Joshua 9

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¹Now it came about when all the kings who were beyond the Jordan, in the hill country, the lowland, and on all the coast of the Great Sea toward Lebanon, the Hittite and the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, heard about it, ✦ ²that they met together with one purpose, to fight with Joshua and with Israel. ✦ ³The inhabitants of Gibeon also heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and to Ai, ✦ ⁴but they on their part acted craftily and went and took provisions for a journey, and took worn-out sacks on their donkeys, and wineskins that were worn out, split open, and patched, ✦ ⁵and worn-out and patched sandals on their feet, and worn-out clothes on themselves; and all the bread of their provision was dry and had become crumbled. ✦ ⁶And they went to Joshua at the camp at Gilgal and said to him and to the men of Israel, “We have come from a far country; now then, make a covenant with us.” ✦ ⁷But the men of Israel said to the Hivites, “Perhaps you are living within our land; how then are we to make a covenant with you?” ✦ ⁸So they said to Joshua, “We are your servants.” Then Joshua said to them, “Who are you and where do you come from?” ✦ ⁹They said to him, “Your servants have come from a very distant country because of the fame of the Lord your God; for we have heard the report about Him and all that He did in Egypt, ✦ ¹⁰and all that He did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon king of Heshbon and to Og king of Bashan who was in Ashtaroth. ✦ ¹¹So our elders and all the inhabitants of our country spoke to us, saying, ‘Take provisions in your hand for the journey, and go to meet them, and say to them, “We are your servants; now then, make a covenant with us.” ’ ✦ ¹²This bread of ours was hot when we took it for our provisions from our houses on the day that we left to come to you; but now behold, it is dry and has become crumbled. ✦ ¹³And these wineskins which we filled were new, and behold, they are split open; and these clothes of ours and our sandals are worn out from the very long journey.” ¹⁴So the men of Israel took some of their provisions, and did not ask for the counsel of the Lord. ✦ ¹⁵And Joshua made peace with them and made a covenant with them, to let them live; and the leaders of the congregation swore an oath to them. ✦ ¹⁶However, it came about at the end of three days after they had made a covenant with them, that they heard that they were neighbors and that they were living within their land. ✦ ¹⁷Then the sons of Israel set out and came to their cities on the third day. Now their cities were Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath-jearim. ✦ ¹⁸But the sons of Israel did not attack them because the leaders of the congregation had sworn to them by the Lord, the God of Israel. And the whole congregation grumbled against the leaders. ✦ ¹⁹But 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. ✦ ²⁰This we will do to them, even let them live, so that wrath will not be on us because of the oath which we swore to them.” ✦ ²¹So the leaders said to them, “Let them live.” And they became gatherers of firewood and labor to draw water for the whole congregation, just as the leaders had spoken to them. ✦ ²²Then Joshua called for them and spoke to them, saying, “Why have you deceived us, saying, ‘We are very far from you,’ when you are living within our land? ✦ ²³Now therefore, you are cursed, and you will never cease to be slaves, both gatherers of firewood and labor to draw water for the house of my God.” ✦ ²⁴So they answered Joshua and said, “Since your servants were fully informed that the Lord your God had commanded His servant Moses to give you all the land, and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land before you, we feared greatly for our lives because of you, and did this thing. ✦ ²⁵And now behold, we are in your hands; do to us as it seems good and right in your sight to do.” ✦ ²⁶This he did to them, and saved them from the hands of the sons of Israel, and they did not kill them. ²⁷But on that day Joshua made them gatherers of firewood and labor to draw water for the congregation and for the altar of the Lord, to this day, in the place which He would choose. ✦

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Where this chapter connects

Josh 9 ·21 Josh 10 ·6 Deut 20 ·6 Josh 11 ·5 Exod 23 ·5 Deut 7 ·4 2 Sam 21 ·4 Matt 10 ·3

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 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.

Resources, by level

Lay

★ Start hereDocumentaryExpedition BibleJoel Kramer · Free · evangelical
On-location biblical archaeology from a credentialed archaeologist (M.A., excavated in Israel) — the best free place to start on "did it really happen?"
★ Start hereAudioThrough the WordThrough the Word · ~10 min/chapter · Free · evangelical
A clear ~10-minute audio teaching for every one of the Bible's 1,189 chapters — the most systematic free way to study chapter by chapter.

Pastoral

SermonChuck Smith — C2000 SeriesChuck Smith · Free · evangelical
Free verse-by-verse audio through the entire Bible from the founder of Calvary Chapel.

Commentaries & study tools

VideoBibleProject — Joshua videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
VideoWatch teaching on Joshua 9YouTube · Lay · Free
Sermons and chapter teaching from across YouTube.
CommentaryEnduring Word — Joshua 9David Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical
Readable, verse-by-verse exposition of the whole chapter.
CommentaryMatthew Henry on JoshuaMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
ReferenceBlue Letter Bible — Joshua 9Blue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free
Interlinear, lexicon, and study tools across the chapter.

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