Joshua 9

Joshua 9:3

Gibeon] Gibeon was a great City, a royal City of the Hivites, and all the men mighty, Ch. X. 2. and XI. 19. allotted afterwards to Benjamin; and out of that Tribe to the Priests, Ch. XXI. 13, 17. The Tabernacle, and Altar were here in Davids and Solomons time, 1 Chron. XXI. 20. 2 Chron. I. 3.

David orders the service of it here, 1 Chron. XVI. 30. Solomon sacrificeth at this High Place: God appears to him here: And he brings the Tabernacle, and Altar thence, to the Treasuries of the Temple, 1 King. III. 4. Here Ioshua vanquished the five Kings of the Amorites, Ch. X.

And had the Sunne stand still upon his prayer. Here David smote the Philistines, 1 Chron. XIV. 16. By the poole of Gibeon was that mortal fight between twelve of Abners, and twelve of Ioabs men; whence the place was called the field of strong men in Gibeon. Here Abner in his flight slayeth Asabel the brother of Ioab; And Ioab pursueth Abner by the way of the Wildernesse of Gibeon, 2 Sam. II. 12, 16, 24. and Ch.

III. 30. At the great stone in Gibeon Ioab slew Amasa, his Cousen-german, 2 Sam. XX. 8. And by the great waters that are in Gibeon, Iohanan fighteth, and puts to flight Ishmael, Ier. XLI. 12. The Gibeonites were Hivites, Iosh.

IX. 7. yet called also by the more general name of Amorites, 2 Sam. XXI. 2. They were those which in after-times were called Nethinims, &c. that is, Deodands, given and devoted to that Drudgery, ver. 23, 27. Of whom see 2 Sam. XXI. 2. 1 Chron. IX. 2.

Ezra II. 43, 58, 62, 70. and VII. 7, 24. and VIII. 17, 20. Neh. VII. 46, 60, 73. and X. 28. and XI. 3, 21. Something like to these were those other of these Nations, on whom Solomon did raise a tribute of Bondage, 1 King. IX. 20, 21. Of whom see more on that place.

The Oath and League made with the Gibeonites, and their Cities, ver. 17. though surreptitiously and fraudulently gotten, and also rashly granted, yet seemes in the substance of it to be lawful; otherwise an unlawful Oath should be broken: whereas this was kept with all faithfulnesse; Joshua fighting in their defence, and that by the Lords approbation and encouragement, Ch. X. 7, 8. And this seemes lawful, because they sued for Peace before they were besieged; and willingly submitted to all Conditions, without any reservation of their Lands, Goods, Lawes, Liberties, much lesse of their superstitions and idolatries, (which otherwise might have ensnared the Israelites); but of their Lives onely, and they to be employed in the Israelites service. Cities, and People of other Nations then these, very farre off, might be received upon farre easier termes and conditions. But upon all these Conditions, others of these Nations themselves might have been spared their lives. Yet God in his providence so ordered, That there was not a City that made peace with the Israelities, saving these Hittites of Gibeon onely, and their Cities: All other they took in battel; for it was of the Lord so to harden their hearts, that they might be destroyed, Ch.

XI. 19, 20. And therefore, the Congregation here murmured unjustly (haply through ignorance) against Joshua, and the Princes, for this League and Oath: And Saul was justly punished, and that grievously, in his posterity; and the Land also with famine, many ages after this, because he sought to slay and destroy them from remaining in any of the coasts of Israel, contrary to this League and Oath; though Soul did it in a pretended or wrong zeale to the children of Israel and Judah, 2 Sam. XXI. 1,—6.