in the place Jos 18:1 De 12:5 16:2,6,16 2Ch 6:6 Ps 78:68 132:13,14 Isa 14:32