Joshua 9:1-15 | The Way of Scripture

Joshua 9:1-15

How do the Gibeonites obtain a treaty through deception?

Berean Standard Bible

1 Now when news of this reached all the kings west of the Jordan—those in the hill country, the foothills, and all along the coast of the Great Sea toward Lebanon (the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites)— 2 they came together to wage war against Joshua and Israel. 3 But the people of Gibeon, having heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai, 4 acted deceptively and set out as envoys, carrying on their donkeys worn-out sacks and old wineskins, cracked and mended. 5 They put worn, patched sandals on their feet and threadbare clothing on their bodies, and their whole supply of bread was dry and moldy. 6 They went to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal and said to him and the men of Israel, “We have come from a distant land; please make a treaty with us.” 7 But the men of Israel said to the Hivites, “Perhaps you dwell near us. How can we make a treaty with you?” 8 “We are your servants,” they said to Joshua. Then Joshua asked them, “Who are you and where have you come from?” 9 “Your servants have come from a very distant land,” they replied, “because of the fame of the LORD your God. For we have heard the reports about Him: all that He did in Egypt, 10 and all that He did to the two kings of the Amorites beyond the Jordan—Sihon king of Heshbon and Og king of Bashan, who reigned in Ashtaroth. 11 So the elders and inhabitants of our land told us, ‘Take provisions for your journey; go to meet them and say to them: We are your servants. Please make a treaty with us.’ 12 This bread of ours was warm when we packed it at home on the day we left to come to you. But look, it is now dry and moldy. 13 These wineskins were new when we filled them, but look, they are cracked. And these clothes and sandals are worn out from our very long journey.” 14 Then the men of Israel sampled their provisions but did not seek the counsel of the LORD. 15 And Joshua made a treaty of peace with them to let them live, and the leaders of the congregation swore an oath to them.

What is the context?

While other kings join forces against Israel, Gibeon seeks another way to survive. Its envoys bring worn clothing, patched wineskins, and moldy bread to support their claim to have traveled from a distant country.

Israel raises the possibility that they are actually neighbors. The envoys answer with reports of the Lord’s acts in Egypt and against Sihon and Og, presenting their request as a response to His fame. Their props and story are designed to make the distance seem credible.

The leaders sample the provisions but do not seek the Lord’s counsel. Joshua makes peace and promises to let them live, and the leaders swear an oath. The narrator explicitly identifies the failure to inquire of the Lord, so the apparent evidence is not the whole issue.

How is this passage commonly understood?

Wesley notes the envoys’ selective mention of earlier events and stresses the leaders’ rashness. The USCCB cross-references connect the failure to inquire with the earlier provision for seeking the Lord’s direction. The lesson does not require imagining that sincere prayer always yields an audible answer or that a person may ignore evidence in favor of a private impression.

What is our position?

We don't have a position on this passage yet. When our study reaches a conclusion the text supports, it will appear here.

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