Joshua Chapter 9

What is the meaning of Joshua 9?

Introduction to Joshua 9

Joshua 9 presents a fascinating account of deception, covenant-making, and the consequences of hasty decisions. This chapter introduces the Gibeonites, who, unlike other Canaanite peoples, chose to seek peace with Israel through clever subterfuge rather than engage in warfare. Their deceptive strategy, Israel’s failure to consult יהוה (Yahweh), and the binding nature of oaths combine to create a narrative rich with spiritual lessons about discernment, integrity, and divine sovereignty. This chapter demonstrates how God can work through human failures to accomplish His purposes, while still holding His people accountable for their decisions.

Context of Joshua 9

Joshua 9 follows directly after the significant military victories at Jericho and Ai, and the covenant renewal ceremony at Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim. These successes had established Israel’s presence in the Promised Land and demonstrated God’s faithfulness to His covenant promises. News of these victories had spread throughout Canaan, creating different responses among the indigenous populations.

Within the broader narrative of Joshua, this chapter represents a strategic shift in the conquest. While most Canaanite kings chose to form military alliances against Israel (as mentioned in the chapter’s opening verses), the Gibeonites pursued a different path through deception. This deviation creates tension in the narrative and establishes a subplot that would impact Israel’s history for generations to come.

The Gibeonite deception also serves as an important counterpoint to the victory at Ai. After experiencing defeat due to Achan’s sin and then victory through careful obedience to divine instruction, Israel now faces a different kind of test – the challenge of discernment and dependence on divine guidance rather than human wisdom. This forms part of the book’s larger pattern of alternating successes and failures that demonstrate the importance of consistent reliance on יהוה.

Ancient Key Word Study

• League/Covenant (בְּרִית, berit) – This foundational concept in Hebrew thought signifies more than a mere agreement; it represents a binding relationship with sacred obligations. The Gibeonite covenant forced Israel into a relationship they would not have chosen, highlighting the sacred inviolability of oaths sworn in God’s name.
• Craftily (בְּעָרְמָה, be’ormah) – Derived from the root meaning “to be shrewd,” this term carries both positive and negative connotations in Scripture. The same root appears in Proverbs’ praise of wisdom, yet here it illustrates how cunning can be employed deceptively. The serpent in Eden used similar craftiness (עָרוּם, arum).
• Peace (שָׁלוֹם, shalom) – Far richer than the absence of conflict, this term encompasses wholeness, completeness, and well-being. The treaty made with the Gibeonites was technically called a “covenant of shalom,” ironically established through deception.
• Mold/Dry/Crumbled (נִקֻּדִים, niqqudim) – Used to describe the Gibeonites’ bread, this rare term appears elsewhere only when describing provisions, emphasizing the centrality of bread as a journey staple and a sign of hospitality in ancient Near Eastern culture.
• Swore (שָׁבַע, shava) – This verb shares its root with the number seven (שֶׁבַע, sheva), reflecting the practice of making oaths seven times or with seven elements. Such linguistic connections emphasize the completeness and absoluteness of the oath made with the Gibeonites.
• Hewers of wood and drawers of water (חֹטְבֵי עֵצִים וְשֹׁאֲבֵי מַיִם, hotevei etzim v’shoavei mayim) – This phrase became a Hebrew idiom for menial labor, but it also connects to essential elements of tabernacle service, suggesting the Gibeonites’ role had both humbling and sacred dimensions.
• Congregation (עֵדָה, edah) – This term for Israel’s community derives from a root meaning “to appoint” or “to designate,” emphasizing Israel’s identity as a called-out assembly with covenant responsibilities, which now faced a collective ethical dilemma.
• Servants (עֶבֶד, eved) – While commonly translated as “slaves,” this term carried complex cultural connotations ranging from property ownership to honored household membership. The Gibeonites’ status reflected a subservient yet protected position within Israel’s covenant community.

Compare & Contrast

• Verse 4: “They acted with cunning” – The Hebrew phrase וַיַּעֲשׂוּ גַם־הֵמָּה בְּעָרְמָה (vaya’asu gam-hemah be’ormah) employs the adverb “also/likewise” (gam), creating an implicit connection with previous deceptions in Scripture. This subtle linguistic choice invites comparison with earlier deceptions, particularly the serpent in Eden.
• Verse 6: “Make a covenant with us” – The phrase כָּרְתוּ־לָנוּ בְרִית (kortu-lanu berit) literally means “cut for us a covenant,” preserving the ancient ritual imagery of cutting animals to establish covenants. This archaic phrasing could have been replaced with simpler terms, but maintains the sacred and blood-bound nature of covenant-making.
• Verse 14: “Did not ask counsel from the LORD” – The text uses וְאֶת־פִּי יְהוָה לֹא שָׁאָלוּ (ve’et-pi Yahweh lo sha’alu), literally “the mouth of Yahweh they did not inquire,” rather than a more general term for consultation. This personification emphasizes the relational dimension of seeking divine guidance rather than merely following procedures.
• Verse 15: “Joshua made peace with them” – The text employs וַיַּעַשׂ לָהֶם יְהוֹשֻׁעַ שָׁלוֹם (vaya’as lahem Yehoshua shalom), literally “Joshua made them shalom,” suggesting not just a cessation of hostilities but an active creation of a new relationship status. This phrase contrasts with military terminology used elsewhere in Joshua.
• Verse 21: “Let them live” – The Hebrew יִחְיוּ (yichyu) uses the most basic term for life rather than more nuanced terms for sparing or preserving, emphasizing the fundamental moral choice between life and death that faced Israel’s leaders.
• Verse 23: “You shall never cease to be slaves” – The phrase לֹא־יִכָּרֵת מִכֶּם עֶבֶד (lo-yikkaret mikkem eved) employs covenant terminology of “cutting off,” ironically using the same root (כָּרַת, karat) as making a covenant to describe the permanent servitude arrangement.
• Verse 27: “The place that he should choose” – The expression אֲשֶׁר יִבְחָר (asher yivchar) employs the classic Deuteronomic phrase for God’s chosen sanctuary, connecting the Gibeonites’ service to the later centralized worship of Israel and anticipating the eventual temple in Jerusalem.

Joshua 9 Unique Insights

The Gibeonites’ strategy reveals an interesting theological perspective from outside Israel. Their deception demonstrates they had accurate knowledge of Israel’s conquests and divine mandate to dispossess Canaan’s inhabitants, yet they recognized a loophole in Israel’s instructions regarding distant peoples (Deuteronomy 20:10-15). This suggests that knowledge of Israel’s God and His commands had spread throughout the region, fulfilling God’s purpose of revealing Himself to the nations even before Israel was fully established in the land.

Jewish tradition offers fascinating perspectives on this incident. The Talmud (Yevamot 79a) notes that the Gibeonites demonstrated three characteristics typical of Israel: they were modest (in acknowledging Israel’s superior position), merciful (seeking peace rather than war), and performed acts of loving-kindness (by risking their lives to save their community). These qualities may explain why they were ultimately preserved and incorporated into Israel.

The binding nature of Israel’s oath, despite being obtained through deception, offers profound insights into biblical ethics. Even though they were deceived, Israel’s leaders refused to break their sworn word because it was made in יהוה’s name. The Midrash Tanchuma observes that God honored this commitment to oath-keeping by defending the Gibeonites against King Saul’s later attempt to eliminate them (2 Samuel 21:1-14), demonstrating that divine ethics transcend situational expediency.

The assignment of the Gibeonites to tabernacle service foreshadows the later role of the Nethinim (temple servants) in Israel’s worship system. Several early Messianic Jewish commentators have noted that this incorporation of Gentiles into Israel’s worship system prefigures the eventual inclusion of all nations into God’s covenant community through the Messiah. The Gibeonites, despite their deception, became an early example of non-Israelites attached to the covenant community and participating in its sacred rituals.

The Gibeonites’ fate to be “hewers of wood and drawers of water” connects to essential elements of purification and sacrifice in tabernacle worship. Water was necessary for ritual cleansing, while wood fueled the altar fires. Thus, what appeared to be menial labor actually placed these former Canaanites in proximity to Israel’s holiest rituals, suggesting that even those in seemingly humble positions can serve essential roles in God’s redemptive purposes.

Joshua 9 Connections to Yeshua

The Gibeonites’ clever maneuver to secure salvation from destruction offers a fascinating parallel to salvation in the Messiah. While the Gibeonites sought physical salvation through deception, we find true salvation through honest confession and faith in Yeshua. Yet both scenarios demonstrate how those under divine judgment can find a way of escape through covenant relationship.

The episode raises profound questions about covenant faithfulness that find their ultimate answer in Yeshua. Israel maintained their oath to the Gibeonites despite deception, showing that God’s people value covenant integrity above convenience or advantage. This principle reaches its zenith in the Messiah, who maintained perfect covenant faithfulness even to death on a cross, honoring God’s promises to humanity despite our sin and rebellion.

The transformation of the Gibeonites from enemies to servants in God’s house foreshadows how Yeshua transforms former enemies into members of God’s household (Ephesians 2:11-22). This incorporation of outsiders into Israel’s community anticipates the Messiah’s work of breaking down dividing walls between peoples and creating one new humanity in Himself.

Joshua 9 Scriptural Echoes

This chapter resonates with the patriarch Jacob’s deceptive acquisition of blessing from Isaac (Genesis 27). In both narratives, deception is used to secure covenant benefits, and in both cases, the oath or blessing, once given, cannot be revoked. The parallel suggests a divine pattern of honoring commitments even when they result from human deception or error.

The Gibeonites’ inclusion in Israel’s community anticipates later prophetic visions of all nations coming to worship Israel’s God. Isaiah’s vision of Egypt and Assyria joining Israel as God’s people (Isaiah 19:24-25) and Zechariah’s prophecy of all nations coming to Jerusalem (Zechariah 14:16) both expand on this theme of incorporation of former enemies into God’s covenant community.

The consequences of failing to consult יהוה echo throughout Scripture. From Saul’s impulsive sacrifice (1 Samuel 13:8-14) to David’s first attempt to move the ark (2 Samuel 6:1-7), Scripture repeatedly warns against acting on human wisdom without divine consultation.

The Gibeonites’ later devotion to Israel is demonstrated dramatically in 2 Samuel 21:1-14, where God sends a famine in response to Saul’s mistreatment of them, showing the enduring nature of the covenant made in Joshua 9 and God’s defense of those who seek refuge under Israel’s protection.

Joshua 9 Devotional

This chapter challenges us to examine our discernment practices. How often do we, like Israel’s leaders, rely on surface appearances rather than seeking God’s guidance? The failure to consult יהוה cost Israel dearly, binding them to an agreement they would not have chosen. In our fast-paced world, the discipline of waiting for divine guidance before making significant decisions becomes increasingly countercultural yet essential.

The binding nature of Israel’s oath, despite being obtained through deception, calls us to reflect on the sacredness of our word. In a culture where commitments are easily broken when they become inconvenient, this chapter reminds us that integrity means honoring our promises even when they come at personal cost. Yeshua echoed this principle when He taught about letting our “yes be yes” (Matthew 5:37).

The Gibeonites’ story also offers hope for those who feel they can only approach God through manipulation or performance. While their deception wasn’t commendable, God’s grace transformed their desperate ploy for survival into a permanent place in His community. This foreshadows how the Messiah receives us not based on our perfect approach but on His perfect mercy, transforming our inadequate attempts at relationship into genuine covenant belonging.

Did You Know

• Archaeological evidence suggests that Gibeon was a significant city-state in ancient Canaan, with impressive water systems and fortifications that match the biblical description of its importance.
• The location of ancient Gibeon has been identified as the modern village of el-Jib, about 6 miles northwest of Jerusalem, where excavations have uncovered numerous wine cellars, indicating it was indeed a major center for wine production as mentioned in Scripture.
• The Gibeonites’ deception eventually led to their integration into Israel’s worship system as the Nethinim (temple servants), who are mentioned throughout later biblical history and continued serving in the Second Temple period.
• The phrase “hewers of wood and drawers of water” became a common Hebrew idiom for menial labor, but archaeological evidence shows these tasks were essential for community survival in the water-scarce hill country of Judea.
• Gibeon later became an important high place for worship before the construction of Solomon’s Temple, with both the Tabernacle and the ancient bronze altar being located there at one point (1 Chronicles 21:29).
• The Gibeonites’ story represents one of the earliest examples in Scripture of non-Israelites being incorporated into Israel’s covenant community, establishing a precedent that would be developed throughout biblical theology.
• Several prominent biblical figures later came from Gibeon, including Ishmaiah, one of David’s mighty men (1 Chronicles 12:4), suggesting that within a few generations, the Gibeonites had been fully integrated into Israelite society.
• The Hebrew oath formula used in this chapter includes raising the hand toward heaven, a gesture still used in many modern judicial systems when swearing to tell the truth.
• The Talmud uses the Gibeonite incident to establish principles regarding oaths, ruling that even a vow made under false pretenses is binding if sworn in God’s name.
• The ancient Near Eastern custom of diplomatic immunity for messengers and envoys forms the cultural backdrop for the Gibeonites’ deceptive approach, explaining why they presented themselves specifically as ambassadors from a distant land.
• The word used for the Gibeonites’ worn-out sandals (בָּלוֹת, balot) is the same word used to describe the miraculous preservation of Israel’s shoes during their forty years in the wilderness (Deuteronomy 29:5), creating an ironic contrast between genuine and fabricated divine provision.