Joshua 9
PATVer. I. ^jLND it came to pass, when all the kings which were ow this side Jordan, in the hills, and ifi the valleys, and in all the coasts of the great sea. By the great sea, is meant the Mediterranean; where those people, peculiarly called Canaanites, dwelt, as hath been observed. And the Amorites seem to have been the principal inhabitants of the hilly country, in the south of Judea. (See on Dent. i. 7. 19, 20.) Over against Lebanon.] The LXX and the: Vulgar understand this, as if he spake of those that dwelt near Lebanon. The Hittite, and the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebnsitc] Thus they are reckoned up in Deut. xx. 17. where the Girgashites are omitted, as they are here. * (See an account of it in my notes upon that place: and on chap. xvi. of this book, ver. 10.)’ Heard thereof] Of the taking of Jericho and Ai: for what is said, in the words immediately foregoing, concerning the Israelites meeting at Mount Ebal, is not inserted as a thing wherein these nations were concerned.
Joshua 9:2
That they gathered themselves together, to fight with’ Joshua and ivith Israel. They entered into a confederacy to oppose Joshua’s farther progress in the conquest of their country. But they did not gather themselves to battle, till they heard what Gibeon “had doilc. * • UiylllZQO Dy With one accord.] The whole country were unanimous in that resolution: and thereupon* rejected the summons which Joshua had sent them to surrender themselves and their cities to him. • •• i \
Joshua 9:3
And when the inhabitants ofGibeon. Or, But when, &c. Gibeon w T as a city in the mountainous country; for we read afterward of a high place at Gibeon. Heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and to Ai.] They being Hivites (ver. 7.) had at the first rejected the offers of peace which Joshua sent them, as the rest of their nation (ver. 1.) had done. But hearing that Joshua had taken Jericho and Ai, and destroyed all their inhabitants, they repented of that resolution; and consulted how they might, by some means or other, make their peace with the Israelites; *
Joshua 9:4
And they did workwilily. It being too late to surrender their city to Joshua Upon such terms, as he is supposed to have offered (for there was no mercy to be shewn them, after they had stood out against the three proclamations, which the Jews say were made to them), they contrived how to put a fallacy upon the Israelites, and by craft and cunning procure their favour. (See my annotations on Deut. xx. 10/11.) And went.] They chose some from among them, who went in the name of the rest, towards the camp of Israel.. And made as if they had been ambassadors,] Pretending that they w r ere sent upon an embassy to them, from a far country; as they affirmed, ver. G. ’ And took old sacks upon their asses] Wherein was their provision. And wine-bottles, old, and rent, and bound up.] “Where* they wore rent.
Joshua 9:5
And old shoes clouted’upon their feet. As if they had been worn out, and patched up, with long travel. And old garments upon them; and alt the bread of their provision was dry and mouldy.] It is observed by Anus Montanus, that nothing is said of the decay of their wine: which they pretended, it is likely, to have drank all up, in so long a journey. For it was not so easy to procure sour wine’as mouldy bread. -
Joshua 9:6
And they went to Joshua unto the camp at Gilgal, and said unto him, and to the men of Israel. They addressed themselves to him, as the head of the people; and he had his council about him: who, in all probability, are here called the men of Israel. Though some conceive, that they had laid* hold of every ono they met withal, and beseeched them to admit them to their friendship. We are come from afar country.] To sue to you for your friendship. Now therefore make ye a league with us.] As they might do with those that accepted the offers of peace, which they sent them, (Deut. xx. 11.) and therefore much more with those who came to seek to be at peacewith them: and were not inhabitants of the land of Canaan, but came from a far. country; which they gave as a reason, why they should make a league with them. And, 1 indeed, they had been to blame, if they had denied their petition: as the’Romans were, who, when they were grown great, refused to receive a remotd nation into their protection (asAppian tells us), who by their ambassadors ^submitted themselves to their power j because they did not see they were likely to get any thing by them. Which Bodinus (in his book against Malestretf Vff VI v^wVr * I V-^ CHAP. IX.] UPON JOSHUA. tus de Caritate Rerum) censures as a base action, and injurious to Almighty God. " As if (saith he) the majesty of ruling and administering justice, especiallyto miserable and ill-instructed people, Avere not the greatest gift of God; and the highest honour of which a man is capable in this world.”
Joshua 9:7
And the men of Israel said. This shews that the men of Israel beforemcntioned, were not ordinary persons, but such as had authority to treat with ambassadors. Unto the Hivites.] Unto those who came from Gibeon, who were really Hivites, as is expressly, said, xi. 19. Peradventure you dwell among ns.] Are some of the people of this land; which are commanded to rout out. And how shall ice make a league with you?] Then it is utterly unlawful for us to do what you desire: for God hath often forbidden it. (Exod. xxiii. 32, 33. xxxiv. 12 — 16. •Deut. vii.2, 3, &c. and other places.)
Joshua 9:8
And they said unto Joshua. With’whom alone they had a desire to tr6at. We are thy servants.] This doth not signify that they were ready to yield themselves to be tributaries to the Israelites, or accept of any terms that should be imposed on them: but are only expressions of great humility and civility; acknowledging the Israelites to be superior in power and strength, and therefore desiring their protection in their Jibercies. Thus Abraham addressed himself to the travellers, whom ho entertained as greater persons than himself, -(Gen. xviii. 3, 4.) And Jacob calls himself and his household the servants of Esau, (Gen. xxx. 20.) And thus Batricides understood their language here; who says the king of Gibeon wrote a letter to Joshua, wherein he desired security from him; and presented him with great gifts, as Hottinger observes in his Smegma Orientale, cap. 8. p. 507. -..-■- And Joshua said unto them, Who are ye? and from whence come ye?] They being backward to name the country from whence they were sent; it begat a reasonable suspicion in Joshua, that they were some of the people of Canaan.
Joshua 9:9
And they said nnto him, From a very far country thy servants are come. They still avoid giving a particular •account of their country, but answer-in general terms; in which commonly lies deceit. Becauseofthenameofthe Lord thy God.] To divert him from pressing them to give a more satisfactory answer, they pretend religion had invited them to take this long journey: which they knew would procure them a favourable audience. For we have heard of the fame of him, &c] Of his miraculous works, particularly those which he did to deliver them from the Egyptian slavery; which, as it is, evident, were come to their knowledge: so it is very reasonable to believe such wonderful things were the motives that made them seek for the Israelites’ friendship; they being wrought upon, as Rahab was, to embrace their religion.'
Joshua 9:10
And all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites that tvere beyond Jordan, to Sihon king of Heslibon, and to Og king of Bashan, which was at Ashtaroth. They say not a word of the drying up of Jordan, and of the taking of Jericho and Ai: but prudently conceal their knowledge of those things, because they would have it supposed the tidings of those wonders could not yet be arrived at a country so far off, as.theypretended theirs to be.
Joshua 9:11
Wherefore our elders. The principal persons in their country: who were the rulers and governors of it. And all the inhabitants of our country.] With the unanimous consent of all the people. Spake to us, saying, Take victuals ivith yon for the journey.] Made choice of us for this embassy; and ordered us to provide ourselves with necessaries for so long a journey. And go to meet them.] To prevent the Israelites from entertaining any hostile intentions against them. And say unto them, We are your servants: therefore now make ye a league with us.] The Samaritan Chronicle saith, they had orders to tell Joshua that they would embrace the Jewish religion; and refuse nothing, great or small, that he should desire of them. J And, indeed, “one would think, by what they said before, that they had a sense of the God of Israel, as superior to all other gods: and consequently, were disposed to become worshippers of him,,For which reason he was pleased to dispose things so, that, by their wiles, they should compass their end, and be entertained into the friendship of the Israelites.
Joshua 9:12
This our bread we took hot for our provision out of our houses. When it was newly come out of the oven. On the day we came forth to go unto you; but now, behold, it is dry, audit is mouldy^] This they say to demonstrate that they came from a country far distant from Canaan. Which, though it was not true, yet there are those (particularly Puffendorf) who think it was riot culpable, nor properly a lie; being a device to save their lives. For who will reprehend a person (saith he)/ who by a fiction preserves himself from being killed by an enemy? especially in such a case as this, wherein the Israelites suffered no damage by their craft? for what loss doth he sustain who is hindered from shedding another man’s blood, but hath it in his power to despoil him of all he hath, and bring him into perpetual servitude, so disarmed and weakened that he can never rise up against him? Thus he. Which is a doctrine that ought not to be allowed. Ver. 13; And these bottles of wine which we filled were new; and, behold, they be rent: and these garments and our shoes are become old by reason of the very long journey.] They use thus many words, to divert him from making any farther inquiry, what the name of their country was (lest some among the Israelites, who had many strangers in their camp, should have been able to disprove them), and mention only the long time they had spent in their journey, that he might be moved to be kind unto those who had taken so much pains to beg the favour of the Israelites.
Joshua 9:14
And the men. That is, the persons mentioned ver. 7. who were the ol apx° VT ^ (as the LXX. here say), the princes or rulers of Israel. • Took of their victuals.] Not to eat them, but to inspect and examine them, whether their provision was so Wry -and mouldy as they pretended. For the word we translate victuals, is the very same with that we before translate provision, (vcri 5.) Which shews he doth not speak of victuals now prepared, but which they brought along with thcm. Some, indeed, think the meaning is, that they entered into a league with the Gibeonites; by tasting their victual. But as this must suppose that they had made a feast for the entertainment of these* princes, and invited § Vw * Wl WW^Sf ft ^iSS A’ COMMENTARY [chap. IX, them to it (which is altogether unlikely), so the making a league with them follows after this, in the next verse, and therefore was not made by taking of their victuals. And asked not coiutsel of the mouth of the Lord.’] These words may seem to favour the sense now mentioned; that by eating with them (which was a token of friendship) they had performed part of the ceremony which belonged to the making of leagues, without consulting the Divine Majesty about it, but hastily believing an improbable story. (See Gen. xxvi. 30, 31. xxxi. 44, 45.) But the meaning of these words may be no more than this; that they depended wholly upon their own judgment, and that founded on such slight examination of the truth, as only taking their victuals into their hands, and inspecting them, when God was near at hand to give them advice if they would have consulted him; and, it is probable, would have allowed them to make a league with the Gibeonites on such conditions as he directed.
Joshua 9:15
And Joshua made peace with them. Following the opinion of the princes; who took them to be what they pretended. And made a league tvith them, to let them live.’] Not merely to spare their lives (which, supposing them to belong to a far country, they had no warrant to take away), but to let them continue in the enjoyment of all they had. For to live, in Scripture, signifies to be happy; and therefore he promised not to hurt, but to protect them in their rights and liberties. And the princes of the congregation sware vnto them.] Ratified the league by a solemn oath: the violation of which, in future times, was severely punished, (2 Sam. xxii. G.)
Joshua 9:16
And it came to pass, at the end of three days after they had made a league tvith them, that they heard t tltat they were their neighbours, and that they dwelt among them. Speedy news being sent by the pretended ambassadors to Gibeon of their good success (as we may well think), there were great rejoicings made there, as Arius Montanus supposes. The report of which came to the Israelites three days after the league was concluded.
Joshua 9:17
And the children of Israel journeyed. Not the whole body of the people, but a party was sent to understand the truth.’, And came unto their cities on the third day.] On the third day after they began their inarch thither. Now their cities were Gibeon, and Chephirah, and Beeroth, and Kirjath-jearim.] The capital city was Gibeon, (called a royal city, x. 2.) upon which the other three were dependents. The three first of which fell afterward to the tribe of Benjamin, (xviii. 25, 26.) as the last was in the tribe of Judah, (xv. GO.).
Joshua 9:18
And the children of Israel smote them not. Though they were not such as they supposed, but Canaanites, ^ho were under the curse of God; yet they did not destroy them, for the reason following. Because the princes of the congregation had sworn unto.them by the Lord God of Israel.] Some think their oath’did not bind them, because it was made upon a false supposition, that the Gibeonites were no part of the seven nations of Canaan. But if this were true, as it is not, (see Grotius, de Jure Belli et Pacis, lib. ii. cap. 13. sect. 4.) the princes judged right, that it had been very scandalous, and would have highly dishonoured the name of God, by whom they had sworn, if they had broken their oath. By the keeping of which, the reverence which the Gibeonites had already to the Divine Majesty was very much increased; whereas it had been vile in all people’s eyes, if the Israelites had not expressed this great regard unto it. And all the congregation murmured against the princes.] Or, But all the congregation murtnured, &c. because they were hereby deprived of the spoil of those cities. Ver<19. But all the princes said unto all the congregation.] Their unanimity in this opinion was of great moment to quiet the people’s discontent. We have sworn unto them by the Lord God of Israel.] Especially since they had engaged themselves, by a solemn oath, to their great and glorious Lord, who fought for them, and gave them all their victories, (ver. 13, 14.) For so the Targuril here expounds these words, We have sworn by the Word of the Lord God of Israel. Now, therefore, we vxaxj not touch them.] That is, do them any hurt; which we cannot do without breaking our oath, and forfeiting his favour.,
Joshua 9:20
Tins we will do unto them, we will even let them live. As they had covenanted, ver. 15. Ijest wrath be upon us, because of the oath which we sware unto them.] Lest God be very angry with us for breaking our oath. Which Joshua, as St. Ambrose observes, religiously observed, " Ne, dum alienam perfidiam arguit, suam fidem solveret,” that he might not be guilty of so shameful a thing as to break his faith, whilst he reproved their perfidiousness. (Lib. iii. de Officiis, cap. 10.)
Joshua 9:21
And the princes said unto them. But they added this. Let them live.] Though we let them live, because we must be as good as our word, which is the meaning of the last words of this verse (which must be joined with these), as the princes had promised them. But let them be hewers of wood, and drawers of water.] Yet they shall not be equal to us in all privileges, but we.will make them in some sort serviceable to tis; in such employments as will save us a great deal of labour. Unto all the congregation.] They were not to be hewers of wood, and drawers of water, for every private person, but for the benefit of the whole congregation of Israel, who were bound to find wood and water for the service of God at thetabernacle. Which burden it was now resolved should be laid upon the Gibeonites; and thereby the children of Israel eased of it, ver. 23. where they are said to be made hewers of wood and drawers of water for the house of the Lord. This was no breach of their oath, for they did not make them absolutely slaves, but only a sacred kind of servants (as Josephus calls them), being employed about the house of God, which, was in itself honourable, and not base and contemptible. Some think they weie afterward called Nethinhn, which signifies persons given to God for his service; of whom we read in 1 Chron. ix. 2. Ezra viii. 20. and other places.
Joshua 9:22
And Joshua called for them. For the ambassadors, with whom he had made a league. And he spake unto them, saying, Wherefore have ye beguiled us, &c] Imposed upon our belief by a false story.
Joshua 9:23
Now therefore ye are cursed. Notwithstanding our oath, you must not quite escape that curse of God i VMS Wl CHAP, IX,] UPON JOSHUA. which hath long lain upon all the people of Canaan, part of which you are. For a servile state of any sort, to which they were reduced, was no small punishment (called here a curse), and so much the more grievous, because it was to be perpetual. And there shall none of you be freed from being bondmen.’] None of them were to continue freemen, but have a servitude imposed upon them: not, indeed, such an one as made them entire slaves, but only condemned them to the laborious employment which here follows. And hewers of wood, and drawers of water, for the house of my God.] This is the limitation of their servitude; which did not extend to all things, but only to these and such-like (it is probable); to hew stones, for instance, for the reparation of the temple after it was built, and to carry them to those who were employed in that work. Grotius hath well expressed their condition, " Addicti sunt personali cuidam servituti,” they were addicted to certain personal servitude; whereas, if they had dealt plainly and openly with the Israelites, they might have been admitted only to pay a certain tribute, (Lib, ii. de Jure Belli et Pacis, cap. 13, sect. 4. n. 3.)
Joshua 9:24
And they answered Joshua, and said, Because it was certainly told thy servants, how that the Lord thy God commanded his servant Moses to give you all the land, and to destroy all its inhabitants, therefore we were sore afraid of our lives because of you, and have done this thing.] They first give an answer unto Joshua’s demand, Wherefore have ye beguiled us? “Which” was done to save themselves, if they could, by any shift, from that destruction which they believed God had decreed against all the inhabitants of their land; and they did not know how to evade it; but by this artifice; which, since it arose from some degree of faith, God suffered to take effect, that they might remain for ever among the Israelites, as an unquestionable witness of their miraculous conquest of the land of Canaan, ■.'
Joshua 9:25
And now, behold, we are in thy hand: as it seemeth good and right unto thee to do unto us, do. Here they humbly submit to the doom he hadpassed upon them, or to any other imposition he should think fit to load them withal, Ver. 2G. And so he did unto them, and delivered them out of the hand of the children of Israel, that they slew them not.] But Joshua would take no farther advantage of their submission, but contented himself with this burden alone; which, by a public decree, he laid upon them. It appears by this, that some gentiles had more goodness in them than many of the children of Israel; who would have destroyed these well-disposed people (if Joshua had not hindered) who were better believers, being struck with a greater fear -of God’s thrcatcnings than themselves.
Joshua 9:27
And Joshua made them that day hewers of wood, and drawers of water. He passed this sentence into a law; that, from henceforth, they should be subject to this servitude; in which they served God faithfully even to the times of Nehcmiah: who tells us great numbers of the Nethinims (who many great men make no doubt were of the posterity of these Gibconites) returned from Babylon to rebuild Jerusalem and the temple, (Nehem. vii. 46, &C.73.) For the congregation, and for the altar of the Lord, even unto (his day.] They served the congregation (who otherwise must themselves have done it) by serving the altar with wood and with water. Which, that they might do regularly, it is probable, they were dispersed throughout all the coasts of Israel, where the priests and Levites were settled, and came and served with them in their courses, and (as Conradus Pellicanus thinks) were maintained out of the public stock, and the profits of -the altar. For they did not keep possession of their cities, but surrendered them to the tribe of Benjamin and Judah, to whose lot they fell; as we read in the following part of this book.;. x Concerning these words, unto this day, see iv. 9. At the place which he shotdd choose.] Which was now at Gilgal; afterward at Shiloh; and some time in Gibeon it fell; which was a city given to the priests; (Josh. xxi. 17.) and, as Maimonides saith (in his treatise of the Building of the Temple), after Shiloh was destroyed, the tabernacle was placed in Nob, and then in Gibeon: in which two places it continued fifty and seven years,