Now therefore you are cursed, and some of you shall never be anything but servants, cutters of wood and drawers of water for the house of my God.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
What’s truly striking here is that Joshua doesn't just condemn them to servitude; he declares they are "cursed," directly linking their fate to the ancient curse on Canaan. Their deception, while leading to their enslavement, ironically becomes the very mechanism by which a specific part of that older curse is fulfilled in God's plan for His people.
Now therefore you are cursed, and some of you shall never be anything but servants, cutters of wood and drawers of water for the house of my God.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
After the Gibeonites successfully deceived Israel with their worn-out belongings and fabricated story of a distant homeland, Joshua and the princes discovered the truth: these were their neighbors, dwelling within the very land God commanded them to conquer. Bound by their oath, the Israelites couldn't strike them down, but Joshua confronted them for their trickery, pronouncing a curse of perpetual servitude. This sets the stage for the Gibeonites' sentence as woodcutters and water carriers for the sanctuary.
The Gibeonites tricked Israel, but their deception led to a curse, not utter destruction. What does this teach us about the consequences of our choices?
Israel, though deceived, honored their oath because it was sworn in the name of the Lord. This highlights the immense value placed on God's name and the seriousness of oaths. Even though the Gibeonites lied, the princes of Israel felt bound by their word, showing a commitment to righteousness that transcended their own feelings or the perceived injustice of the deception.
Honoring God's Name
Joshua and the princes recognized that breaking an oath sworn to God, even to deceivers, would bring wrath. This wasn't just about their reputation, but about the integrity of their covenant with the Almighty. It’s a powerful reminder that our commitments, especially those made in God's name, carry profound weight.
The Gibeonites were condemned to be 'hewers of wood and drawers of water.' Was this merely punishment, or did it hold a deeper purpose?
The Gibeonites’ fate was a perpetual servitude – 'hewers of wood and drawers of water for the house of my God.' This was a tangible consequence of their deceit, but it also served a unique purpose within God’s plan.
More Than Just Labor
This wasn't just about menial labor; it was a lifetime assignment tied to the worship of God. While it was a curse stemming from their actions, it also placed them in proximity to God's presence and His people. They became, in a sense, a permanent part of the sanctuary's workforce, their lives intertwined with the service of the Tabernacle and later the Temple.
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The Echo of Noah's Curse
This judgment is often seen as an outworking of Noah’s curse on Canaan (Genesis 9:25), designating them as 'servants of servants.' Yet, within this servitude, there was an opportunity for them to learn about the true God and perhaps even find a form of redemption by serving Him, however lowly their task.
Understand the original words
arur · Hebrew Adjective
The imposition of divine judgment or a state of separation and exclusion from the blessing of God. It stands in direct contrast to being blessed.
ebed · Hebrew Noun
One who is in a position of forced or voluntary submission to another, often implying service without freedom. It highlights a change in status or the fulfillment of a judgment.
This verse highlights the consequences of deception and the strict adherence to oaths, even when made under false pretenses. The Gibeonites' fate, as woodcutters and water-drawers for the sanctuary, directly ties their punishment to the ancient curse on Canaan and their own deceitful actions.
c. 1400 BC
Conquest of Canaan Begins
After wandering in the desert for 40 years, the Israelites, led by Joshua, cross the Jordan River and begin the conquest of the Promised Land, as commanded by God.
c. 1400 BC
Israelites Enter the Promised Land
The Israelites establish a presence in the land of Canaan, encountering various city-states and peoples.
c. 1400 BC— this verse
Gibeonites Deceive Israel
The Gibeonites, fearing the Israelites' approach and remembering God's command to destroy the inhabitants of Canaan, devise a plan to trick Joshua into making a peace treaty.
c. 1400 BC
Israelite Leaders Discover the Deception
Three days after making the treaty, the Israelites discover that the Gibeonites are their neighbors, not distant people. The congregation murmurs against their leaders for being deceived.
c. 1400 BC
Joshua Pronounces Sentence on Gibeonites
Bound by their oath, Joshua and the princes spare the Gibeonites' lives but condemn them to perpetual servitude as woodcutters and water-drawers for the sanctuary.
c. 1000 BC
Solomon Uses Remnant Canaanites
Centuries later, King Solomon still utilizes descendants of the Canaanite nations, including those who were not destroyed, for labor in his kingdom.
This passage directly echoes the curse pronounced on Canaan, linking the Gibeonites' fate to that ancient pronouncement and establishing a historical precedent for generational servitude.
Deuteronomy 20:17The Gibeonites' situation illustrates the principle of dealing with conquered nations, where those who resisted were destroyed, but those who submitted could potentially be spared, albeit with consequences.
1 Kings 9:20-21This passage shows how the precedent set with the Gibeonites was later applied by Solomon to the remnant of the Canaanites, continuing the practice of perpetual servitude for specific tasks.
Ezra 2:43The 'Nethinim' mentioned here are believed to be descendants of the Gibeonites and other enslaved peoples, showing the long-term continuation of their service to the house of God.
Romans 12:1This verse offers a New Testament parallel, urging believers to offer their bodies as living sacrifices, transforming our service from potentially forced labor to a willing, spiritual devotion to God's house.
calvinJoshua 9:16-27: "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."
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 Kirjathjearim.
Profectique sunt filii Israel, et venerunt ad urbes ipsorum die tertio. Urbes autem eorum erant Gibeon, Chephirat, Beeroth, Ciriatjearlm.
And…
cambridgeJoshua 9:23: "Now therefore ye are cursed, and there shall none of you be freed from being bondmen, and hewers of wood and drawers of water for the house of my God."
23 . ye are cursed ] Comp. Genesis 9:25 .
What’s truly striking here is that Joshua doesn't just condemn them to servitude; he declares they are "cursed," directly linking their fate to the ancient curse on Canaan. Their deception, while leading to their enslavement, ironically becomes the very mechanism by which a specific part of that older curse is fulfilled in God's plan for His people.
After the Gibeonites successfully deceived Israel with their worn-out belongings and fabricated story of a distant homeland, Joshua and the princes discovered the truth: these were their neighbors, dwelling within the very land God commanded them to conquer. Bound by their oath, the Israelites couldn't strike them down, but Joshua confronted them for their trickery, pronouncing a curse of perpetual servitude. This sets the stage for the Gibeonites' sentence as woodcutters and water carriers for the sanctuary.
After the Gibeonites successfully deceived Israel with their worn-out belongings and fabricated story of a distant homeland, Joshua and the princes discovered the truth: these were their neighbors, dwelling within the very land God commanded them to conquer. Bound by their oath, the Israelites couldn't strike them down, but Joshua confronted them for their trickery, pronouncing a curse of perpetual servitude. This sets the stage for the Gibeonites' sentence as woodcutters and water carriers for the sanctuary.
"Now therefore you are cursed, and some of you shall never be anything but servants, cutters of wood and drawers of water for the house of my God.”" — What’s truly striking here is that Joshua doesn't just condemn them to servitude; he declares they are "cursed," directly linking their fate to the ancient curse on Canaan. Their deception, while lea…
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Last reviewed October 2026