JosuaKapitel 9

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When all the kings west of the Jordan heard the news — those in the hill country, in the lowlands, and along the whole coast of the Great Sea toward Lebanon: the Hittites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites —

they banded together to make war on Joshua and Israel, with one accord.

But when the people of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai,

they resorted to a ruse of their own. They set out disguised as envoys, with worn-out sacks on their donkeys and old wineskins, cracked and patched together.

They wore worn-out sandals, mended, on their feet, and threadbare clothes, and all the bread they carried was dry and crumbling.

They came to Joshua at the camp at Gilgal and said to him and to the men of Israel, "We have come from a distant land; now make a treaty with us."

But the men of Israel said to the Hivites, "Perhaps you live right among us. How then can we make a treaty with you?"

"We are your servants," they said to Joshua. And Joshua asked them, "Who are you, and where do you come from?"

They answered, "Your servants have come from a very distant land, because of the name of the LORD your God. For we have heard the report of him and of everything he did in Egypt,

and everything he did to the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan — Sihon king of Heshbon and Og king of Bashan, who ruled in Ashtaroth.

So our elders and all the people of our land said to us, 'Take provisions for the journey and go to meet them. Say to them: We are your servants; now make a treaty with us.'

This bread of ours was still warm when we packed it at home on the day we left to come to you. Now look at it — dry and crumbling.

These wineskins were new when we filled them, and now they are split open. And our clothes and sandals are worn out from the great length of the journey."

The men took some of their provisions, but they did not inquire of the LORD.

So Joshua made peace with them and entered into a covenant to let them live, and the leaders of the assembly confirmed it with an oath.

Three days after they had made the treaty with them, Israel learned that these people were their neighbors, living right among them.

So the Israelites set out and on the third day came to their towns: Gibeon, Kephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath Jearim.

But the Israelites did not attack them, because the leaders of the assembly had sworn to them by the LORD, the God of Israel. And the whole assembly grumbled against the leaders.

But all the leaders answered the whole assembly, "We have sworn to them by the LORD, the God of Israel; now we cannot touch them.

This is what we will do with them: we will let them live, so that no wrath comes upon us for breaking the oath we swore to them."

And the leaders said to them, "Let them live." So they became woodcutters and water carriers for the whole assembly, just as the leaders had promised them.

Then Joshua summoned them and said, "Why did you deceive us by saying, 'We live far away from you,' while in fact you live right among us?

Now therefore you are under a curse: you will never cease to serve as woodcutters and water carriers for the house of my God."

They answered Joshua, "Your servants were clearly told how the LORD your God had commanded his servant Moses to give you the whole land and to destroy all its inhabitants before you. So we feared for our lives because of you, and that is why we did this.

We are now in your hands. Do to us whatever seems good and right to you."

So Joshua dealt with them accordingly: he saved them from the hand of the Israelites, and they did not kill them.

That day Joshua made them woodcutters and water carriers for the assembly and for the altar of the LORD — as they still are to this day — at whatever place the LORD would choose.

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Zusammenfassung2

Kapitel 9

Main Theme: The Gibeonites' deception leads to a covenant with Israel that cannot be broken.

Content: When the Gibeonites hear about Israel's victories over Jericho and Ai, they use deception to avoid destruction. They dress in worn-out clothes and carry dry bread to create the impression that they come from a distant land. The Israelites examine their provisions but do not inquire of the Lord, and they make a covenant with them. Three days later, they discover the deceit, but the oath prevents them from killing the Gibeonites. Joshua curses them and makes them woodcutters and water carriers for the congregation and for the altar of the Lord.

Key Words/Images:

Deception (עָרְמָה): The Gibeonites' trickery with worn clothes and dry bread illustrates a desperate instinct for survival.
Covenant (בְּרִית): A binding agreement that Israel must keep even though it was made under false pretenses.
Inquiring of the Lord: The Israelites "did not ask at the mouth of the Lord" (v. 14) – a warning about the consequences of acting without God's guidance.
Woodcutters and Water Carriers: The Gibeonites' permanent service role at the sanctuary as a result of their deception.

Historischer Kontext

Historical and Cultural Context for Joshua 9

People

The Gibeonites were the inhabitants of Gibeon and three associated cities. They are identified as Hivvites (v. 7), one of the seven Canaanite peoples. The Hivvites are mentioned in several places in the Old Testament as a distinct ethnic group in Canaan. The Gibeonites proved to be skilled diplomats who chose survival over military confrontation. Their list of Israelite victories (vv. 9–10) demonstrates that the reputation of God's mighty deeds had spread widely throughout the region—they mention events from Egypt and victories over Sihon and Og, but strategically omit the recent victories at Jericho and Ai to maintain the impression that they came from a distant land.

Places

Gibeon (Hebrew: גִּבְעוֹן) was located about 10 kilometers northwest of Jerusalem, identified with modern-day El-Jib. Archaeological excavations have revealed a significant Bronze Age settlement with an impressive water system. Gibeon was a large city, described in Joshua 10:2 as "one of the royal cities" and "larger than Ai". The four cities in the Gibeonite alliance—Gibeon, Kephirah, Beeroth, and Kirjath-jearim (v. 17)—formed a group in the central highlands and controlled important trade routes. Gilgal (v. 6), where the Israelite camp was located, lay in the Jordan Valley near Jericho and served as the starting point for the conquest.

Events and Customs

The chapter illustrates the binding power of oath-taking (Hebrew: שָׁבַע) in the ancient Near East. When the leaders had sworn "by the Lord, the God of Israel" (vv. 18–19), the oath was unbreakable—even though it was made under false pretenses. Breaking such an oath would bring God's wrath upon the people (v. 20). This understanding of the sanctity of oaths was widespread throughout the ancient Near East.

The expression "hewers of wood and drawers of water" (חֹטְבֵי עֵצִים וְשֹׁאֲבֵי־מַיִם) describes the lowest servant tasks in society. Both duties were physically demanding and typically performed by slaves or members of the lowest social classes. That the Gibeonites were assigned these roles "for the altar of the Lord" (v. 27) meant they became temple servants—a position later formalized as "Nethinim" (temple slaves) in post-exilic times.

Key Terms

The word בְּרִית (berit, "covenant/alliance") is central to the chapter and appears seven times. In an ancient Near Eastern context, a berit was a formal, binding agreement often made between different parties with unequal power positions. The Gibeonites' phrasing "we are your servants" (עֲבָדֶיךָ אֲנָחְנוּ, v. 8) signaled their willingness to submit in exchange for protection—a typical vassal covenant formulation.

The expression "they did not inquire of the Lord" (וְאֶת־פִּי יְהוָה לֹא שָׁאָלוּ, v. 14) likely refers to seeking an oracle through the high priest, either by means of the Urim and Thummim or some other form of divine guidance. This stands in contrast to practices described elsewhere in the book of Joshua and marks a leadership error.

Personen6

And (King of Bashan)1 Joshua7 God1 Sihon (Amorite king)1 Jacob1 Moses1

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Schlüsselwörter7

Gibeonites — A Canaanite tribe that tricked the Israelites into making a peace treaty by pretending to come from a distant land.
Peace treaty — An agreement between two parties in which they promise not to attack each other and to live in peace.
Deceit — The use of fraud or manipulation to achieve a goal, as when the Gibeonites lied about their origin to avoid destruction.
Joshua — The leader of the people of Israel after Moses' death, who led them through the conquest of Canaan.
The Lord — Another name for God, the almighty Creator in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
Servitude — Performing work or services for someone, often without payment. The Gibeonites were forced to serve the Israelites as punishment for their deceit.
Ministers of the sanctuary — People who had responsibility for caring for the sanctuary and carrying out ritual duties. The Gibeonites were made ministers of the sanctuary as a result of their agreement with Joshua.