But Joshua made them that day cutters of wood and drawers of water for the congregation and for the altar of the LORD, to this day, in the place that he should choose.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This verse reveals a profound pivot: the Gibeonites' deception ultimately landed them vital roles serving God's altar, transforming their punishment into an unexpected path for worship and proximity to the sacred. It wasn't just about servitude; it was about them being "given" to the service of the sanctuary, a permanent place in God's presence that their own deceit ironically secured.
But Joshua made them that day cutters of wood and drawers of water for the congregation and for the altar of the LORD, to this day, in the place that he should choose.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The Israelites have just discovered they were tricked by the Gibeonites, who pretended to be from a distant land to secure a peace treaty. Despite the deception and the congregation's anger, Joshua upholds the oath sworn by the leaders, leading to a confrontation where the Gibeonites confess their fear of God's wrath. Joshua then pronounces a sentence that spares their lives but binds them to perpetual servitude.
The Gibeonites tricked Israel with a lie, but the consequences were far more serious than just their deception. What makes an oath so binding, even when made under false pretenses?
The Sacredness of a Sworn Word
The passage highlights a crucial principle: oaths carry immense weight because God's name is invoked. Even though Israel was deceived, they couldn't break their sworn promise. Calvin emphasizes that the obligation of an oath must be held with the greatest sacredness. To break a promise, even one made in error, dishonors God. This is echoed in Psalm 15:4, which speaks of the righteous who "have sworn to their own hurt and do not change." The integrity of God's name is more precious than any worldly loss or inconvenience.
A Case of Conflicting Obligations
Israel faced a dilemma: their command was to destroy the inhabitants of Canaan, yet they had sworn an oath. The princes acknowledged that they had "sworn unto them by the Lord God of Israel." While they had departed from God's command by making the treaty, the oath itself created a new, binding obligation. Joshua's solution was not to void the oath but to find a way to honor it while still addressing the Gibeonites' deception.
The Gibeonites’ clever trick led them not to destruction, but to a perpetual role within Israel. What does this unique servitude reveal about God’s justice and mercy?
A Punishing Service
Joshua's judgment on the Gibeonites was severe: they were made "cutters of wood and drawers of water for the congregation and for the altar of the LORD." This was not merely a menial job; it was a perpetual status of servitude, a curse stemming directly from their deceit. Calvin notes that this service was a form of punishment for their guile, ensuring that their deception would not go unpunished. They were effectively stripped of their freedom and relegated to the lowest tasks within Israelite society.
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Unexpected Privilege
Despite the harshness, this servitude brought the Gibeonites into close proximity with God's presence and service. As commentators like JFB and Henry point out, performing these tasks for the sanctuary, though a sign of their fallen state, also granted them unique access. They became the "Nethinim," the "given ones," dedicated to serving the tabernacle and later the temple. This position, while born of deception and punishment, unexpectedly brought them into a place of religious privilege, a constant reminder of God's restraining hand and His persistent grace, even towards those who sought to deceive Him and His people.
Understand the original words
‘ēdāh · Hebrew Noun
The organized community of God's people, gathered together to worship, serve, and fulfill their covenantal responsibilities before the Lord.
mizbēaḥ · Hebrew Noun
A structure or place where sacrifices and offerings are presented to God, symbolizing the meeting point between the holy God and sinful humanity and the necessity of atonement.
Yahweh · Hebrew Noun
The personal, covenantal name of God in the Old Testament, representing His faithfulness, holiness, and active presence with His people.
This event highlights the tension between God's command to utterly destroy the Canaanites and the Israelites' obligation to uphold oaths, even those made under deceptive circumstances. It established a perpetual servitude, shaping the religious service and social structure of Israel.
c. 1400 BC
Israelites Enter Promised Land
Under Joshua's leadership, the Israelites cross the Jordan River and begin conquering the land of Canaan, as commanded by God.
c. 1400 BC— this verse
The Gibeonite Deception
The Gibeonites, fearing the Israelite conquest, disguise themselves as travelers from a distant land and trick Joshua into making a peace treaty with them.
c. 1400 BC
Discovery of the Deception
Three days after making the treaty, the Israelites discover that the Gibeonites are their neighbors, not distant foreigners, leading to anger and murmuring.
c. 1400 BC
Joshua's Judgment on Gibeonites
Bound by their oath to the princes, Joshua spares the Gibeonites' lives but condemns them to perpetual servitude as woodcutters and water-drawers for Israel and its altar.
Throughout the Monarchy
Service at the Sanctuary
The Gibeonites, or Nethinim, continue their assigned tasks of providing wood and water for the Tabernacle and later the Temple, serving the congregation and its worship.
This passage details the purpose of the bronze laver for washing, highlighting the need for water in the service of the tabernacle, a task the Gibeonites were assigned.
Deuteronomy 29:10-11This speaks of standing before the LORD to enter into covenant, underscoring the seriousness of oaths and commitments, which the Gibeonites' deceit initially violated but ultimately led them into service.
Psalm 84:10This verse expresses a deep longing to be a doorkeeper in the house of God, paralleling the Gibeonites' fate of being assigned menial tasks for the sanctuary, which, though a punishment, offered proximity to God's presence.
1 Kings 18:4During a time of drought and famine, Obadiah hid 100 prophets in caves and supplied them with bread and water, showing the essential nature of these provisions, similar to the Gibeonites' assigned duties.
Nehemiah 7:46This passage lists the 'Nethinim' who returned from exile and their descendants who served in the temple, directly referencing the descendants of those who were made 'hewers of wood and drawers of water' for the house of God.
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…
gillJoshua 9:27: "And Joshua made them that day hewers of wood and drawers of water for the congregation, and for the altar of the LORD, even unto this day, in the place which he should choose."
And Joshua made them that day,.... Constituted and appointed them, ordered and settled them, in the post and office after mentioned; or "gave" them (u); hence some think they had the name Nethinim, persons given to the Levites for the service of the sanctuary: namely, to be hewers of wood and drawers of wat…
This verse reveals a profound pivot: the Gibeonites' deception ultimately landed them vital roles serving God's altar, transforming their punishment into an unexpected path for worship and proximity to the sacred. It wasn't just about servitude; it was about them being "given" to the service of the sanctuary, a permanent place in God's presence that their own deceit ironically secured.
The Israelites have just discovered they were tricked by the Gibeonites, who pretended to be from a distant land to secure a peace treaty. Despite the deception and the congregation's anger, Joshua upholds the oath sworn by the leaders, leading to a confrontation where the Gibeonites confess their fear of God's wrath. Joshua then pronounces a sentence that spares their lives but binds them to perpetual servitude.
The Israelites have just discovered they were tricked by the Gibeonites, who pretended to be from a distant land to secure a peace treaty. Despite the deception and the congregation's anger, Joshua upholds the oath sworn by the leaders, leading to a confrontation where the Gibeonites confess their fear of God's wrath. Joshua then pronounces a sentence that spares their lives but binds them to perpetual servitude.
"But Joshua made them that day cutters of wood and drawers of water for the congregation and for the altar of the LORD, to this day, in the place that he should choose." — This verse reveals a profound pivot: the Gibeonites' deception ultimately landed them vital roles serving God's altar, transforming their punishment into an unexpected path for worship and proximity…
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Last reviewed October 2026