But the leaders replied, “Since we have sworn an oath in the presence of the Lord, the God of Israel, we cannot touch them.
Parallel translations
- WEB But all the princes said to all the congregation, “We have sworn to them by Yahweh, the God of Israel. Now therefore we may not touch them.
- KJV But all the princes said unto all the congregation, We have sworn unto them by the LORD God of Israel: now therefore we may not touch them.
- BSB All the leaders answered, “We have sworn an oath to them by the LORD, the God of Israel, and now we cannot touch them.
- NKJV Then all the rulers said to all the congregation, “We have sworn to them by the Lord God of Israel; now therefore, we may not touch them.
- NASB But all the leaders said to the whole congregation, “We have sworn to them by the Lord, the God of Israel, and now we cannot touch them.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The leaders insist they cannot touch the Gibeonites because they swore by Yahweh. Faithfulness to a sacred oath overrides the people's complaint.
Overview
The princes uphold the inviolability of an oath taken in God's name, even one obtained by deceit. To break such a vow would dishonor the Lord whose name was invoked. Their integrity models the seriousness with which God's people are to treat their word, reflecting the faithfulness of the God they serve.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 4
- Eccl 8:2I say, “Keep the king’s command!” because of the oath to God.
- Jer 4:2and you shall swear, ‘As Yahweh lives,’ in truth, in justice, and in righteousness. The nations shall bless themselves in him, and in him shall they glory.”
- Eccl 9:2All things come alike to all. There is one event to the righteous and to the wicked; to the good, to the clean, to the unclean, to him who sacrifices, and to him who doesn’t sacrifice. As is the good, so is the sinner; he who takes an oath, as he who fears an oath.
- Josh 9:20We will do this to them, and let them live; lest wrath be on us, because of the oath which we swore to them.”
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Joshua — the same name as Jesus, 'the LORD saves' — leads God's people into their inheritance, a shadow of the greater Joshua who brings us into the true rest and the promised land that remains.
How Joshua 9:19 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.