Joshua 9:21

So we must allow them to live. But they will cut wood for us, and they will carry water for us.” So the Israeli leaders did what they had promised.

Translation for Translators

In The King James Version

And the princes said unto them, Let them live; but let them be hewers of wood and drawers of water unto all the congregation; as the princes had promised them.

In Context

20This is what we will do: We will not kill them. If we kill them, God will be very angry with us and punish us because of not doing what we promised to do.

22Then Joshua summoned the men from Gibeon and asked them, “Why did you lie to us? Your land was near to where we had set up our tents, but you told us that you were from a distant land!

Read all of Joshua 9

Cross References

Deuteronomy 29:11your wives, your children, and the foreigners who live among you and cut wood for you and carry water for you, are here.

Joshua 9:23So now you will become our slaves. You will always be forced to cut wood and carry water for us Israeli people who worship in the temple of our God.”

Joshua 10:1Later, Adonizedek, the king of Jerusalem, heard that Joshua’s army had captured Ai town and had destroyed everything in the town. He heard that they had done to the people of Ai and to their king the same thing that they had done to the people of Jericho and their king. He also heard that the people of Gibeon city had made a peace treaty with the Israeli people, and that the people of Gibeon were now living near the Israelis and being protected by them.

Matthew Henry on Joshua 9:16-22

The League with the Gibeonites. ( b. c. 1450.) 15 And Joshua made peace with them, and made a league with them, to let them live: and the princes of the congregation sware unto them. 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. 17 And the children of Israel journeyed, and came unto their cities on the third day. Now their cities were Gibeon, and Chephirah, and Beeroth, and Kirjath-jearim. 18… Read the whole commentary →

This Verse In Other Editions

Study Joshua 9:21