Joshua 9:4

2 that they ^agathered together to fight with Joshua and Israel with one¹ accord.

3 But when the inhabitants of ^aGibeon ^bheard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai,

4 they worked craftily, and went and¹ pretended to be ambassadors. And they took old sacks on their donkeys, old wineskins torn and² mended,

5 old and patched sandals on their feet, and old garments on themselves; and all the bread of their provision was dry and moldy.

6 And they went to Joshua, ^ato the camp at Gilgal, and said to him and to the men of Israel, “We have come from a far country; now therefore, make a¹ covenant with us.”

7 Then the men of Israel said to the ^aHivites, “Perhaps you dwell among us; so ^bhow can we make a covenant with you?”

8 But they said to Joshua, ^a“We are your servants.” And Joshua said to them, “Who are you, and where do you come from?”

9 So they said to him: ^a“From a very far country your servants have come, because of the name of the Lord your God; for we have ^bheard of His fame, and all that He did in Egypt,

10 and ^aall that He did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan—to Sihon king of Heshbon, and Og king of Bashan, who was at Ashtaroth.

11 Therefore our elders and all the inhabitants of our country spoke to us, saying, ‘Take provisions with you for the journey, and go to meet them, and say to them, “We are your servants; now therefore, make a covenant with us.” ’

12 This bread of ours we took hot for our provision from our houses on the day we departed to come to you. But now look, it is dry and moldy.

13 And these wineskins which we filled were new, and see, they are torn; and these our garments and our sandals have become old because of the very long journey.”

14 Then the men of Israel took some of their provisions; ^abut they did not ask counsel of the Lord.

15 So Joshua ^amade peace with them, and made a covenant with them to let them live; and the rulers of the congregation swore to them.

Commentaries:

Adam Clarke

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Joshua 9:4

They did work wilily - Finesse of this kind is allowed by the conduct of all nations; and stratagems in war are all considered as legal. Nine tenths of the victories gained are attributable to stratagem; all sides practice them, and therefore none can condemn them. Much time and labor have been lost in the inquiry, "Did not the Gibeonites tell lies?" Certainly they did, and what is that to us? Does the word of God commend them for it? It does not. Are they held up to us as examples! Surely no. They did what any other nation would have done in their circumstances, and we have nothing to do with their example. Had they come to the Israelites, and simply submitted themselves without opposition and without fraud, they had certainly fared much better. Lying and hypocrisy always defeat their own purpose, and at best can succeed only for a short season. Truth and honesty never wear out.

Old sacks - and wine bottles , old , etc. - They pretended to have come from a very distant country, and that their sacks and the goat-skins that served them for carrying their wine and water in, were worn out by the length of the journey.

**Other Adam Clarke entries containing Joshua 9:4:**

Joshua 18:25

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