Joshua 9:6-7

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Joshua 9:3-14

Here, I. The Gibeonites desire to make peace with Israel, being alarmed by the tidings they heard of the destruction of Jericho, Josh. 9:3. Other people heard those tidings, and were irritated thereby to make war upon Israel; but the Gibeonites heard them and were induced to make peace with them. Thus the discovery of the glory and grace of God in the gospel is to some a savour of life unto life, but to others a savour of death unto death, 2 Cor. 2:16. The same sun softens wax and hardens... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Joshua 9:6

And they went to Joshua, unto the camp at Gilgal ,.... From whence it appears, that after Jericho and Ai were destroyed, the army of Israel returned to their encampment at Gilgal, Joshua 5:10 ; and here they were when the Gibeonites applied to them: and said unto him, and to the men of Israel ; not to the whole body of the people, but either to the seventy elders, the great council, who were with Joshua, or the princes of the congregation, after mentioned, who are said to swear to... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Joshua 9:7

And the men of Israel said unto the Hivites ,.... Though they did not know them to be such, but as they afterwards appeared to be the Hivites, as the Gibeonites were, they are here so called, see Joshua 11:19 . The name signifies "serpents"; according to a Derash, or mystical exposition, mentioned by Kimchi, the Gibeonites are so called, because they did the work of the serpent; that is to say, they deceived the Israelites, as the serpent deceived Eve: peradventure ye dwell among us ;... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Joshua 9:6

Make ye a league with us - ברית לנו כרתו kirethu lanu berith , cut, or divide, the covenant sacrifice with us. From this it appears that heathenism at this time had its sacrifices, and covenants were ratified by sacrificing to and invoking the objects of their adoration. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Joshua 9:7

Peradventure ye dwell among us - It is strange they should have had such a suspicion, as the Gibeonites had acted so artfully; and it is as strange that, having such a suspicion, they acted with so little caution. read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Joshua 9:6

Verse 6 6.And they went to Joshua, etc. I have said that in strict law, a covenant of this description was null and void. For when they obtain their prayer, what is stipulated but just that they should be kept safe, provided they come from a distant and remote region of the globe? And the oftener they reiterate the same falsehood, the more do they annul a compact elicited by fraud, since its true meaning only amounts to this, that the Israelites will offer no molestation to a foreign people,... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Joshua 9:1-27

God's people off their guard. This chapter contains the record of a venial sin; an act, that is, which was rather one of thoughtlessness than of deliberate intention to offend. It is one thing to forget for a moment God's superintending providence, and to act without consulting Him. It is quite another to act systematically as if there were no God. Thus we read of no very serious results flowing from this inadvertence. God is "not extreme to mark what is done amiss," and distinguishes... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Joshua 9:3-27

The submission of the Gibeonites. According to the explicit law of Moses (in Deuteronomy 20:10-18 ), there were three courses which Israel might pursue towards the cities they besieged: 1 . In the event of a city refusing to capitulate, they were, after taking it, to destroy all the males who survived, but take the women and the little ones and the spoil, and divide the same. This first course, however, was only to be pursued to such cities as were outside the boundaries of the... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Joshua 9:6

To the camp at Gilgal. Many commentators, among whom we may number Vandevelde and the recent Palestine Exploration Expedition, suppose that the Gilgal mentioned here is another Gilgal, and certainly the supposition derives great force from the fact that there is a place the modern name of which is Jiljilia, situated near the oaks of Moreh, whose situation would be far more central, and would fall in better with the rest of the history (see notes on Joshua 8:30 ), than the original... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Joshua 9:7

And the men of Israel said. The Keri here has the singular number instead of the Chethibh plural, in consequence of Israel speaking of itself collectively in the word בְּקִרְבִּי and of the singular אִישׁ . But this last with a plural verb, as a noun of multitude, occurs in the historical books in places too numerous to mention. See, for instance, 1 Samuel 14:22 , just as עַם in many passages, e.g; 2 Samuel 18:7 , is the nominative to a plural verb. The Hivites (see note on... read more

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