Joshua 9:22
New International Version
Then Joshua summoned the Gibeonites and said, “Why did you deceive us by saying, ‘We live a long way from you,’ while actually you live near us?

New Living Translation
Joshua called together the Gibeonites and said, “Why did you lie to us? Why did you say that you live in a distant land when you live right here among us?

English Standard Version
Joshua summoned them, and he said to them, “Why did you deceive us, saying, ‘We are very far from you,’ when you dwell among us?

Berean Standard Bible
Then Joshua summoned the Gibeonites and said, “Why did you deceive us by telling us you live far away from us, when in fact you live among us?

King James Bible
And Joshua called for them, and he spake unto them, saying, Wherefore have ye beguiled us, saying, We are very far from you; when ye dwell among us?

New King James Version
Then Joshua called for them, and he spoke to them, saying, “Why have you deceived us, saying, ‘We are very far from you,’ when you dwell near us?

New American Standard Bible
Then 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?

NASB 1995
Then 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?

NASB 1977
Then 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?

Legacy Standard Bible
Then 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 nearly in the midst of us?

Amplified Bible
Joshua called the [Hivite] men and said, “Why did you deceive us, saying, ‘We live very far away from you,’ when [in fact] you live among us?

Christian Standard Bible
Joshua summoned the Gibeonites and said to them, “Why did you deceive us by telling us you live far away from us, when in fact you live among us?

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Joshua summoned the Gibeonites and said to them, “Why did you deceive us by telling us you live far away from us, when in fact you live among us?

American Standard Version
And Joshua called for them, and he spake unto them, saying, Wherefore have ye beguiled us, saying, We are very far from you; when ye dwell among us?

Contemporary English Version
Joshua told some of his soldiers, "I want to meet with the Gibeonite leaders. Bring them here." When the Gibeonites came, Joshua said, "You live close to us. Why did you lie by claiming you lived far away?

English Revised Version
And Joshua called for them, and he spake unto them, saying, Wherefore have ye beguiled us, saying, We are very far from you; when ye dwell among us?

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Joshua sent for the people of Gibeon and asked, "Why did you deceive us by saying, 'We live very far away from you,' when you live here with us?

Good News Translation
Joshua ordered the people of Gibeon to be brought to him, and he asked them, "Why did you deceive us and tell us that you were from far away, when you live right here?

International Standard Version
Joshua summoned the Gibeonites and asked them, "Why did you deceive us by saying 'We live far away from you,' even though you were, in fact, living in our midst?

Majority Standard Bible
Then Joshua summoned the Gibeonites and said, ?Why did you deceive us by telling us you live far away from us, when in fact you live among us?

NET Bible
Joshua summoned the Gibeonites and said to them, "Why did you trick us by saying, 'We live far away from you,' when you really live nearby?

New Heart English Bible
Joshua called for them, and he spoke to them, saying, "Why have you deceived us, saying, 'We are very far from you,' when you live among us?

Webster's Bible Translation
And Joshua called for them, and he spoke to them, saying, Why have ye deceived us, saying, We are very far from you; when ye dwell among us?

World English Bible
Joshua called for them, and he spoke to them, saying, “Why have you deceived us, saying, ‘We are very far from you,’ when you live among us?
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And Joshua calls for them, and speaks to them, saying, “Why have you deceived us, saying, We are very far from you, yet you [are] dwelling in our midst?

Young's Literal Translation
And Joshua calleth for them, and speaketh unto them, saying, 'Why have ye deceived us, saying, We are very far from you, and ye in our midst dwelling?

Smith's Literal Translation
And Joshua will call to them and will speak to them, saying, For what did ye deceive us, saying, We are very far from you? and ye dwell in the midst of us.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Josue called the Gabaonites and said to them: Why would you impose upon us, saying: We dwell far off from you, whereas you are in the midst of us?

Catholic Public Domain Version
Joshua called the Gibeonites, and he said to them: “Why would you be willing to deceive us by fraud, saying, ‘We live very far away from you,’ when you are in our midst?

New American Bible
Joshua summoned the Gibeonites and said to them, “Why did you deceive us and say, ‘We live far off from you’?—You live among us!

New Revised Standard Version
Joshua summoned them, and said to them, “Why did you deceive us, saying, ‘We are very far from you,’ while in fact you are living among us?
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And Joshua called for them, and he said to them, Why have you deceived us, saying, We are very far from you, when you dwell among us?

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And Yeshua called them and he said to them: “Why have you deceived us and said to us: “‘We were very far from you’, and behold you dwell with us?
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And Joshua called for them, and he spoke unto them, saying: 'Wherefore have ye beguiled us, saying: We are very far from you, when ye dwell among us?

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And Joshua called them together and said to them, Why have ye deceived me, saying, We live very far from you; whereas ye are fellow-countrymen of those who dwell among us?

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Deceit of the Gibeonites
21They continued, “Let them live, but let them be woodcutters and water carriers for the whole congregation.” So the leaders kept their promise. 22Then Joshua summoned the Gibeonites and said, “Why did you deceive us by telling us you live far away from us, when in fact you live among us? 23Now therefore you are under a curse and will perpetually serve as woodcutters and water carriers for the house of my God.”…

Cross References
Deuteronomy 20:10-18
When you approach a city to fight against it, you are to make an offer of peace. / If they accept your offer of peace and open their gates, all the people there will become forced laborers to serve you. / But if they refuse to make peace with you and wage war against you, lay siege to that city. ...

Exodus 23:32-33
You shall make no covenant with them or with their gods. / They must not remain in your land, lest they cause you to sin against Me. For if you serve their gods, it will surely be a snare to you.”

Numbers 33:55
But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land before you, those you allow to remain will become barbs in your eyes and thorns in your sides; they will harass you in the land where you settle.

Judges 2:2-3
and you are not to make a covenant with the people of this land, but you shall tear down their altars.’ Yet you have not obeyed My voice. What is this you have done? / So now I tell you that I will not drive out these people before you; they will be thorns in your sides, and their gods will be a snare to you.”

1 Samuel 15:22-23
But Samuel declared: “Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obedience to His voice? Behold, obedience is better than sacrifice, and attentiveness is better than the fat of rams. / For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance is like the wickedness of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He has rejected you as king.”

2 Samuel 21:1-2
During the reign of David there was a famine for three successive years, and David sought the face of the LORD. And the LORD said, “It is because of the blood shed by Saul and his family, because he killed the Gibeonites.” / At this, David summoned the Gibeonites and spoke to them. (Now the Gibeonites were not Israelites, but a remnant of the Amorites. The Israelites had taken an oath concerning them, but in his zeal for Israel and Judah, Saul had sought to kill them.)

2 Kings 17:15
They rejected His statutes and the covenant He had made with their fathers, as well as the decrees He had given them. They pursued worthless idols and became worthless themselves, going after the surrounding nations that the LORD had commanded them not to imitate.

Psalm 106:34-36
They did not destroy the peoples as the LORD had commanded them, / but they mingled with the nations and adopted their customs. / They worshiped their idols, which became a snare to them.

Isaiah 30:1-2
“Woe to the rebellious children,” declares the LORD, “to those who carry out a plan that is not Mine, who form an alliance, but against My will, heaping up sin upon sin. / They set out to go down to Egypt without asking My advice, to seek shelter under Pharaoh’s protection and take refuge in Egypt’s shade.

Jeremiah 18:18
Then some said, “Come, let us make plans against Jeremiah, for the law will never be lost to the priest, nor counsel to the wise, nor an oracle to the prophet. Come, let us denounce him and pay no heed to any of his words.”

Matthew 5:37
Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ Anything more comes from the evil one.

Matthew 23:28
In the same way, on the outside you appear to be righteous, but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.

Mark 7:6-7
Jesus answered them, “Isaiah prophesied correctly about you hypocrites, as it is written: ‘These people honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. / They worship Me in vain; they teach as doctrine the precepts of men.’

Luke 12:2
There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, and nothing hidden that will not be made known.

John 8:44
You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out his desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, refusing to uphold the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, because he is a liar and the father of lies.


Treasury of Scripture

And Joshua called for them, and he spoke to them, saying, Why have you beguiled us, saying, We are very far from you; when you dwell among us?

Wherefore

Genesis 3:13,14
And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat…

Genesis 27:35,36,41-45
And he said, Thy brother came with subtilty, and hath taken away thy blessing…

Genesis 29:25
And it came to pass, that in the morning, behold, it was Leah: and he said to Laban, What is this thou hast done unto me? did not I serve with thee for Rachel? wherefore then hast thou beguiled me?

We are

Joshua 9:6,9,10
And they went to Joshua unto the camp at Gilgal, and said unto him, and to the men of Israel, We be come from a far country: now therefore make ye a league with us…

ye dwell

Joshua 9:16
And it came to pass at the end of three days after they had made a league with them, that they heard that they were their neighbours, and that they dwelt among them.

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Actually Beguiled Deceive Deceived Dwell Joshua Live Midst Speaketh Summoned Way Wherefore Within
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Actually Beguiled Deceive Deceived Dwell Joshua Live Midst Speaketh Summoned Way Wherefore Within
Joshua 9
1. The kings combine against Israel
3. The Gibeonites by craft obtain a league
22. They are condemned to perpetual bondage














Then Joshua summoned the Gibeonites
Joshua, as the leader of Israel, takes decisive action by summoning the Gibeonites. This reflects his role as a judge and leader, responsible for maintaining the covenant integrity of Israel. The Gibeonites were a group of Hivites, one of the Canaanite tribes, who lived in the region of Gibeon, a city located northwest of Jerusalem. This summoning indicates a formal inquiry, a common practice in ancient Near Eastern cultures when addressing grievances or breaches of agreements.

and said, “Why did you deceive us
The act of deception by the Gibeonites is central to this narrative. In the ancient world, deception was often used as a survival tactic, especially by weaker parties facing stronger adversaries. The Gibeonites' deception involved pretending to be from a distant land to secure a peace treaty with Israel, as they feared the fate of other Canaanite cities. This question by Joshua highlights the moral and ethical expectations within covenant relationships, where honesty and transparency were paramount.

by telling us you live far away from us,
The Gibeonites claimed to be from a distant land, which was a strategic lie to avoid the fate of other Canaanite cities that were being conquered by Israel. This phrase underscores the geographical and political dynamics of the time. The Israelites were commanded by God to conquer the land of Canaan and not to make treaties with its inhabitants (Deuteronomy 7:1-2). By claiming to be from afar, the Gibeonites sought to circumvent this divine mandate.

when in fact you live among us?
The revelation that the Gibeonites lived nearby is significant. It highlights the proximity of Gibeon to the Israelite camp at Gilgal, emphasizing the immediacy of the threat perceived by the Gibeonites. This phrase also reflects the broader theme of the Israelites' journey into the Promised Land, where they encountered various peoples and cultures. The Gibeonites' integration into Israelite society, despite their deception, foreshadows the inclusion of Gentiles into the people of God, a theme that is fully realized in the New Testament with the spread of the Gospel to all nations.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Joshua
The leader of the Israelites after Moses, tasked with leading the people into the Promised Land. He is known for his military leadership and faithfulness to God.

2. Gibeonites
A group of people from the city of Gibeon who deceived the Israelites into making a peace treaty with them by pretending to be from a distant land.

3. Israelites
The chosen people of God, led by Joshua, who are in the process of conquering the Promised Land as commanded by God.

4. Gibeon
A significant city in Canaan, whose inhabitants tricked the Israelites into making a covenant with them.

5. Deception
The act committed by the Gibeonites to secure a treaty with Israel, which is central to this passage.
Teaching Points
The Importance of Discernment
Believers must seek God's wisdom and discernment in all decisions, especially when forming alliances or agreements.

Consequences of Deception
Deception can lead to unintended consequences and long-term commitments that may not align with God's will.

God's Sovereignty in Our Mistakes
Even when we make mistakes, God can use them for His purposes, as seen in how the Gibeonites became servants and later contributed to Israel's society.

The Value of Integrity
Upholding integrity and truthfulness is crucial in our relationships and dealings with others.

The Role of Leadership
Leaders must be vigilant and seek God's guidance to protect their communities from deceit and to make wise decisions.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Then Joshua
יְהוֹשֻׁ֔עַ (yə·hō·wō·šu·a‘)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3091: Joshua -- 'the LORD is salvation', Moses' successor, also the name of a number of Israelites

summoned
וַיִּקְרָ֤א (way·yiq·rā)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7121: To call, proclaim, read

the Gibeonites
לָהֶם֙ (lā·hem)
Preposition | third person masculine plural
Strong's Hebrew

and said,
וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר (way·ḏab·bêr)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1696: To arrange, to speak, to subdue

“Why
לָמָּה֩ (lām·māh)
Interrogative
Strong's 4100: What?, what!, indefinitely what

did you deceive
רִמִּיתֶ֨ם (rim·mî·ṯem)
Verb - Piel - Perfect - second person masculine plural
Strong's 7411: To hurl, to shoot, to delude, betray

us
אֹתָ֜נוּ (’ō·ṯā·nū)
Direct object marker | first person common plural
Strong's 853: Untranslatable mark of the accusative case

by telling
לֵאמֹ֑ר (lê·mōr)
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 559: To utter, say

us you live far away
רְחוֹקִ֨ים (rə·ḥō·w·qîm)
Adjective - masculine plural
Strong's 7350: Remote, of place, time, precious

from
מִכֶּם֙ (mik·kem)
Preposition | second person masculine plural
Strong's 4480: A part of, from, out of

us,
אֲנַ֤חְנוּ (’ă·naḥ·nū)
Pronoun - first person common plural
Strong's 587: We

when in fact you
וְאַתֶּ֖ם (wə·’at·tem)
Conjunctive waw | Pronoun - second person masculine plural
Strong's 859: Thou and thee, ye and you

live
יֹשְׁבִֽים׃ (yō·šə·ḇîm)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural
Strong's 3427: To sit down, to dwell, to remain, to settle, to marry

among us?
בְּקִרְבֵּ֥נוּ (bə·qir·bê·nū)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common plural
Strong's 7130: The nearest part, the center


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OT History: Joshua 9:22 Joshua called for them and he spoke (Josh. Jos)
Joshua 9:21
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