21 And the princes say unto them, `They live, and are hewers of wood and drawers of water for all the company, as the princes spake to them.'
22 And Joshua calleth for them, and speaketh unto them, saying, `Why have ye deceived us, saying, We are very far from you, and ye in our midst dwelling?
23 and now, cursed are ye, and none of you is cut off `from being' a servant, even hewers of wood and drawers of water, for the house of my God.'
24 And they answer Joshua and say, `Because it was certainly declared to thy servants, that Jehovah thy God commanded Moses His servant to give to you all the land, and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land from before you; and we fear greatly for ourselves because of you, and we do this thing;
25 and now, lo, we `are' in thy hand, as `it is' good, and as `it is' right in thine eyes to do to us -- do.'
26 And he doth to them so, and delivereth them from the hand of the sons of Israel, and they have not slain them;
27 and Joshua maketh them on that day hewers of wood and drawers of water for the company, and for the altar of Jehovah, unto this day, at the place which He doth choose.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Joshua 9
Commentary on Joshua 9 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 9
Here is in this chapter,
Jos 9:1-2
Hitherto the Canaanites had acted defensively; the Israelites were the aggressors upon Jericho and Ai. But here the kings of Canaan are in consultation to attack Israel, and concert matters for a vigorous effort of their united forces to check the progress of their victorious arms. Now,
Jos 9:3-14
Here,
Jos 9:15-21
Here is,
Jos 9:22-27
The matter is here settled between Joshua and the Gibeonites, and an explanation of the league agreed upon. We may suppose that now, not the messengers who were first sent, but the elders of Gibeon, and of the cities that were dependent upon it, were themselves present and treated with, that the matter might be fully compromised.