Joshua 9:14-15
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The verse highlights a subtle but crucial mistake: the Israelites relied on the appearance of the Gibeonites' provisions to judge their story, rather than the divine wisdom available to them. By tasting or examining the stale bread, they thought they had confirmed the Gibeonites' claim of a long journey, all while neglecting to seek God's counsel for the covenant itself.
So the men took some of their provisions, but did not ask counsel from the LORD. And Joshua made peace with them and made a covenant with them, to let them live, and the leaders of the congregation swore to them.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The Gibeonites, a group of Hivites, hear about Joshua's swift conquests and, fearing for their lives, devise a clever plan to deceive the Israelites. They pretend to be ambassadors from a distant land, using old clothes and stale provisions to support their story. After hearing their tale and seeing their "evidence," Joshua and the Israelite leaders agree to a peace treaty without first seeking God's guidance.
Imagine making a life-altering decision based on incomplete information or even deception. That's exactly what happened here. What did the Israelites miss by skipping this crucial step?
The Gibeonites arrived with a clever, well-rehearsed story designed to deceive. They brought old sacks, worn-out wine bottles, and stale bread to prove they had traveled a great distance. The Israelite leaders examined the provisions and were convinced by the 'evidence'.
The Gibeonites' trick worked because it played on what the Israelites wanted to believe. What does this tell us about the power of assumptions in our own lives?
The Gibeonites were masters of deception. They didn't just lie; they presented a lie, complete with 'evidence.' Their old sacks, leaky wine skins, and moldy bread were meant to create a convincing narrative of a long and arduous journey.
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Understand the original words
sha'al · Hebrew Verb
To seek divine direction or instruction, acknowledging the sovereignty of God and the need for His guidance in making decisions or determining a course of action.
YHWH · Hebrew Noun
The personal, covenant name of God in the Old Testament, representing His holiness, faithfulness, and self-existence; He is the God who enters into a redemptive relationship with His people.
shalom · Hebrew Noun
A state of harmony, completeness, and wholeness; in the Bible, it signifies more than the absence of war, representing divine blessing, reconciliation, and restored order.
edah · Hebrew Noun
The collective body of God's people, gathered together for worship, decision-making, or national identity, signifying the unity and covenantal bond of the community.
shaba' · Hebrew Verb
A solemn invocation of God’s name to witness to the truth of a statement or the sincerity of a promise, binding the speaker to the fulfillment of an obligation under the threat of divine judgment.
This moment highlights a critical lapse in leadership: the Israelites, swayed by appearances and perhaps a desire for expediency, failed to seek God's guidance on a significant matter of diplomacy, leading to a difficult, long-term compromise.
c. 1400 BC
Israel Enters the Promised Land
After 40 years in the wilderness, Joshua leads the Israelites across the Jordan River into Canaan.
c. 1400 BC
Fall of Jericho and Ai
The Israelites conquer the fortified cities of Jericho and Ai, striking fear into the surrounding Canaanite nations.
c. 1400 BC— this verse
Gibeonite Deception
The Hivites of Gibeon, hearing of Israel's conquests, disguise themselves as travelers from a distant land to trick Joshua into a peace treaty.
c. 1400 BC
Israelite Ratification of Treaty
Joshua and the Israelite leaders, after examining the Gibeonites' provisions, agree to a league of peace without consulting the LORD.
c. 1400 BC
Discovery of the Deception
Three days later, the Israelites discover the Gibeonites are their neighbors, but are bound by their oath not to harm them.
c. 1400 BC
Gibeonites Become Vassals
The Gibeonites are spared but reduced to servitude, gathering wood and drawing water for the Israelite community.
This passage highlights the severe consequences of failing to completely obey God's command and the importance of seeking His will, similar to Joshua's failure to consult the LORD here.
Numbers 33:55This verse warns Israel about allowing the inhabitants of Canaan to remain, as they would become 'thorns in your eyes and thorns in your sides,' which directly relates to the long-term problems caused by the deceitful Gibeonites.
Deuteronomy 7:1-2Here God explicitly commands Israel to make no covenant with the nations in the land, setting the stage for why Joshua's actions, even if unintentional, were a breach of divine instruction.
1 Kings 15:4This shows that even centuries later, Israel was still dealing with the consequences of past covenants made without fully seeking God's will, referencing the Gibeonites and the trouble they caused.
Proverbs 3:5-6This proverb emphasizes trusting in the Lord and not leaning on our own understanding, a principle Joshua and the elders clearly neglected when they relied on their own assessment of the Gibeonites' provisions instead of seeking divine guidance.
calvinJoshua 9:1-15: "And it came to pass, when all the kings which were on this side Jordan, in the hills, and in the valleys, and in all the coasts of the great sea over against Lebanon, the Hittite, and the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, heard thereof;"
- And it came to pass, when all the kings which were on this side Jordan, in the hills, and in the valleys, and in all the coasts of the great sea over against Lebanon, the Hittite, and the Amorite, the Canaan…
clarkeJoshua 9:14: "And the men took of their victuals, and asked not counsel at the mouth of the LORD."
The men took of their victuals - This was done in all probability in the way of friendship; for, from time immemorial to the present day, eating together, in the Asiatic countries, is considered a token of unalterable friendship; and those who eat even salt together, feel themselves bound thereby in a perpetual covenant. But the marginal reading of this clause should not be hastily rejected. And a…
The verse highlights a subtle but crucial mistake: the Israelites relied on the appearance of the Gibeonites' provisions to judge their story, rather than the divine wisdom available to them. By tasting or examining the stale bread, they thought they had confirmed the Gibeonites' claim of a long journey, all while neglecting to seek God's counsel for the covenant itself.
The Gibeonites, a group of Hivites, hear about Joshua's swift conquests and, fearing for their lives, devise a clever plan to deceive the Israelites. They pretend to be ambassadors from a distant land, using old clothes and stale provisions to support their story. After hearing their tale and seeing their "evidence," Joshua and the Israelite leaders agree to a peace treaty without first seeking God's guidance.
The Gibeonites, a group of Hivites, hear about Joshua's swift conquests and, fearing for their lives, devise a clever plan to deceive the Israelites. They pretend to be ambassadors from a distant land, using old clothes and stale provisions to support their story. After hearing their tale and seeing their "evidence," Joshua and the Israelite leaders agree to a peace treaty without first seeking God's guidance.
"So the men took some of their provisions, but did not ask counsel from the LORD. And Joshua made peace with them and made a covenant with them, to let them live, and the leaders of the congregation swore to them." — The verse highlights a subtle but crucial mistake: the Israelites relied on the appearance of the Gibeonites' provisions to judge their story, rather than the divine wisdom available to them. By ta…
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Last reviewed October 2026
