Joshua 9 19

Joshua 9:19 kjv

But all the princes said unto all the congregation, We have sworn unto them by the LORD God of Israel: now therefore we may not touch them.

Joshua 9:19 nkjv

Then all the rulers said to all the congregation, "We have sworn to them by the LORD God of Israel; now therefore, we may not touch them.

Joshua 9:19 niv

but all the leaders answered, "We have given them our oath by the LORD, the God of Israel, and we cannot touch them now.

Joshua 9:19 esv

But all the leaders said to all the congregation, "We have sworn to them by the LORD, the God of Israel, and now we may not touch them.

Joshua 9:19 nlt

But the leaders replied, "Since we have sworn an oath in the presence of the LORD, the God of Israel, we cannot touch them.

Joshua 9 verses

Joshua 9 19 Meaning

The verse indicates that the entire community of Israel expressed strong discontent and voiced their complaints against their tribal leaders. This public display of dissatisfaction arose from the princes' decision to uphold the solemn oath made to the Gibeonites, despite having discovered the Gibeonites' deceptive tactics.

Joshua 9 19 Context

Joshua chapter 9 describes how the Gibeonites, a people from the Canaanite cities of Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath Jearim, tricked Joshua and the leaders of Israel into making a covenant with them. They presented themselves as coming from a distant land, with worn-out clothes and moldy bread, implying they were not from the immediate Canaanite vicinity whom Israel was commanded to utterly destroy. Joshua and the leaders examined their provisions but, crucially, did not "ask counsel of the LORD" (Joshua 9:14). Consequently, they swore an oath in the name of the Lord to let them live. Three days later, the Israelites discovered the deception: the Gibeonites lived nearby. This verse, Joshua 9:19, is the congregation's reaction to their leaders, who, upon realizing their error, resolved to uphold the oath they had made. This was a challenging moment for Israel's leadership, caught between God's clear command for total annihilation of the Canaanites and the sanctity of an oath sworn in His name, even if obtained by trickery. The historical and cultural context underscores the extreme importance of oaths in ancient Near Eastern societies, where violating a sworn covenant was considered a grave offense, often inviting divine judgment. Israel’s repeated pattern of murmuring in the wilderness for various grievances adds to the gravity of this collective response against their leaders.

Word Analysis

• And all the congregation (וְכָל־ הָעֵדָה, wəḵāl-hā‘ēḏâ):
  • ‘ēḏâ (עֵדָה): This Hebrew term signifies the whole assembly or community of Israel, often used to denote the religious and political body of the people of God. The addition of "all" (kol) emphasizes the widespread nature of the discontent, indicating that the murmuring was a collective expression of dissatisfaction, not confined to a few individuals. It highlights the corporate responsibility and shared emotional response of the nation.
• murmured (וַיִּלּוֹנוּ, wayyillōnū):
  • From the root לוּן (lûn or לין līn), meaning "to lodge," but more frequently, "to grumble," "to complain," or "to murmur." This verb is strongly associated with Israel’s complaints against Moses and Aaron (and by extension, against God) throughout the wilderness wanderings (e.g., Ex 15:24, Nu 14:2). It conveys a sense of deep, sometimes suppressed, dissatisfaction or disgruntlement, often signaling rebellion, distrust in leadership, or lack of faith in divine providence. Its appearance here echoes the persistent spiritual challenges faced by the nation.
• against the princes (עַל־הַנְּשִׂאִים, ‘al-hannəsi’îm):
  • nəsi’îm (נְשִׂאִים): The plural form of nāśî’ (נָשִׂיא), meaning "prince," "leader," or "chieftain." These were the prominent men, heads of the tribes or significant families within Israel. They held authority and responsibility for judicial and administrative decisions, and in this instance, were directly involved in negotiating and swearing the oath to the Gibeonites. The murmuring was a direct challenge to their authority and wisdom in a decision that would affect the entire nation.

Words-Group Analysis:

• "And all the congregation murmured": This phrase stresses the unanimous and pervasive nature of the complaint. It's not a fringe group but the entire corporate body expressing its dismay. This widespread "murmuring" indicates a significant moment of crisis and a deep challenge to the authority and judgment of their divinely appointed leaders, mirroring patterns of rebellion seen in earlier generations.
• "murmured against the princes": This points the target of the collective frustration. While the ultimate mistake was not consulting the LORD (Josh 9:14), the congregation held the visible human leadership accountable for the unforeseen consequences. It illustrates the tension between divine command and human error, and the burden of leadership when unforeseen circumstances arise from a failure to seek God’s direction.

Joshua 9 19 Bonus section

• The immediate congregational backlash reveals a deeply ingrained cultural and spiritual pattern within Israel. Despite witnessing numerous divine interventions, the people's first impulse when faced with leadership failure or an undesirable outcome often reverted to complaint, echoing the collective lack of trust and rebellion observed during their wilderness journey.
• This incident subtly portrays the tension between two divine principles: the command to destroy Canaanite wickedness versus the sanctity of an oath. The leadership chose to uphold the oath, demonstrating that, in this specific case, the integrity of a covenant sworn in God's name superseded a general command regarding certain nations, especially once it was made. This reveals a nuance in God's expectations and the consequences of rash human action within the divine economy.
• The Gibeonite covenant would have long-term repercussions for Israel, culminating in events like the famine in David's time due to Saul's breach of the oath (2 Samuel 21:1-6). This emphasizes the enduring consequences of oaths made before God, even those rooted in deception.
• The murmuring itself did not lead to immediate divine judgment as often happened in the wilderness, possibly because the princes, despite their initial error, sought to honor God by not breaking an oath sworn in His name, thus mitigating the collective spiritual danger. It shows God's patience and faithfulness even amidst human weakness and collective discontent.
• This passage implicitly highlights the need for effective communication between leadership and the congregation. The murmuring suggests a failure to fully understand or accept the reasoning behind the princes' decision to uphold the covenant, making it a valuable lesson for modern-day leadership on transparency and spiritual instruction.

Joshua 9 19 Commentary

Joshua 9:19 presents a moment of profound internal struggle for Israel following the Gibeonite deception. Having sworn an oath "by the LORD God of Israel" (Josh 9:15) to a people they soon discovered were close neighbors and therefore subject to annihilation, the leaders faced a dilemma. They understood that violating an oath, especially one sworn in God's name, was a grave sin, often carrying divine repercussions (cf. Psalm 15:4; Ezekiel 17:11-20). Yet, fulfilling it meant not completely obeying the clear command to destroy the inhabitants of Canaan (Deuteronomy 7:1-5). Their decision to uphold the oath, albeit flawed because they didn't seek God's counsel beforehand, prompted a widespread outcry. "All the congregation murmured" signifies the depth of their discontent. This murmuring was more than simple complaining; it was a significant expression of grievance, indicative of a deeper spiritual issue where the people struggled to trust in leadership decisions, reminiscent of their ancestors' rebellious spirit in the wilderness (e.g., Numbers 14:2). While their frustration was understandable given the perceived deviation from divine directive, the act of "murmuring" itself carried negative biblical connotations. It highlights a recurring theme: the people's lack of faith and impatience in trusting God's overarching plan even when His human instruments seem to falter. This verse therefore underscores the paramount importance of leaders seeking God's wisdom in every decision (Proverbs 3:5-6) and for the congregation to trust and pray for those God has set over them (1 Timothy 2:1-2), avoiding grumbling even when faced with perplexing circumstances. The upholding of the oath, though born of a prior error, eventually reveals God's sovereignty over human flaws, turning the Gibeonites into "hewers of wood and drawers of water for the congregation and for the altar of the LORD" (Josh 9:27), integrating them into service to the sanctuary.