Joshua 9:3
But when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and to Ai,
English Standard Version (ESV)
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
While the other Canaanite kings prepared for open warfare, the Gibeonites chose a different path: deception. They didn't just hear about Joshua's victories; they reacted to them, understanding that direct confrontation meant certain annihilation.
The other Canaanite kings in the land had gathered their forces to fight against Joshua, but the inhabitants of Gibeon, hearing of Joshua's swift and decisive victories at Jericho and Ai, decided on a different approach. Instead of joining the doomed alliance, they devised a cunning plan to deceive Joshua into making a treaty with them, hoping to secure their safety through trickery.
Jericho and Ai weren't just conquered; they were utterly annihilated. What made these victories so terrifying to Israel's enemies?
Joshua's victories at Jericho and Ai weren't just military successes; they were divine demonstrations of God's power.
Miraculous Power
These events weren't just about Joshua's leadership; they were about the overwhelming power of the God of Israel, a power that defied natural explanation and struck deep fear into the hearts of those who heard.
The Gibeonites heard about Jericho and Ai. Instead of preparing for war, they chose a different path entirely. What does this tell us about their strategy?
The news of Jericho and Ai didn't just instill fear in the Gibeonites; it dictated their entire strategy. They recognized that open warfare against the God of Israel was futile.
A Wily Approach
Understand the original words
Gibeon · Hebrew Noun
A city of significance in the narrative, known for its strategic location. In this context, it represents a group that seeks survival and covenantal accommodation through deception rather than through direct military confrontation.
Yeriho · Hebrew Noun
A city whose destruction served as a sign of God's power and judgment. It serves as a monumental example of God's victory over the enemies of His people and the power of faith in overcoming strongholds.
Ai · Hebrew Noun
A location used to demonstrate God's judgment on sin and His provision for Israel's conquest. It represents a battlefield where human effort is secondary to divine decree and obedience.
The Gibeonites' decision to seek peace through trickery was directly motivated by the awe-inspiring, and terrifying, reports of Jericho's destruction and Ai's conquest. This verse highlights how dramatic divine intervention and military success could sow fear and influence the strategic decisions of surrounding nations.
c. 1400 BC
Israel enters Canaan
Following their exodus from Egypt and forty years in the wilderness, the Israelites, under Joshua's leadership, crossed the Jordan River and began their conquest of the Promised Land.
c. 1400 BC
Fall of Jericho
The walls of Jericho miraculously collapsed after the Israelites marched around the city for seven days, leading to its complete destruction by God's command.
c. 1400 BC
Israel's defeat at Ai
Achan's sin led to Israel's unexpected defeat at Ai, a humiliating setback that would have shaken their confidence and spread fear among their enemies.
c. 1400 BC— this verse
Second victory at Ai
After dealing with Achan's sin, Joshua led Israel to a decisive victory over Ai, capturing the city and executing its king, demonstrating God's renewed favor.
This passage outlines the promised boundaries of the land God would give Israel, emphasizing their conquest and the expulsion of the inhabitants, setting the stage for the conflict Joshua faces.
Deuteronomy 7:1-2This passage directly commands Israel to destroy the Canaanite nations they will encounter, making the Gibeonites' deception and the Israelites' subsequent covenant a significant deviation from God's explicit instructions.
Joshua 11:19This verse confirms that the Hivites (like the Gibeonites) were among the peoples that Israel was supposed to utterly destroy, highlighting the Gibeonite's strategy and the Israelites' failure to discern.
Judges 1:22-23This passage shows that even after the initial conquest, the tribe of Joseph dealt deceitfully with the house of Joseph (connecting to the Gibeonites, who were Hivites, a group often associated with the Canaanites), mirroring the Gibeonite's own deception.
2 Samuel 21:1-2This passage reveals the long-term consequences of Israel's broken covenant with the Gibeonites, showing that their deception had lasting repercussions generations later.
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…
jfbJoshua 9:3-15: "And when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done unto Jericho and to Ai,"
Jos 9:3-15. The Gibeonites Obtain a League by Craft.3-15. when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard—This town, as its name imports, was situated on a rocky eminence, about six miles northwest from Jerusalem, where the modern village of El Jib now stands. It was the capital of the Hivites, and a large important city (Jos 10:2). It seems to have formed, in union with a few other towns in the neighbor…
While the other Canaanite kings prepared for open warfare, the Gibeonites chose a different path: deception. They didn't just hear about Joshua's victories; they reacted to them, understanding that direct confrontation meant certain annihilation.
The other Canaanite kings in the land had gathered their forces to fight against Joshua, but the inhabitants of Gibeon, hearing of Joshua's swift and decisive victories at Jericho and Ai, decided on a different approach. Instead of joining the doomed alliance, they devised a cunning plan to deceive Joshua into making a treaty with them, hoping to secure their safety through trickery.
The other Canaanite kings in the land had gathered their forces to fight against Joshua, but the inhabitants of Gibeon, hearing of Joshua's swift and decisive victories at Jericho and Ai, decided on a different approach. Instead of joining the doomed alliance, they devised a cunning plan to deceive Joshua into making a treaty with them, hoping to secure their safety through trickery.
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Ask a follow-up
Ask Sola things like:
Live chat about Joshua 9:3 is available in the Sola app.
c. 1400 BC
Gibeonites deceive Israel
Hearing of Israel's successes, the Hivite inhabitants of Gibeon disguised themselves as travelers from a distant land and secured a peace treaty with Joshua through deceit.
c. 1400 BC
Discovery of the deception
After three days, the Israelites discovered the Gibeonites' deception, but because of the oath sworn by their leaders, they spared the Gibeonite cities and people.
"But when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and to Ai," — While the other Canaanite kings prepared for open warfare, the Gibeonites chose a different path: deception. They didn't just hear about Joshua's victories; they reacted to them, understanding that…
