1Y ACONTECIÓ que cuando oyeron estas cosas todos los reyes que estaban de esta parte del Jordán, en la Serranía y en la Sefela y en todas las costas del Mar Grande, enfrente del Líbano, a saber, el Heteo, y el Amorreo, el Cananeo, el Perezeo, el Heveo, y el Jebuseo; 2ellos se juntaron para hacer guerra contra Josué y contra Israel, de común acuerdo. 3¶Pero cuando los habitantes de Gabaón oyeron decir lo que había hecho Josué a Jericó y a Hai, 4ellos al contrario se valieron de astucia; pues fueron y fingieron ser embajadores; llevando sobre sus asnos costales gastados, y cueros de vino viejos, rotos y atados: 5y poniendo sobre sus pies calzado viejo y remendado, y trayendo sobre sí vestidos viejos: y todo el pan de su provisión estaba seco y mohoso. 6De esta suerte vinieron a Josué, a su campamento en Gilgal; y dijéronle a él y a los hombres de Israel: De una tierra lejana hemos venido; ahora pues celebrad pacto con nosotros. 7Pero los hombres de Israel respondieron a aquellos Heveos: Quizás vosotros habitáis en medio de nosotros; ¿cómo pues celebraremos pacto con vosotros? 8Y ellos respondieron a Josué: Tus siervos somos. Y les dijo Josué: ¿Quiénes sois, y de dónde venís? 9A lo que ellos respondieron: De una tierra muy lejana han venido tus siervos, a causa del nombre de Jehová tu Dios. Porque oímos su fama, y todo lo que hizo en Egipto, 10y todo lo que hizo a los dos reyes de los Amorreos que estaban al otro lado del Jordán, Sehón rey de Hesbón, y Og rey de Basán, que habitaba en Astarot. 11Por lo cual nuestros ancianos y todos los moradores de nuestra tierra nos hablaron, diciendo: Tomad en vuestra mano provisiones para el camino, e id al encuentro de ellos, y decidles: Siervos vuestros somos: ahora pues celebrad pacto con nosotros. 12Este nuestro pan para nuestra provisión, caliente lo tomamos de nuestras casas en el día que salimos para venir a vosotros; mas ahora, he aquí, está seco y mohoso: 13y estos cueros de vino los llenamos nuevos; mas helos aquí rotos; también estos nuestros vestidos y nuestro calzado están ya gastados por lo muy largo del camino. 14Y los hombres tomaron de sus provisiones, mas no pidieron consejo a la boca de Jehová. 15Y así Josué hizo paz con ellos, y celebró pacto con ellos, concediéndoles la vida: y se lo juraron los príncipes de la Congregación. 16¶Mas aconteció que al cabo de tres días después de haber celebrado con ellos el pacto, oyeron decir que eran vecinos suyos, y que habitaban en medio de ellos. 17En efecto, levantaron el campamento los hijos de Israel, y al día tercero llegaron a las ciudades de ellos: y sus ciudades eran Gabaón, Cafira, Beerot y Kiryat-jearim. 18Y no los hirieron los hijos de Israel, porque los príncipes de la Congregación les habían jurado por Jehová, el Dios de Israel: y toda la congregación murmuró contra los príncipes. 19Pero todos los príncipes dijeron a toda la Congregación: Nosotros les hemos jurado por Jehová, el Dios de Israel; por lo cual no podemos tocarlos. 20Haremos esto con ellos, y les concederemos la vida; para que no venga ira sobre nosotros, con motivo del juramento que les hemos hecho. 21Dijeron pues de ellos los príncipes: Dejadlos vivir. Y fueron constituídos leñadores y aguadores para toda la Congregación, concediéndoseles la vida, según les habían prometido los príncipes. 22Josué entonces los llamó, y les habló así: ¿Por qué nos habéis engañado, diciendo: Nosotros vivimos muy lejos de vosotros, siendo así que habitáis en medio de nosotros? 23Ahora pues, malditos sois; y nunca dejará de haber de vosotros siervos, así leñadores como aguadores para la Casa de mi Dios. 24Y ellos respondieron a Josué, diciendo: Lo hicimos así porque fuéles dado a tus siervos aviso seguro de cómo Jehová vuestro Dios había mandado a su siervo Moisés que os diese toda la tierra, y que destruyese a todos los habitantes del país delante de vosotros: de manera que temimos mucho por nuestras vidas, con motivo de vosotros; y por tanto hemos hecho esto. 25Y ahora, henos aquí en tu mano; como bueno y recto te pareciere hacer con nosotros, hazlo así. 26Y en efecto él lo hizo así con ellos; pues los libró de mano de los hijos de Israel, de modo que no los mataron; 27pero los constituyó Josué en aquel día leñadores y aguadores para el servicio de la Congregación y del altar de Jehová, hasta el día de hoy, en el lugar que él hubiere de escoger.
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 1 THE KINGS COMBINE AGAINST ISRAEL. (Jos. 9:1-27)
all the kings which were on this side--that is, the western side of Jordan.
in the hills, and in ther valleys, and in all the coasts of the great sea--This threefold distinction marks out very clearly a large portion of Canaan. The first designates the hill country, which belonged afterwards to the tribes of Judah and Ephraim: the second, all the low country from Carmel to Gaza; and the third, the shores of the Mediterranean, from the Isthmus of Tyre to the plain of Joppa. (As for the tribes mentioned, see on
Num 13:29).
heard thereof--that is, of the sacking of Jericho and Ai, as well as the rapid advance of the Israelites into the interior of the country.
2 they gathered themselves together, to fight with Joshua and with Israel, with one accord--Although divided by separate interests and often at war with each other, a sense of common danger prompted them to suspend their mutual animosities, that by their united forces they might prevent the land from falling into the hands of foreign masters.
3 THE GIBEONITES OBTAIN A LEAGUE BY CRAFT. (
Josh 9:3-
Josh 9:15)
when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard--This town, as its name imports, was situated on a rocky eminence, about six miles northwest from Jerusalem, where the modern village of El Jib now stands. It was the capital of the Hivites, and a large important city (
Josh 10:2). It seems to have formed, in union with a few other towns in the neighborhood, a free independent state (
Josh 9:17) and to have enjoyed a republican government (
Josh 9:11).
4 They did work wilily--They acted with dexterous policy, seeking the means of self-preservation, not by force, which they were convinced would be unavailing, but by artful diplomacy.
took old sacks upon their asses--Travellers in the East transport their luggage on beasts of burden; the poorer sort stow all their necessaries, food, clothes, utensils together, in a woollen or hair-cloth sack, laid across the shoulders of the beast they ride upon.
wine bottles, old, and rent, and bound up--Goat-skins, which are better adapted for carrying liquor of any kind fresh and good, than either earthenware, which is porous, or metallic vessels, which are soon heated by the sun. These skin bottles are liable to be rent when old and much used; and there are various ways of mending them--by inserting a new piece of leather, or by gathering together the edges of the rent and sewing them in the form of a purse, or by putting a round flat splinter of wood into the hole.
5 old shoes and clouted--Those who have but one ass or mule for themselves and baggage frequently dismount and walk--a circumstance which may account for the worn shoes of the pretended travellers.
bread . . . dry and mouldy--This must have been that commonly used by travellers--a sort of biscuit made in the form of large rings, about an inch thick, and four or five inches in diameter. Not being so well baked as our biscuits, it becomes hard and mouldy from the moisture left in the dough. It is usually soaked in water previous to being used.
6 they went to Joshua unto the camp at Gilgal--Arrived at the Israelitish headquarters, the strangers obtained an interview with Joshua and the elders, to whom they opened their business.
7 the men of Israel said unto the Hivites, Peradventure ye dwell among us--The answer of the Israelites implied that they had no discretion, that their orders were imperative, and that if the strangers belonged to any of the native tribes, the idea of an alliance with them was unlawful since God had forbidden it (
Exod 23:32;
Exod 34:12;
Deut 7:2).
9 From a very far country thy servants are come because of the name of the Lord thy God--They pretended to be actuated by religious motives in seeking to be allied with His people. But their studied address is worthy of notice in appealing to instances of God's miraculous doings at a distance, while they pass by those done in Canaan, as if the report of these had not yet reached their ears.
14 the men took of their victuals and asked not counsel at the mouth of the Lord--The mouldy appearance of their bread was, after examination, accepted as guaranteeing the truth of the story. In this precipitate conclusion the Israelites were guilty of excessive credulity and culpable negligence, in not asking by the high priest's Urim and Thummim the mind of God, before entering into the alliance. It is not clear, however, that had they applied for divine direction they would have been forbidden to spare and connect themselves with any of the Canaanite tribes who renounced idolatry and embraced and worshipped the true God. At least, no fault was found with them for making a covenant with the Gibeonites; while, on the other hand, the violation of it was severely punished (
2Sam 21:1; and
Josh 11:19-
Josh 11:20).
16 at the end of three days . . . they heard that they were their neighbours, and that they dwelt among them--This information was obtained in their further progress through the country; for as
Josh 9:17 should be rendered, "when the children of Israel journeyed, they came to their cities." Gibeon was about eighteen or twenty miles from Gilgal.
17 Chephirah-- (
Josh 18:26;
Ezra 2:25;
Neh 7:29).
Beeroth-- (
2Sam 4:2), now El Berich, about twenty minutes' distance from El Jib (Gibeon).
Kirjath-jearim--"the city of forests," now Kuryet-el-Enab [ROBINSON].
18 the children of Israel smote them not--The moral character of the Gibeonites' stratagem was bad. The princes of the congregation did not vindicate either the expediency or the lawfulness of the connection they had formed; but they felt the solemn obligations of their oath; and, although the popular clamor was loud against them, caused either by disappointment at losing the spoils of Gibeon, or by displeasure at the apparent breach of the divine commandment, they determined to adhere to their pledge, "because they had sworn by the Lord God of Israel." The Israelitish princes acted conscientiously; they felt themselves bound by their solemn promise; but to prevent the disastrous consequences of their imprudent haste, they resolved to degrade the Gibeonites to a servile condition as a means of preventing their people from being ensnared into idolatry, and thus acted up, as they thought, to the true spirit and end of the law.
27 hewers of wood and drawers of water--The menials who performed the lowest offices and drudgery in the sanctuary; whence they were called Nethinims (
1Chr 9:2;
Ezra 2:43;
Ezra 8:20); that is, given, appropriated. Their chastisement thus brought them into the possession of great religious privileges (
Ps 84:10).