Joshua 9 21

Joshua 9:21 kjv

And the princes said unto them, Let them live; but let them be hewers of wood and drawers of water unto all the congregation; as the princes had promised them.

Joshua 9:21 nkjv

And the rulers said to them, "Let them live, but let them be woodcutters and water carriers for all the congregation, as the rulers had promised them."

Joshua 9:21 niv

They continued, "Let them live, but let them be woodcutters and water carriers in the service of the whole assembly." So the leaders' promise to them was kept.

Joshua 9:21 esv

And the leaders said to them, "Let them live." So they became cutters of wood and drawers of water for all the congregation, just as the leaders had said of them.

Joshua 9:21 nlt

Let them live." So they made them woodcutters and water carriers for the entire community, as the Israelite leaders directed.

Joshua 9 verses

Joshua 9 21 Meaning

Joshua 9:21 describes the Israelite leaders' verdict on the deceptive Gibeonites. Due to the inviolability of the oath sworn by the leaders, the Gibeonites were permitted to live, but were condemned to perpetual servitude. This servitude involved performing the most laborious and demeaning tasks for the entire Israelite community: being hewers of wood and drawers of water, confirming the condition previously discussed among the leaders. This outcome upheld the oath while imposing a consequence fitting the Gibeonites' deception.

Joshua 9 21 Context

Joshua chapter 9 details a pivotal event during Israel's conquest of Canaan. After significant victories at Jericho and Ai, various Canaanite kingdoms united against Israel. However, the Gibeonites, a powerful Hivite city, opted for deception. They feigned being from a very distant land whose provisions were exhausted, thus disguising their true identity as inhabitants of Canaan whom Israel was commanded to destroy (Deut 7:1-2). Israel's leaders, including Joshua, fell for this ruse and, crucially, failed to consult the Lord (Josh 9:14) before making a peace treaty and swearing an oath to spare them. Three days later, the truth was discovered, infuriating the congregation who desired to slaughter the Gibeonites as per God's command. However, the leaders, bound by their sacred oath, decided they could not violate it. This verse records their pronouncement on the Gibeonites' fate, resolving the dilemma by sparing their lives but reducing them to a status of perpetual servitude, thus fulfilling the spirit of judgment against them without breaking the vow.

Joshua 9 21 Word analysis

• And the leaders: (וַיֹּאמְרוּ אֲלֵיהֶם הַנְּשִׂיאִים - vayyomeru aleihem hanesi'im) Refers to the "princes" or "heads" of Israel, likely tribal leaders alongside Joshua, who had sworn the oath. Their collective voice indicates a formal, binding decision agreed upon by Israel's highest authorities. This emphasizes the gravity of the decision and their unity despite the previous error.
• said to them: (aleihem) Addressed directly to the Gibeonites, communicating their fate. Implicitly also to the congregation to appease their anger.
• 'Let them live': (חַיּוֹת לָהֶם - chayot lahem) This is the core consequence of the inviolable oath. It signifies the preservation of their lives, despite Israel's command to utterly destroy Canaanites, prioritizing oath-keeping over immediate divine command due to the initial human error.
• but let them be: (וְהָיוּ לָהֶם - vehayu lahem) Introduces the conditional punishment. Their life comes with a specific, permanent status.
• hewers of wood: (חֹטְבֵי עֵצִים - khotvei etsim) From khotev (to cut, hew) and etsim (wood). This was a laborious, often low-status task, requiring physical strength but little skill or intellectual capacity.
• and drawers of water: (וְשֹׁאֲבֵי מַיִם - vesho'avei mayim) From sho'ev (to draw, pull up) and mayim (water). Another physically demanding and humble task. Essential for a large community and for daily life, but typically performed by servants.
• for all the congregation: (לְכָל-הָעֵדָה - lechol ha'edah) Signifies their servitude is not to individuals but to the entire assembly or community of Israel. This underlines the communal nature of their perpetual subservience and marks them as public servants, highlighting their degraded status.
• as the leaders spoke concerning them: (כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבְּרוּ אֲלֵיהֶם הַנְּשִׂיאִים - ka'asher dibberu aleihem hanesi'im) Confirms the decree is consistent with the decision already reached among the leaders (likely from verses 18-20). It reinforces the authority and finality of their collective judgment.

Words-group by words-group analysis

• "hewers of wood and drawers of water": This phrase is a proverbial expression throughout the Near East, denoting the lowest form of laborious servitude, essential yet unglamorous. It signifies a life of ceaseless, menial drudgery and subjugation, a permanent reduction in status. It encapsulates their penalty and ensures their distinction from true Israelites while still contributing to the community.
• "Let them live, but let them be hewers of wood and drawers of water": This powerful statement illustrates a compromise solution driven by divine principle (oath sanctity). While death was avoided, life was granted under terms of abject humility and service. It demonstrates the tension between the command for annihilation and the commitment to an oath.

Joshua 9 21 Bonus section

• The particular roles of "hewers of wood and drawers of water" imply duties often connected with communal provisions, which would eventually link the Gibeonites closely to the service of the Tabernacle and later the Temple (Josh 9:23 clarifies this by stating they would be for the "house of my God"). Their assigned tasks would be crucial for the Levites' operations.
• This specific judgment on the Gibeonites provides a distinct contrast to the integration of Rahab the harlot into Israel. Rahab was integrated through faith and loyalty (Josh 6:25, Heb 11:31), whereas the Gibeonites, having used deceit, were permanently set apart by servitude, even though their lives were spared due to an oath. This illustrates different outcomes based on the nature of one's approach to God's people.
• The incident highlights the dangers of proceeding without divine consultation. While the leaders upheld their oath, the consequences of their initial oversight impacted not only the Gibeonites but also later generations of Israel, as seen in Saul's subsequent violation of this covenant which brought famine upon the land (2 Sam 21:1-9).

Joshua 9 21 Commentary

Joshua 9:21 encapsulates the complex resolution of the Gibeonite deception. It vividly portrays the leaders' difficult position: bound by a hasty, ill-advised oath, yet charged with implementing divine judgment against the Canaanites. Their solution—to spare lives but impose perpetual servitude as "hewers of wood and drawers of water"—was a calculated balance. This penalty served as a perpetual sign of the Gibeonites' deception and Israel's failure to seek God's counsel. It reduced a formerly independent people to a state of humble and burdensome labor, marking their subjugation. More broadly, it emphasizes the absolute sanctity of oaths in the ancient Near East and within God's covenant framework, demonstrating that even a mistaken vow, once given, carried immense weight. It shows God's faithfulness in upholding human integrity even through error.