Joshua 9:6 kjv
And they went to Joshua unto the camp at Gilgal, and said unto him, and to the men of Israel, We be come from a far country: now therefore make ye a league with us.
Joshua 9:6 nkjv
And they went to Joshua, to the camp at Gilgal, and said to him and to the men of Israel, "We have come from a far country; now therefore, make a covenant with us."
Joshua 9:6 niv
Then they went to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal and said to him and the Israelites, "We have come from a distant country; make a treaty with us."
Joshua 9:6 esv
And they went to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal and said to him and to the men of Israel, "We have come from a distant country, so now make a covenant with us."
Joshua 9:6 nlt
When they arrived at the camp of Israel at Gilgal, they told Joshua and the men of Israel, "We have come from a distant land to ask you to make a peace treaty with us."
Joshua 9 6 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Exo 23:32 | “You shall make no covenant with them... | Command against covenants with land inhabitants. |
| Exo 34:15-16 | "Lest you make a covenant... and you eat... take some of their daughters" | Prohibition against covenant to prevent idolatry. |
| Deut 7:2 | "and when the LORD your God gives them over to you, you shall conquer them" | Command for total conquest, no alliances. |
| Deut 20:16-18 | "But in the cities of these peoples that the LORD your God gives you... you" | Command for total destruction of Canaanites. |
| Jos 9:1 | "When all the kings who were beyond the Jordan... heard of this," | Setting: Canaanite kings react to Israel's victories. |
| Jos 9:14 | "So the men of Israel took some of their provisions; but they did not..." | Israel's failure to inquire of God, leading to error. |
| Jos 9:15 | "And Joshua made peace with them and made a covenant with them..." | The result of their deception: a binding treaty. |
| Jos 11:19-20 | "There was not a city that made peace with the people of Israel except..." | Divine hardening of hearts, showing Gibeonites were an exception. |
| Num 27:21 | "And he shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall inquire for him..." | The standard practice of seeking God's will through the Urim and Thummim. |
| Prov 3:5-6 | "Trust in the LORD with all your heart... acknowledge him, and he will..." | Emphasizes seeking divine guidance over self-reliance. |
| Jer 17:5-6 | "Cursed is the man who trusts in man... turns his heart away from the..." | Warns against relying solely on human judgment. |
| Ps 15:4 | "who swears to his own hurt and does not change;" | Emphasizes the integrity of keeping oaths, even difficult ones. |
| Ecc 5:4-5 | "When you vow a vow to God, do not delay paying it... it is better not..." | The seriousness of vows and oaths. |
| Matt 5:33-37 | "But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all... Let what you say be simply" | Christ's teaching on the integrity of speech and oaths. |
| 2 Sam 21:1-2 | "Now there was a famine in the days of David for three years... " | Consequences of breaking the Gibeonite treaty later by Saul. |
| Psa 24:4 | "He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul..." | On integrity and not swearing deceitfully. |
| Zech 8:16-17 | "Speak the truth to one another... execute true judgment... love no false" | Command for truthfulness and not plotting evil. |
| Phil 2:3 | "Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others" | Principles of selflessness contrasted with the Gibeonites' deceit. |
| 2 Cor 11:13-15 | "For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves" | Spiritual deception appearing as good, like Gibeonites' false appearance. |
| Rom 16:18 | "For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites," | Warning against those who use smooth talk and flattery to deceive. |
| 1 Cor 10:11 | "Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written" | Old Testament events as warnings for believers today. |
Joshua 9 verses
Joshua 9 6 Meaning
Joshua 9:6 describes the cunning approach of the Gibeonite delegation to Joshua and the leaders of Israel at their base camp in Gilgal. Their opening statement, a strategic falsehood claiming origin from a far-off land, sets the stage for their deceptive request to establish a binding covenant or treaty with Israel. This plea was a direct attempt to circumvent God's clear command against making such alliances with the inhabitants of Canaan.
Joshua 9 6 Context
Joshua 9 takes place immediately after decisive Israelite victories at Jericho and Ai, establishing Israel's formidable reputation and generating fear among the Canaanite kings (Jos 9:1-2). God had commanded Israel not to make any covenant or treaty with the inhabitants of Canaan, but rather to utterly destroy them (Deut 7:2, 20:16-18). The city of Gilgal, Israel's initial base camp after crossing the Jordan River, served as the primary command center and sacred space where important decisions were made, circumcision was performed, and the Passover was observed. It was from this central location that Joshua and the elders operated, and to which the Gibeonites brought their elaborate deception, highlighting a critical moment where Israel’s reliance on outward appearances led to a breach of divine instruction.
Joshua 9 6 Word analysis
- So they came: The "they" refers to the Gibeonites, representatives from the major Hivite city of Gibeon, who strategically chose to present themselves to Israel's leadership. This signifies an intentional and deliberate move on their part.
- to Joshua: The primary leader and God-appointed successor to Moses, holding authority. He was the key decision-maker whom the Gibeonites targeted for their deception.
- at the camp: Refers to machaneh (מַחֲנֶה), meaning "encampment" or "army." This indicates the military headquarters of Israel.
- in Gilgal: Gilgal (גִּלְגָּל), a significant historical and spiritual site for Israel, their first permanent base camp in Canaan, emphasizing the centrality of the deception's target.
- and said to him: Direct communication, indicating a formal address to Joshua.
- "We have come": The start of their carefully crafted fabrication.
- "from a distant country": eretz rachok (אֶרֶץ רָחוֹק). Eretz means "land" or "country," and rachok means "far" or "distant." This was the central lie designed to justify their request for a treaty, as God’s command to destroy applied specifically to nearby Canaanite peoples, while treaties with genuinely distant nations were permitted under certain conditions (Deut 20:10-15). Their physical appearance (worn clothes, stale food) supported this falsehood.
- "now make a treaty with us": karat berit (כָּרַת בְּרִית). Karat means "to cut," and berit means "covenant" or "treaty." The phrase literally means "to cut a covenant," reflecting the ancient Near Eastern practice of ratifying treaties by cutting animals into pieces and passing between them (e.g., Gen 15:9-10). This was not a casual agreement but a solemn, binding oath with profound legal and spiritual implications, invoking divine witness and severe consequences for violation.
Words-group by words-group analysis:
- "So they came to Joshua at the camp in Gilgal and said to him": This entire phrase establishes the Gibeonites' proactive and formal approach to the highest authority of Israel at their strategic headquarters, underscoring the premeditation of their plan. They directly engaged with the decision-makers.
- "We have come from a distant country; now make a treaty with us": This complete statement presents the Gibeonites' calculated premise (fake distant origin) leading to their desired outcome (a binding covenant). The link between their feigned geographical isolation and their request for peace and an alliance was crucial to bypassing God’s divine injunctions against covenants with Canaanites within the promised land.
Joshua 9 6 Bonus section
The Gibeonites' fear-driven deception demonstrates a form of "faith" or shrewdness in acknowledging the power of Yahweh and Israel's divine backing, contrasting sharply with the futile military resistance of other Canaanite nations. While not a covenant of grace, it allowed the Gibeonites to survive, albeit as perpetual servants—woodcutters and water carriers—for the congregation and the altar (Jos 9:23, 27). This outcome, though initiated through human error and deception, could be seen, from a broader divine perspective, as an indirect, if unusual, means for a non-Israelite group to be brought into proximity with the tabernacle worship, showcasing that even unintended human actions can contribute to divine plans. Their deception effectively secured them a continued existence when utter destruction was their appointed fate by divine command.
Joshua 9 6 Commentary
Joshua 9:6 is pivotal as it marks the turning point where the Israelites, previously victorious under God's explicit guidance, fall prey to a clever stratagem. The Gibeonites, unlike other Canaanite cities who prepared for battle, understood the specific nature of Israel's divine commission against the immediate inhabitants. By fabricating a story of distant origins, corroborated by tangible but misleading evidence, they appealed to the permitted policy regarding non-Canaanite nations. The essence of the Israelite failure, to be fully detailed in subsequent verses, lies in their immediate acceptance of the Gibeonites' outward appearance and plausible tale, without resorting to their primary source of guidance: "inquiring of the LORD" (Jos 9:14). This verse highlights the danger of relying on human judgment, even when leaders are well-intentioned. The covenant forged, though deceitfully initiated, was considered binding before God due to the sacredness of an oath, resulting in long-term implications for both Israel and the Gibeonites.
- Example: A quick decision based on limited information or external appearance can lead to unexpected and binding consequences.
- Example: Trusting what appears to be a good opportunity without first seeking divine wisdom.