Bible Study Joshua 9
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Joshua 9 · WEB

The Gibeonite Deception

Listen — WEB narration 0:00 / 0:00 Narration: World English Bible (David Williams), public domain — AudioTreasure.

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When all the kings who were beyond the Jordan, in the hill country, and in the lowland, and on all the shore of the great sea in front of Lebanon—the Hittite, the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite—heard of this,
2they gathered themselves together to fight with Joshua and with Israel, with one accord.
3But when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and to Ai,
4they also acted with cunning, and went and made as if they had been ambassadors, and took old sacks on their donkeys, and old wineskins, cracked and bound up,
5and old and patched sandals on their feet, and old garments on themselves. All the bread of their provision was dry and had become moldy.
6They 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 covenant with us."
7The men of Israel said to the Hivites, "What if you live among us? How could we make a covenant with you?"
8They said to Joshua, "We are your servants." Joshua said to them, "Who are you? Where do you come from?"
9They said to him, "Your servants have come from a very far country because of the name of Yahweh your God; for we have heard of his fame, all that he did in Egypt,
10and all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon king of Heshbon and to Og king of Bashan, who was at Ashtaroth.
11Our elders and all the inhabitants of our country spoke to us, saying, 'Take provision in your hand for the journey, and go to meet them, and tell them, "We are your servants. Now make a covenant with us." '
12This our bread we took hot out of our houses for our provision on the day we set out to go to you. But now, behold, it is dry and has become moldy.
13These wineskins which we filled were new, and behold, they are cracked. These our garments and our sandals have become old because of the very long journey."
14The men of Israel took some of their food, and didn't ask counsel from the mouth of Yahweh.
15Joshua made peace with them, and made a covenant with them to let them live. The princes of the congregation swore to them.
16At the end of three days after they had made a covenant with them, they heard that they were their neighbors, and that they lived among them.
17The children of Israel traveled and came to their cities on the third day. Now their cities were Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath Jearim.
18The children of Israel didn't strike them, because the princes of the congregation had sworn to them by Yahweh, the God of Israel. All the congregation murmured against the princes.
19But all the princes said to all the congregation, "We have sworn to them by Yahweh, the God of Israel. Now therefore we may not touch them.
20This we will do to them, and let them live; lest wrath be on us, because of the oath which we swore to them."
21The princes said to them, "Let them live." So they became wood cutters and drawers of water for all the congregation, as the princes had spoken to them.
22Joshua called for them, and spoke to them, saying, "Why have you deceived us, saying, 'We are very far from you,' when you dwell among us?
23Now therefore you are cursed, and some of you will never fail to be servants, both wood cutters and drawers of water for the house of my God."
24They answered Joshua, and said, "Because your servants were certainly told how that Yahweh your God commanded his servant Moses to give you all the land, and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land before you. Therefore we were very afraid for our lives because of you, and have done this thing.
25Now, behold, we are in your hand. Do to us as it seems good and right to you."
26He did so to them, and delivered them out of the hand of the children of Israel, so that they didn't kill them.
27That day Joshua made them wood cutters and drawers of water for the congregation and for the altar of Yahweh, to this day, in the place which he should choose.
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Summary

News of Jericho and Ai spreads, and the Canaanite kings form a coalition to fight Israel. However, the Gibeonites — a Hivite people living nearby — take a different approach: they disguise themselves as travelers from a distant land and trick Joshua into making a peace covenant with them. Israel's leaders fail to seek God's guidance and are deceived. When the truth is discovered three days later, the covenant cannot be broken because it was sworn in God's name, so the Gibeonites are spared but sentenced to permanent service as "woodcutters and water-carriers" for Israel and the altar of God. Their deception is driven by genuine fear and a shrewd acknowledgment of Israel's God.

Themes

  • The danger of making decisions without seeking God's guidance
  • The binding nature of a sworn oath — even when obtained by deception
  • Fear of Yahweh spreading to the nations — even enemies acknowledge His power
  • Grace extended unexpectedly — the Gibeonites become servants in God's house

Key verses

  • Josh 9:14 — “The men of Israel took some of their food, and didn't ask counsel from the mouth of Yahweh.”
  • Josh 9:19 — “We have sworn to them by Yahweh, the God of Israel. Now therefore we may not touch them.”
  • Josh 9:24 — “Because your servants were certainly told how that Yahweh your God commanded his servant Moses to give you all the land...Therefore we were very afraid for our lives.”

Context & background

Gibeon is modern el-Jib, located about 6 miles northwest of Jerusalem in the West Bank. It was a significant Hivite city, large enough that the text later calls it "like one of the royal cities" (10:2). The Gibeonites would later have a prominent place in Israel's story — the tabernacle was stationed at Gibeon during Solomon's reign (1 Kings 3:4), and Solomon received his dream of wisdom there. The treaty with the Gibeonites created a long-lasting obligation: when Saul later violated it by trying to annihilate the Gibeonites, God sent a three-year famine until restitution was made (2 Samuel 21). The lesson of verse 14 — "didn't ask counsel from the mouth of Yahweh" — is one of the most important warnings in the entire book.

Cross-references

  • 1 Kings 3:4-5 — Solomon worships at Gibeon, where the tabernacle stood; God appears to him there
  • 2 Samuel 21:1-9 — Saul's violation of the Gibeonite treaty brings a famine on Israel; the oath's sanctity persists centuries later
  • Deuteronomy 20:10-18 — Israel was allowed to make peace with distant cities but commanded to destroy Canaanite cities
  • Numbers 30:2 — An oath taken in God's name must be kept
  • Proverbs 3:5-6 — "Trust in Yahweh with all your heart and don't lean on your own understanding. Acknowledge him in all your ways, and he will make your paths straight"

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  1. Observe

    What evidence did the Gibeonites present, and what reason did they give for coming to Israel?

  2. Observe

    What was the immediate consequence for Israel of not seeking God's counsel, and what was the long-term outcome for the Gibeonites?

  3. Interpret

    After the lesson of Achan in chapter 7, why might Israel have again failed to seek God's counsel in chapter 9?

  4. Interpret

    What does the leaders' decision to honor the oath, even though it was obtained by deception, teach about covenant commitments?

  5. Apply

    How should believers approach significant decisions in light of Israel's failure in this chapter?

  6. Apply

    How can God use even compromised situations to draw people close to Himself?

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