Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Joshua 9:24
And they answered Joshua, and said, Because it was certainly told thy servants, how that the LORD thy God commanded his servant Moses to give you all the land, and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land from before you, therefore we were sore afraid of our lives because of you, and have done this thing.
24. the Lord thy God commanded ] See Deu 7:1-2.
we were sore afraid ] Fear had been their sole motive in seeking an alliance with Israel. Theirs was not the faith, which had prompted Rahab to save the spies.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
It was mere fear which drove the Gibeonites to act as they did. They sought for union with Gods people, not for its own sake, but to save their lives. Rahabs motives were higher (Jos 2:9 ff). Hence, she was adopted into Israel; the Gibeonites remained forever bondsmen of Israel.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 24. We were sore afraid of our lives] Self-preservation, which is the most powerful law of nature, dictated to them those measures which they adopted; and they plead this as the motive of their conduct.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
And they answered Joshua, and said, because it was certainly told thy servants,…. Or “it was told”, told t; not only certainly, told, but frequently told them, they had often heard of it by one means or another:
how that the Lord thy God commanded his servant Moses to give you all the land; all the land of Canaan, no part excepted; they had heard much of the Lord God of Israel, and of Moses, what character he bore, and of the commands of the Lord to him; they seem to have knowledge of God, and faith in him as to his promises and threatenings, believing they would be fulfilled:
and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land from before you; as the gift of the land of Canaan to Israel was often spoken of by the Lord to Moses, and frequently mentioned by him; so there were instructions given him from the Lord, and which lie delivered to Israel, utterly to destroy the inhabitants of Canaan, so, that these people had accurate intelligence and information of this matter; see De 7:1:
therefore we were sore afraid of our lives because of you, and have done this thing; they answer to Joshua’s question, “wherefore have ye beguiled us?” Jos 9:22, that it was fear of losing their lives, than which nothing is dearer to a man, and the principle of self-preservation that put them upon framing and using this device.
t “indicando indicatum est”, Pagninus, Montanus.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
The Gibeonites offered this excuse for their conduct, that having heard of the command of God which had been issued through Moses, that all the Canaanites were to be destroyed (Deu 7:1; Deu 20:16-17), they had feared greatly for their lives, and readily submitted to the resolution which Joshua made known to them.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
24. It was certainly told thy servants This information could have been brought by spies sent from Canaan to ascertain the intentions of so formidable a mass of people marching through the wilderness toward Palestine. The language of both nations was nearly the same.
We were sore afraid They had grounds for their great fear, in view of the fate of their brethren, the Amorites east of the Jordan.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘ And they answered Joshua, and said, “Because it was assuredly told your servants, how that YHWH your God commanded his servant Moses to give you all the land, and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land from before you. Therefore we were sore afraid of our lives because of you, and have done this thing.” ’
At this stage the reputation of YHWH and the great prophet Moses were at their highest among the nations. They were afraid of Him and His servants. That was what would be lost through the failure of His people later to be obedient. The word had got around that YHWH had given Canaan to Israel (compare Jos 2:9) and had commanded destruction of the Canaanites, and the peoples were afraid that He would be able to do it, and were terrified.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Reader! remark with me, what grace teacheth. Doth not every poor sinner, when he is brought by the Holy Ghost to Jesus, our Almighty Joshua, doth he not say: Behold I am in thine hand, do Lord as it seemeth right by me.
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Jos 9:24 And they answered Joshua, and said, Because it was certainly told thy servants, how that the LORD thy God commanded his servant Moses to give you all the land, and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land from before you, therefore we were sore afraid of our lives because of you, and have done this thing.
Ver. 24. Therefore we were sore afraid of our lives. ] Man is , a life-loving creature. Skin for skin and all that he hath will he give for his life. But yet he purchaseth his life at too dear a rate who payeth his honesty to save it. He that thus saveth his life shall lose it. Life in God’s displeasure is worse than death, said that martyr.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
commanded. Compare Deu 7:1-5.
our lives = our souls. Hebrew. Nephesh. See App-13.
LORD. There is an Homoeoteleuton (App-6) here, preserved in the Septuagint; a scribe going back to the former of the two words “Lord”; and reading ‘ the altar of Jehovah [and the inhabitants of Gibeon became hewers of wood and drawers of water for the altar of Jehovah]”, even unto this day, &c.
even. Supply Figure of speech Ellipsis (App-8), thus = “[as they are] even”.
in = for.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
the Lord: Exo 23:31-33, Num 33:51, Num 33:52, Num 33:55, Num 33:56, Deu 7:1, Deu 7:2, Deu 7:23, Deu 7:24, Deu 20:15-17
we were sore: Exo 15:14-16, Job 2:4, Mat 10:28
Reciprocal: Num 22:3 – General Deu 2:25 – General Deu 2:34 – utterly destroyed Deu 20:16 – General Jos 6:21 – utterly Jos 9:9 – we have Jos 10:6 – from thy Jos 10:40 – as the Lord Jos 11:12 – as Moses 2Ki 5:15 – now I know 2Ki 10:5 – We are thy servants 1Ch 14:17 – the fear of him Isa 27:5 – let him Mic 7:17 – they shall be Hab 3:7 – saw the Luk 15:19 – make