Focused Passage

Joshua 9:7-13

The Gibeonite Deception and Israel’s Covenant Oath

The surrounding kings prepare for war, the Gibeonites deceive Israel into making a covenant, Israel fails to inquire of the LORD, and Joshua preserves the oath while assigning Gibeon to servant labor for the LORD’s house.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

7But the men of Israel said to the Hivites, “Perhaps you dwell near us. How can we make a treaty with you?”

8“We are your servants,” they said to Joshua. Then Joshua asked them, “Who are you and where have you come from?”

9“Your servants have come from a very distant land,” they replied, “because of the fame of the LORD your God. For we have heard the reports about Him: all that He did in Egypt,

10and all that He did to the two kings of the Amorites beyond the Jordan—Sihon king of Heshbon and Og king of Bashan, who reigned in Ashtaroth.

11So the elders and inhabitants of our land told us, ‘Take provisions for your journey; go to meet them and say to them: We are your servants. Please make a treaty with us.’

12This bread of ours was warm when we packed it at home on the day we left to come to you. But look, it is now dry and moldy.

13These wineskins were new when we filled them, but look, they are cracked. And these clothes and sandals are worn out from our very long journey.”

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 7

Original words

But the menאִֽישׁ־H376Noun - masculine singular constructof Israelיִשְׂרָאֵ֖לH3478Noun - proper - masculine singularsaidוַיֹּאמְרוּH559Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singulartoאֶל־H413Prepositionthe Hivitesהַחִוִּ֑יH2340Article | Noun - proper - masculine singularPerhapsאוּלַ֗יH194Adverbyouאַתָּ֣הH859Pronoun - second person masculine singulardwellיוֹשֵׁ֔בH3427Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singularnear usבְּקִרְבִּי֙H7130Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singularHowוְאֵ֖יךְH349Conjunctive waw | Interjectioncan we makeאֶכְרוֹתH3772Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular. . .לְךָ֥Preposition | second person masculine singulara treaty with youבְרִֽית׃H1285Noun - feminine singular
Verse 8

Original words

Weאֲנָ֑חְנוּH587Pronoun - first person common pluralare your servantsעֲבָדֶ֣יךָH5650Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singularthey saidוַיֹּאמְר֥וּH559Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine pluraltoאֶל־H413PrepositionJoshuaיְהוֹשֻׁ֖עַH3091Noun - proper - masculine singularThen Joshuaיְהוֹשֻׁ֛עַH3091Noun - proper - masculine singularasked themוַיֹּ֨אמֶרH559Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular. . .אֲלֵהֶ֧םH413Preposition | third person masculine pluralWhoמִ֥יH4310Interrogativeare youאַתֶּ֖םH859Pronoun - second person masculine pluraland whereוּמֵאַ֥יִןH370Conjunctive waw, Preposition-m | Adverbhave you come fromתָּבֹֽאוּ׃H935Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural
Verse 9

Original words

Your servantsעֲבָדֶ֔יךָH5650Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singularhave comeבָּ֣אוּH935Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common pluralfrom a veryמְאֹד֙H3966Adverbdistantרְחוֹקָ֤הH7350Adjective - feminine singularlandמֵאֶ֨רֶץH776Preposition-m | Noun - feminine singularthey repliedוַיֹּאמְר֣וּH559Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural. . .אֵלָ֗יוH413Preposition | third person masculine singularbecause of the fameלְשֵׁ֖םH8034Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular constructof the LORDיְהוָ֣הH3068Noun - proper - masculine singularyour Godאֱלֹהֶ֑יךָH430Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singularForכִּֽי־H3588Conjunctionwe have heardשָׁמַ֣עְנוּH8085Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common pluralthe reports about Himשָׁמְע֔וֹH8089Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular-וְאֵ֛תH853Conjunctive waw | Direct object markerallכָּל־H3605Noun - masculine singular constructthatאֲשֶׁ֥רH834Pronoun - relativeHe didעָשָׂ֖הH6213Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singularin Egyptבְּמִצְרָֽיִם׃H4714Preposition-b | Noun - proper - feminine singular
Verse 10

Original words

andוְאֵ֣ת׀H853Conjunctive waw | Direct object markerallכָּל־H3605Noun - masculine singular constructthatאֲשֶׁ֣רH834Pronoun - relativeHe didעָשָׂ֗הH6213Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singularto the twoלִשְׁנֵי֙H8147Preposition-l | Number - masculine dual constructkingsמַלְכֵ֣יH4428Noun - masculine plural constructof the Amoritesהָאֱמֹרִ֔יH567Article | Noun - proper - masculine singularאֲשֶׁ֖ראֲשֶׁ֖רH834Pronoun - relativebeyondבְּעֵ֣בֶרH5676Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular constructthe Jordanהַיַּרְדֵּ֑ןH3383Article | Noun - proper - feminine singularSihonלְסִיחוֹן֙H5511Preposition-l | Noun - proper - masculine singularkingמֶ֣לֶךְH4428Noun - masculine singular constructof Heshbonחֶשְׁבּ֔וֹןH2809Noun - proper - feminine singularand Ogוּלְע֥וֹגH5747Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Noun - proper - masculine singularkingמֶֽלֶךְ־H4428Noun - masculine singular constructof Bashanהַבָּשָׁ֖ןH1316Article | Noun - proper - feminine singularwhoאֲשֶׁ֥רH834Pronoun - relativereigned in Ashtarothבְּעַשְׁתָּרֽוֹת׃H6252Preposition-b | Noun - proper - feminine singular
Verse 11

Original words

So the eldersזְֽקֵינֵינוּ֩H2205Adjective - masculine plural construct | first person common pluralandוְכָל־H3605Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular constructinhabitantsיֹשְׁבֵ֨יH3427Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural constructof our landאַרְצֵ֜נוּH776Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common pluraltoldוַיֹּאמְר֣וּH559Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine pluralusאֵלֵ֡ינוּH413Preposition | first person common plural-לֵאמֹ֗רH559Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive constructTakeקְח֨וּH3947Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural-בְיֶדְכֶ֤םH3027Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct | second person masculine pluralprovisionsצֵידָה֙H6720Noun - feminine singularfor your journeyלַדֶּ֔רֶךְH1870Preposition-l, Article | Noun - common singulargoוּלְכ֖וּH1980Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine pluralto meet themלִקְרָאתָ֑םH7122Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct | third person masculine pluraland sayוַאֲמַרְתֶּ֤םH559Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine pluralto themאֲלֵיהֶם֙H413Preposition | third person masculine pluralWeאֲנַ֔חְנוּH587Pronoun - first person common plural. . .וְעַתָּ֖הH6258Conjunctive waw | Adverbare your servantsעַבְדֵיכֶ֣םH5650Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine pluralPlease makeכִּרְתוּ־H3772Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plurala treatyבְרִֽית׃H1285Noun - feminine singularwith usלָ֥נוּPreposition | first person common plural
Verse 12

Original words

Thisזֶ֣ה׀H2088Pronoun - masculine singularbreadלַחְמֵ֗נוּH3899Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common pluralof ours was warmחָ֞םH2525Adjective - masculine singularwhen we packedהִצְטַיַּ֤דְנוּH6679Verb - Hitpael - Perfect - first person common pluralitאֹתוֹ֙H853Preposition | third person masculine singularat homeמִבָּ֣תֵּ֔ינוּH1004Preposition-m | Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common pluralon the dayבְּי֥וֹםH3117Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singularwe leftצֵאתֵ֖נוּH3318Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct | first person common pluralto comeלָלֶ֣כֶתH1980Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive constructto youאֲלֵיכֶ֑םH413Preposition | second person masculine pluralBut lookהִנֵּ֣הH2009Interjectionit is nowוְעַתָּה֙H6258Conjunctive waw | Adverbdryיָבֵ֔שׁH3001Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singularandוְהָיָ֖הH1961Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singularmoldyנִקֻּדִֽים׃H5350Noun - masculine plural
Verse 13

Original words

Theseוְאֵ֨לֶּהH428Conjunctive waw | Pronoun - common pluralwineskinsנֹאד֤וֹתH4997Noun - masculine plural construct. . .הַיַּ֙יִן֙H3196Article | Noun - masculine singularwere newחֲדָשִׁ֔יםH2319Adjective - masculine pluralwhen we filledמִלֵּ֣אנוּH4390Verb - Piel - Perfect - first person common pluralthemאֲשֶׁ֣רH834Pronoun - relativebut lookוְהִנֵּ֖הH2009Conjunctive waw | Interjectionthey are crackedהִתְבַּקָּ֑עוּH1234Verb - Hitpael - Perfect - third person common pluralAnd theseוְאֵ֤לֶּהH428Conjunctive waw | Pronoun - common pluralclothesשַׂלְמוֹתֵ֙ינוּ֙H8008Noun - feminine plural construct | first person common pluraland sandalsוּנְעָלֵ֔ינוּH5275Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine plural construct | first person common pluralare worn outבָּל֕וּH1086Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common pluralfrom our veryמְאֹֽד׃H3966Adverblongמֵרֹ֥בH7230Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular constructjourneyהַדֶּ֖רֶךְH1870Article | Noun - common singular

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.