Joshua 9

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 it

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

But when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and to Ai,

they also resorted to a ruse, and went and made as if they had been ambassadors, and took old sacks on their donkeys, and old, torn-up and bound up wineskins,

and old and patched sandals on their feet, and wore old garments. All the bread of their food supply was dry and moldy.

They went to Joshua at 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.”

The men of Israel said to the Hivites, “What if you live among us? How could we make a covenant with you?”

They said to Joshua, “We are your servants.” Joshua said to them, “Who are you? Where do you come from?”

They said to him, “Your servants have come from a very far country because of the name of the LORD your God; for we have heard of his fame, all that he did in Egypt,

and 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.

Our elders and all the inhabitants of our country spoke to us, saying, ‘Take supplies in your hand for the journey, and go to meet them. Tell them, “We are your servants. Now make a covenant with us.”’

This our bread we took hot for our supplies out of our houses on the day we went out to go to you; but now, behold, it is dry, and has become moldy.

These wineskins, which we filled, were new; and behold, they are torn. These our garments and our sandals have become old because of the very long journey.”

The men sampled their provisions, and didn’t ask counsel from the LORD’s mouth.

Joshua made peace with them, and made a covenant with them, to let them live. The princes of the congregation swore to them.

At 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.

The children of Israel traveled and came to their cities on the third day. Now their cities were Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath Jearim.

The children of Israel didn’t strike them, because the princes of the congregation had sworn to them by the LORD, the God of Israel. All the congregation murmured against the princes.

But all the princes said to all the congregation, “We have sworn to them by the LORD, the God of Israel. Now therefore we may not touch them.

We will do this to them, and let them live; lest wrath be on us, because of the oath which we swore to them.”

The 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.

Joshua called for them, and he spoke to them, saying, “Why have you deceived us, saying, ‘We are very far from you,’ when you live among us?

Now therefore you are cursed, and some of you will never fail to be slaves, both wood cutters and drawers of water for the house of my God.”

They answered Joshua, and said, “Because your servants were certainly told how the LORD your 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 very afraid for our lives because of you, and have done this thing.

Now, behold, we are in your hand. Do to us as it seems good and right to you to do.”

He did so to them, and delivered them out of the hand of the children of Israel, so that they didn’t kill them.

That day Joshua made them wood cutters and drawers of water for the congregation and for the LORD’s altar to this day, in the place which he should choose.

Chapter overviewAI-generated

Overview.
This chapter recounts how the people of Gibeon, fearing destruction at the hands of Israel, deceived Joshua and the leaders into making a covenant of peace by pretending to be a distant nation. Though the leaders discovered the deception three days later, they honored the covenant due to their oath before the Lord, preserving the Gibeonites’ lives but assigning them to perpetual servitude in service to Israel and the sanctuary.

Flow.

The surrounding Canaanite kings prepare to oppose Israel, but the people of Gibeon choose deception rather than confrontation, crafting a false appearance of having come from afar.
They present old provisions as evidence of a long journey and claim to have heard of Israel’s victories through the fame of the Lord, prompting the Israelites to make a covenant without seeking divine counsel.
Three days later, Israel discovers the truth—that the Gibeonites are actually neighbors—and the people grumble, but the leaders refuse to break the oath sworn before the Lord.
Joshua confronts the Gibeonites, pronounces a curse of servitude upon them, and assigns them to labor for the congregation and the altar of God.

Connections.
Following chapter 8, where Israel secures central victories at Jericho and Ai under divine direction and renewed covenant renewal at Mount Ebal, chapter 9 presents a critical failure in spiritual discernment. The leaders, having just witnessed the Lord’s power and holiness, neglect to “ask counsel from the LORD’s mouth” (v. 14), leading to a compromised decision with lasting consequences. This sets the stage for chapter 10, where the Gibeonite alliance forces Israel into a military conflict with a southern coalition, testing the covenant’s implications and demonstrating how human failure does not nullify God’s purposes. The events of chapter 9 thus serve as a pivot, moving from conquest to complex political and moral challenges in the land.

What it teaches.
The chapter underscores the seriousness of oaths made before God, even when procured through deception. The leaders’ failure to consult the Lord violated the principle that all decisions, especially covenantal ones, should be made in submission to divine authority (cf. WCF 19.1). Yet, once the oath was sworn, the fear of bringing guilt upon the nation through perjury took precedence (), reflecting the binding nature of vows (WLC Q. 124). The preservation of the Gibeonites also demonstrates that God’s judgment upon Canaan was not blind destruction but a response to sin (), allowing room for those who, like Rahab and now the Gibeonites, sought refuge under Israel’s God, even if imperfectly. The servitude pronounced fulfills the curse of Canaan () in a moderated form—preserved from death but assigned to labor (HC LD 2).

Apply.
When called to make decisions, rely on God’s guidance rather than appearances, knowing that even flawed commitments made before the Lord carry weight.

AI-generated. Not a substitute for Scripture, your pastor, or the confessions.