But the people of Gibeon, having heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai,
Parallel translations
- WEB But when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and to Ai,
- KJV And when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done unto Jericho and to Ai,
- NKJV But when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai,
- NASB The inhabitants of Gibeon also heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and to Ai,
- NLT But when the people of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai,
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
When the people of Gibeon hear what happened to Jericho and Ai, they take a different course. Fear of Israel's God moves them to seek survival.
Overview
Unlike the kings who gather for war, the Gibeonites respond to the reports with calculated self-preservation. Their awareness of God's mighty acts, like Rahab's, reflects a measure of recognition of his power. While their method is deceptive, their instinct to seek peace with Israel hints at the truth that survival lies in alignment with God's people rather than against them.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 5
- Josh 10:2So Adoni-zedek and his people were greatly alarmed, because Gibeon was a great city, like one of the royal cities; it was larger than Ai, and all its men were mighty.
- Josh 9:17So the Israelites set out and on the third day arrived at their cities—Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath-jearim.
- 2 Sam 21:1–2During the reign of David there was a famine for three successive years, and David sought the face of the LORD. And the LORD said, “It is because of the blood shed by Saul and his family, because he killed the Gibeonites.”
- Josh 8:1–35Then the LORD said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid or discouraged. Take the whole army with you, and go up and attack Ai. See, I have delivered into your hand the king of Ai, his people, his city, and his land.
- Josh 6:1–27Now Jericho was tightly shut up because of the Israelites. No one went out and no one came in.
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 9:3 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.