Joshua 9:23 kjv
Now therefore ye are cursed, and there shall none of you be freed from being bondmen, and hewers of wood and drawers of water for the house of my God.
Joshua 9:23 nkjv
Now therefore, you are cursed, and none of you shall be freed from being slaves?woodcutters and water carriers for the house of my God."
Joshua 9:23 niv
You are now under a curse: You will never be released from service as woodcutters and water carriers for the house of my God."
Joshua 9:23 esv
Now therefore you are cursed, and some of you shall never be anything but servants, cutters of wood and drawers of water for the house of my God."
Joshua 9:23 nlt
May you be cursed! From now on you will always be servants who cut wood and carry water for the house of my God."
Joshua 9 23 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 9:25 | "Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants..." | Proto-type curse of servitude. |
| Lev 27:28 | "...devoted thing... shall be most holy to the LORD." | Allusion to dedicated things to God. |
| Num 3:9 | "You shall give the Levites... for the tabernacle..." | Example of specific duties in the Tabernacle. |
| Deut 23:3 | "No Ammonite or Moabite may enter the assembly of the LORD..." | Prohibition contrasting with Gibeonites' unique access via service. |
| Deut 27:26 | "Cursed be anyone who does not confirm the words of this law..." | Covenant curses for disobedience. |
| Deut 29:10-11 | "...your woodcutters and your drawers of water..." | Foreshadowing of non-Israelites serving in this capacity. |
| Josh 9:15 | "...made a covenant with them to let them live..." | Context of the binding covenant despite deception. |
| Josh 9:20 | "...do this to them: let them live, lest wrath be upon us..." | Emphasizes keeping the oath. |
| Josh 11:19 | "No city made peace with the people of Israel..." | The Gibeonites' exception to Israel's conquests. |
| Josh 23:7 | "...swear by the name of their gods..." | Contrast with Israel's solemn oaths by Yahweh. |
| Judg 21:18 | "We swore to them by the LORD..." | Demonstrates ongoing sanctity of oaths. |
| 1 Sam 7:6 | "...drew water and poured it out before the LORD..." | Water drawing as an act of humble service. |
| 1 Kgs 8:41-43 | "Likewise, when a foreigner... hears of your great name..." | Foreigners could serve or worship God from afar. |
| Ezra 2:43 | "The Nethinim... the servants of the temple..." | Descendants performing temple service, potentially Gibeonites. |
| Neh 7:46 | "The Nethinim..." | Continuation of temple servants from Ezra's time. |
| Pss 84:10 | "...I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God..." | Humility in temple service. |
| Isa 56:3 | "Let not the foreigner who has joined himself to the LORD say..." | God's acceptance of humble foreigners into His service. |
| Jer 27:12 | "Bring your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him..." | Example of imposed servitude. |
| Rom 6:18 | "...and having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness." | Spiritual parallel of servitude to God. |
| Rom 12:1 | "present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship." | Principle of wholehearted service to God. |
| Eph 6:6 | "...as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart..." | Christian servitude rooted in the heart. |
Joshua 9 verses
Joshua 9 23 Meaning
This verse pronounces a lasting curse upon the Gibeonites for their deception of Israel's leaders. It condemns them to perpetual servitude as cutters of wood and drawers of water specifically for the tabernacle or, in later times, the temple – "the house of my God." This outcome serves as a divine judgment for their falsehood, yet it is also a merciful alternative to their total annihilation, providing them a continued, albeit subordinate, existence within the context of serving the God of Israel.
Joshua 9 23 Context
Joshua chapter 9 narrates the cunning deception of the Gibeonites. While other Canaanite nations united to fight Israel, the Gibeonites disguised themselves, feigning a long journey from a distant land to make a covenant of peace. Joshua and the leaders of Israel, neglecting to consult the LORD, made an oath with them, allowing them to live. Three days later, the deception was discovered when Israel reached their nearby cities. Breaking a covenant made in God's name was unthinkable, as it would bring divine wrath (Josh 9:20). Thus, as a compromise between the oath of life and God's command for the complete annihilation of Canaanites (the herem), Joshua declared the Gibeonites would live, but perpetually as slaves assigned to the most menial and labor-intensive tasks associated with the sanctuary. This judgment, specified in verse 23, underscored the sanctity of oaths, the consequences of deceit, and also provided a unique form of limited grace.
Joshua 9 23 Word analysis
- Now therefore: This phrase acts as a definitive legal or pronouncement connector, indicating a binding consequence directly flowing from the recently discovered deception. It signifies that the decision being made is the logical and righteous outcome of the preceding events.
- you are cursed (אָרוּר - arur): The Hebrew word arur denotes a state of exclusion from blessing, under divine disfavor, implying misfortune or suffering as a result of transgression. It's not merely human condemnation but a pronouncement from a higher authority, sealing their fate. It signifies a profound, long-lasting alienation from a favored status, binding them to negative outcomes.
- and some of you shall never cease (לֹא־יִכָּרֵת לָכֶם - lo-yikkarēt lāḵem): The phrase "never cease" emphasizes the perpetual, enduring nature of the curse. Lōʾ yikkarēt literally means "it shall not be cut off" for you, indicating an unbroken lineage or continuity of their condition through generations. This is not a temporary penalty but an enduring decree.
- to be slaves (עֲבָדִים - avadim): From the root 'eved, meaning servant or slave. While 'eved can sometimes refer to a high official or voluntary servant, here it signifies forced, subservient labor due to their deceit and a judicial sentence. It indicates a permanent status of subjection.
- cutters of wood (חֹטְבֵי עֵצִים - chotvei etzim): Refers to those who fell trees and chop firewood. This was a physically demanding and essential, yet low-status, task needed for various purposes including construction, warmth, and crucially, for the sacrifices at the altar where a continuous fire was required.
- and drawers of water (וְשֹׁאֲבֵי מַיִם - v'shoavei mayim): Those who fetch and carry water. This was another physically demanding and lowly task, vital for personal consumption, cleaning, and especially for the purification rites and washing rituals associated with the Tabernacle/Temple. These tasks underline the menial, laborious, and foundational nature of their service.
- for the house of my God (בֵּית אֱלֹהַי - bêt ʾĔlōhay): "House" refers to the dwelling place of the LORD, specifically the Tabernacle at that time, and later the Temple in Jerusalem. "My God" asserts Joshua's position as God's representative and highlights the divine origin of the decree. This phrase elevates the nature of their servitude from mere secular slavery to a specific form of religious service. Although performing basic tasks, their labor directly supported the worship and sacred activities centered around the Divine Presence in Israel, intertwining their judgment with a peculiar form of service to the True God. This makes their curse a dedicated public service, perhaps setting it apart from common slavery.
Joshua 9 23 Bonus section
The Gibeonites, through this judgment, were eventually known as the Nethinim, a group specifically mentioned in Ezra and Nehemiah as temple servants, descendants fulfilling these very duties. This demonstrates the long-term impact and fulfillment of this curse, spanning centuries. This unique resolution highlights a complex interplay of God's commands (the herem against Canaanites) with the sanctity of an oath. It underscores that honoring vows made in the LORD's name takes precedence, even when secured under false pretenses. This arrangement allowed the Gibeonites to physically remain within the land but without autonomous rights, performing a continuous service essential to the national cult, preventing their total destruction and, in a sense, giving them a purpose within God's people, even if a subordinate one.
Joshua 9 23 Commentary
Joshua 9:23 establishes the Gibeonites' unique perpetual status as a consequence of their deceitful covenant. Though under a curse, their servitude as "cutters of wood and drawers of water" was uniquely directed "for the house of my God." This outcome showcases God's covenant faithfulness; even though the oath was secured by human error and deceit, it could not be broken. Therefore, a judgment was imposed that balanced divine justice for their falsehood with divine mercy, as it spared them from the standard herem command of total destruction. Their labor, though menial, was vital to the Tabernacle/Temple functions, thus integrating them into the sacred rhythm of Israelite life in a distinct, subordinate, but consecrated manner. It serves as a reminder of the gravity of vows made before God and the far-reaching implications of deceit, while also revealing God's ability to orchestrate His purposes even amidst human shortcomings and provide grace within judgment.