15 And Joshua H3091 made H6213 peace H7965 with them, and made H3772 a league H1285 with them, to let them live: H2421 and the princes H5387 of the congregation H5712 sware H7650 unto them.
When thou comest nigh H7126 unto a city H5892 to fight H3898 against it, then proclaim H7121 peace H7965 unto it. And it shall be, if it make thee answer H6030 of peace, H7965 and open H6605 unto thee, then it shall be, that all the people H5971 that is found H4672 therein shall be tributaries H4522 unto thee, and they shall serve H5647 thee.
Now therefore, I pray you, swear H7650 unto me by the LORD, H3068 since H3588 I have shewed H6213 you kindness, H2617 that ye will also shew H6213 kindness H2617 unto my father's H1 house, H1004 and give H5414 me a true H571 token: H226 And that ye will save alive H2421 my father, H1 and my mother, H517 and my brethren, H251 and my sisters, H269 and all that they have, and deliver H5337 our lives H5315 from death. H4194 And the men H582 answered H559 her, Our life H5315 for yours, H4191 if ye utter H5046 not this our business. H1697 And it shall be, when the LORD H3068 hath given H5414 us the land, H776 that we will deal H6213 kindly H2617 and truly H571 with thee. Then she let them down H3381 by a cord H2256 through H1157 the window: H2474 for her house H1004 was upon the town H7023 wall, H2346 and she dwelt H3427 upon the wall. H2346 And she said H559 unto them, Get H3212 you to the mountain, H2022 lest the pursuers H7291 meet H6293 you; and hide H2247 yourselves there three H7969 days, H3117 until the pursuers H7291 be returned: H7725 and afterward H310 may ye go H3212 your way. H1870 And the men H582 said H559 unto her, We will be blameless H5355 of this thine oath H7621 which thou hast made us swear. H7650 Behold, when we come H935 into the land, H776 thou shalt bind H7194 this line H8615 of scarlet H8144 thread H2339 in the window H2474 which thou didst let us down by: H3381 and thou shalt bring H622 thy father, H1 and thy mother, H517 and thy brethren, H251 and all thy father's H1 household, H1004 home H1004 unto thee. And it shall be, that whosoever H834 shall go out H3318 of the doors H1817 of thy house H1004 into the street, H2351 his blood H1818 shall be upon his head, H7218 and we will be guiltless: H5355 and whosoever shall be with thee in the house, H1004 his blood H1818 shall be on our head, H7218 if any hand H3027 be upon him.
But Joshua H3091 had said H559 unto the two H8147 men H582 that had spied out H7270 the country, H776 Go H935 into the harlot's H2181 house, H1004 and bring out H3318 thence the woman, H802 and all that she hath, as ye sware H7650 unto her. And the young men H5288 that were spies H7270 went in, H935 and brought out H3318 Rahab, H7343 and her father, H1 and her mother, H517 and her brethren, H251 and all that she had; and they brought out H3318 all her kindred, H4940 and left H3240 them without H2351 the camp H4264 of Israel. H3478 And they burnt H8313 the city H5892 with fire, H784 and all that was therein: only the silver, H3701 and the gold, H2091 and the vessels H3627 of brass H5178 and of iron, H1270 they put H5414 into the treasury H214 of the house H1004 of the LORD. H3068 And Joshua H3091 saved H2421 Rahab H7343 the harlot H2181 alive, H2421 and her father's H1 household, H1004 and all that she had; and she dwelleth H3427 in H7130 Israel H3478 even unto this day; H3117 because she hid H2244 the messengers, H4397 which Joshua H3091 sent H7971 to spy out H7270 Jericho. H3405
At what instant H7281 I shall speak H1696 concerning a nation, H1471 and concerning a kingdom, H4467 to pluck up, H5428 and to pull down, H5422 and to destroy H6 it; If that nation, H1471 against whom I have pronounced, H1696 turn H7725 from their evil, H7451 I will repent H5162 of the evil H7451 that I thought H2803 to do H6213 unto them.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Joshua 9
Commentary on Joshua 9 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 9
Jos 9:1-27. The Kings Combine against Israel.
1. all the kings which were on this side—that is, the western side of Jordan.
in the hills, and in ther 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. (As for the tribes mentioned, see on Nu 13:29).
heard thereof—that is, of the sacking of Jericho and Ai, as well as the rapid advance of the Israelites into the interior of the country.
2. they gathered themselves together, to fight with Joshua and with Israel, with one accord—Although divided by separate interests and often at war with each other, a sense of common danger prompted them to suspend their mutual animosities, that by their united forces they might prevent the land from falling into the hands of foreign masters.
Jos 9:3-15. The Gibeonites Obtain a League by Craft.
3-15. when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard—This town, as its name imports, was situated on a rocky eminence, about six miles northwest from Jerusalem, where the modern village of El Jib now stands. It was the capital of the Hivites, and a large important city (Jos 10:2). It seems to have formed, in union with a few other towns in the neighborhood, a free independent state (Jos 9:17) and to have enjoyed a republican government (Jos 9:11).
4. They did work wilily—They acted with dexterous policy, seeking the means of self-preservation, not by force, which they were convinced would be unavailing, but by artful diplomacy.
took old sacks upon their asses—Travellers in the East transport their luggage on beasts of burden; the poorer sort stow all their necessaries, food, clothes, utensils together, in a woollen or hair-cloth sack, laid across the shoulders of the beast they ride upon.
wine bottles, old, and rent, and bound up—Goat-skins, which are better adapted for carrying liquor of any kind fresh and good, than either earthenware, which is porous, or metallic vessels, which are soon heated by the sun. These skin bottles are liable to be rent when old and much used; and there are various ways of mending them—by inserting a new piece of leather, or by gathering together the edges of the rent and sewing them in the form of a purse, or by putting a round flat splinter of wood into the hole.
5. old shoes and clouted—Those who have but one ass or mule for themselves and baggage frequently dismount and walk—a circumstance which may account for the worn shoes of the pretended travellers.
bread … dry and mouldy—This must have been that commonly used by travellers—a sort of biscuit made in the form of large rings, about an inch thick, and four or five inches in diameter. Not being so well baked as our biscuits, it becomes hard and mouldy from the moisture left in the dough. It is usually soaked in water previous to being used.
6-14. they went to Joshua unto the camp at Gilgal—Arrived at the Israelitish headquarters, the strangers obtained an interview with Joshua and the elders, to whom they opened their business.
7. the men of Israel said unto the Hivites, Peradventure ye dwell among us—The answer of the Israelites implied that they had no discretion, that their orders were imperative, and that if the strangers belonged to any of the native tribes, the idea of an alliance with them was unlawful since God had forbidden it (Ex 23:32; 34:12; De 7:2).
9. From a very far country thy servants are come because of the name of the Lord thy God—They pretended to be actuated by religious motives in seeking to be allied with His people. But their studied address is worthy of notice in appealing to instances of God's miraculous doings at a distance, while they pass by those done in Canaan, as if the report of these had not yet reached their ears.
14, 15. the men took of their victuals and asked not counsel at the mouth of the Lord—The mouldy appearance of their bread was, after examination, accepted as guaranteeing the truth of the story. 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 (2Sa 21:1; and Jos 11:19, 20).
16, 17. at the end of three days … they heard that they were their neighbours, and that they dwelt among them—This information was obtained in their further progress through the country; for as Jos 9:17 should be rendered, "when the children of Israel journeyed, they came to their cities." Gibeon was about eighteen or twenty miles from Gilgal.
17. Chephirah—(Jos 18:26; Ezr 2:25; Ne 7:29).
Beeroth—(2Sa 4:2), now El Berich, about twenty minutes' distance from El Jib (Gibeon).
Kirjath-jearim—"the city of forests," now Kuryet-el-Enab [Robinson].
18-27. the children of Israel smote them not—The moral character of the Gibeonites' stratagem was bad. The princes of the congregation did not vindicate either the expediency or the lawfulness of the connection they had formed; but they felt the solemn obligations of their oath; and, although the popular clamor was loud against them, caused either by disappointment at losing the spoils of Gibeon, or by displeasure at the apparent breach of the divine commandment, they determined to adhere to their pledge, "because they had sworn by the Lord God of Israel." The Israelitish princes acted conscientiously; they felt themselves bound by their solemn promise; but to prevent the disastrous consequences of their imprudent haste, they resolved to degrade the Gibeonites to a servile condition as a means of preventing their people from being ensnared into idolatry, and thus acted up, as they thought, to the true spirit and end of the law.
27. hewers of wood and drawers of water—The menials who performed the lowest offices and drudgery in the sanctuary; whence they were called Nethinims (1Ch 9:2; Ezr 2:43; 8:20); that is, given, appropriated. Their chastisement thus brought them into the possession of great religious privileges (Ps 84:10).