Josué 9:16-21 NVIPT

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Joshua 9:15-21

Here is, I. The treaty soon concluded with the Gibeonites, Josh. 9:15. The thing was not done with much formality, but in short, 1. They agreed to let them live, and more the Gibeonites did not ask. In a common war this would have been but a small matter to be granted; but in the wars of Canaan, which were to make a general destruction, it was a great favour to a Canaanite to have his life given him for a prey, Jer. 45:5. 2. This agreement was made not by Joshua only, but by the princes of the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Joshua 9:16

And it came to pass at the end of three days, after they had made a league with them ,.... The league seems to have been made the same day they came; the Gibeonites were no doubt in haste to have it concluded, lest they should be discovered; and Joshua, and the princes of Israel, took no pains, and gave themselves no great trouble to inquire about them, but made peace with them at once; and it was but three days after, or within three days of its being made: that they heard that they ... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Joshua 9:17

And the children of Israel journeyed ,.... Not the whole camp, for that still remained at Gilgal, and continued there until the Gibeonites in distress sent to them for assistance in virtue of the league, as appears from the following chapter; but a party of them, who were sent along with some of the princes, to know the truth whether the Gibeonites were their neighbours or not, as had been reported to them: and came unto their cities on the third day ; not on the third day from their... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Joshua 9:18

And the children of Israel smote them not ,.... The inhabitants of the four cities, when they came to them, though they found it to be a true report that was brought them of their being neighbours, and that they were imposed upon by them: because the princes of the congregation had sworn unto them by the Lord God of Israel ; by the Word of the Lord God of Israel, as the Targum, and therefore they restrained the people from smiting and plundering them; for it was not the oath of the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Joshua 9:19

But all the princes said to all the congregation ,.... That is, all the princes that went to Gibeon addressed all the Israelites that were there: we have sworn unto them by the Lord God of Israel ; by the Word of the Lord God, as the Targum; an oath is a solemn sacred thing, and not to be broken, and a good man will make conscience of it, and keep it, though he has sworn to his own hurt: and now therefore we may not touch them ; neither take away their lives nor their substance. read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Joshua 9:20

This we will do to them ,.... Either this favour we will show them, preserving their lives, next mentioned, or this punishment we will inflict on them, making them hewers of wood, and drawers of water; which though not mentioned directly, was what was upon their minds, and in their design to propose, only they were extremely desirous of sparing their lives, which they repeat: we will even let them live ; this by all means must be done, their lives must not be taken away as the rest of... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Joshua 9:21

And the princes said to them, let them live ,.... They were very pressing upon them, and importunate with them, to save their lives, because of the oath they had taken: (but let them be hewers of wood, and drawers of water, unto all the congregation) : which was a very low and mean employment, Deuteronomy 29:11 ; as well as wearisome; and this being a yoke of servitude on the Gibeonites, and a punishment of them for their fraud, and of service, profit, and advantage to the people of... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Joshua 9:16

At the end of three days - Gibeon is reputed to be only about eight leagues distant from Gilgal, and on this account the fraud might be easily discovered in the time mentioned above. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Joshua 9:17

The children of Israel - came unto their cities - Probably when the fraud was discovered, Joshua sent out a detachment to examine their country, and to see what use could be made of it in the prosecution of their war with the Canaanites. Some of the cities mentioned here were afterwards in great repute among the Israelites: and God chose to make one of them, Kirjath-jearim, the residence of the ark of the covenant for twenty years, in the reigns of Saul and David. There is no... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Joshua 9:18

All the congregation murmured - Merely because they were deprived of the spoils of the Gibeonites. They had now got under the full influence of a predatory spirit; God saw their proneness to this, and therefore, at particular times, totally interdicted the spoils of conquered cities, as in the case of Jericho. read more

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Joshua 9:15-21

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Joshua 9:16

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Joshua 9:17

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Joshua 9:18

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Joshua 9:19

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Joshua 9:20

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Joshua 9:21

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Joshua 9:16

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Joshua 9:17

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Joshua 9:18

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