Joshua 9

The coalition against Joshua (vs. 1-2)—Usually these peoples fought each other, but on this occasion the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites—with one exception—formed a confederacy to defeat Joshua and the children of Israel. It must have been an awesome force, but Joshua, the man of God, was confident because Jehovah was on his side.

The craftiness of the Gibeonites (vs. 3-15)—Gibeon was a Hivite city about 6.5 miles from Jerusalem via a main road, but five miles as the crow flies. It would lie, eventually, in the territory of Benjamin. The Hivites were descendents of Noah’s son Ham, through Ham’s son Canaan. It was a Hivite, Shechem, who violated Jacob’s lone daughter, Diana, and led to the mass murder of the inhabitants of that city by Levi and Simeon (Genesis 34). A remnant of Hivites still existed in Solomon’s time (I Kings 9:20), but they aren’t heard from after that and disappeared into the dustbin of history. The city of Gibeon was in Joshua’s path and so, fearing destruction, “they worked craftily, and went and pretended to be ambassadors” (v. 4). They took some old provisions and clothes and told Joshua that they had come from a long distance to make a covenant with Israel (vs. 5-6). Joshua was suspicious (v. 7), but when the Gibeonites showed him their “dry and moldy” bread (v. 12), plus their empty wineskins and worn out sandals and clothes (v. 13), they convinced the Israelites that they indeed had come from afar and posed no threat. “So Joshua made peace with them, and made a covenant with them to let them live; and the rulers of the congregation swore to them” (v. 15). It’s the only time in the book that Joshua doesn’t come out well. Verse 14 says “the men of Israel…did not ask counsel of the Lord.” Since “men,” plural, were involved, it’s highly likely that Joshua got some bad advice. But the buck stopped with him, so Joshua is given the responsibility for making the treaty (v. 15).

The deception discovered (vs. 16-27)—But, obviously, the Gibeonites' secret could not remain so for long. Three days later (v, 16), they were found out. The Hivites actually lived in four cities, and they are listed in verse 17—Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kirjath Jearim. The Gibeonites apparently acted in behalf of the whole tribe of people. So when the Israelites came upon those cities (v. 17), they “did not attack them, because the rulers of the congregation had sworn to them by the LORD God of Israel. And all the congregation complained against the rulers” (v. 18), a legitimate gripe. But, to their credit, even though they had been deceived “all the rulers” abode by their agreement with the Gibeonites and did not attack those cities (v. 19). However, they did enslave the Hivites—“let them be woodcutters and water carriers for all the congregation” (v. 21).

Joshua was understandably upset that he had been tricked. He asked the Hivites, “’Why have you deceived us, saying, “We are very far from you,” when you dwell near us?’” (v. 22). So he told them that, because of their dishonesty, they would become Israel’s slaves (v. 23). The Hivites told Joshua pretty much what they had told him earlier, that, having heard of all that the God of Israel had done for His people, “we were very much afraid for our lives because of you, and have done this thing” (v. 24). So, they agreed to Joshua’s conditions (v. 25). No “give me liberty or give me death” for these people. Better to be a live slave than a dead hero, at least to the Hivites. Thus, they became the slaves of the children of Israel, “even to this day,” i.e., the “day” that the book of Joshua was written, a “day” which we do not know.