Joshua 9:24
in Joshua 9The Gibeonites answered, “Your servants were told clearly that the LORD your God had commanded His servant Moses to give you all the land and wipe out all its inhabitants before you. So we greatly feared for our lives because of you, and that is why we have done this.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And they answered Joshua, and said, Because it was certainly told thy servants, how that Jehovah 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 for our lives because of you, and have done this thing.
KJV
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.
⋯
This verse in Joshua 9
Commentary
6 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
Your servants were told clearly
on Joshua 9:24-25
Their answer is Rahab’s: they heard what the LORD commanded Moses, and they believed it. Deuteronomy 7:1-2 is the command they quote back, and fear of it drove the whole performance, admitted without excuse. The words “we are in your hands” put them where Rahab put herself at 2:12-13.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
And they answered Joshua, and said, because it was certainly told thy servants,....
Under the greatest provocations, it is our wisdom and duty to keep our temper, and to bridle our passion; a just cause needs not anger to defend it, and a bad one is made never the better by it.
But here the kings of Canaan are in consultation to attack Israel, and concert matters for a vigorous effort of their united forces to check the progress of their victorious arms. It was strange they did not do this sooner. They had notice long since of their approach;
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
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.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
It was mere fear which drove the Gibeonites to act as they did. They sought for union with God’s people, not for its own sake, but to save their lives. Rahab’s motives were higher (Jos 2:9 ff). Hence, she was adopted into Israel; the Gibeonites remained forever bondsmen of Israel.
The words behind it
35 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיַּעֲנ֨וּ | vaiyaanu | and they answered | H6030 → | 331 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| יְהוֹשֻׁ֜עַ | yehoshua' | Joshua | H3091 → | 218 times |
| וַיֹּאמְר֗וּ | vaiyomeru | and they said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| כִּי֩ | ki | that | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| הֻגֵּ֨ד | huged | certainly <to tell> | H5046 → | 370 times |
| הֻגַּ֤ד | hugad | it was told | H5046 → | 370 times |
| לַעֲבָדֶ֙יךָ֙ | laavadeikha | to servants your | H5650 → | 799 times |
| אֵת֩ | ʾet | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֨ר | ʾasher | this: | H834 → | 5497 times |
| צִוָּ֜ה | tzivah | he had commanded | H6680 → | 494 times |
| יְהוָ֤ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֱלֹהֶ֙יךָ֙ | ʾeloheikha | God your | H430 → | 2601 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| מֹשֶׁ֣ה | mosheh | Moses | H4872 → | 765 times |
| עַבְדּ֔וֹ | avdo | servant his | H5650 → | 799 times |
| לָתֵ֤ת | latet | to give | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| לָכֶם֙ | lakhem | to <the> you | ||
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| הָאָ֔רֶץ | haaretz | the land | H776 → | 2504 times |
| וּלְהַשְׁמִ֛יד | ulehashmid | and to destroy | H8045 → | 90 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| יֹשְׁבֵ֥י | yoshevei | [the] inhabitants of | H3427 → | 1079 times |
| הָאָ֖רֶץ | haaretz | the land | H776 → | 2504 times |
| מִפְּנֵיכֶ֑ם | mipeneikhem | from before you | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| וַנִּירָ֨א | vanira' | and we were afraid | H3372 → | 315 times |
| מְאֹ֤ד | meod | very | H3966 → | 300 times |
| לְנַפְשֹׁתֵ֙ינוּ֙ | lenafshoteinu | for lives our | H5315 → | 754 times |
| מִפְּנֵיכֶ֔ם | mipeneikhem | <from> because of you | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| וַֽנַּעֲשֵׂ֖ה | vanaaseh | and we did | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַדָּבָ֥ר | hadavar | the thing | H1697 → | 1440 times |
| הַזֶּֽה׃ | hazeh | <the> this | H2088 → | 1180 times |
וַיַּעֲנ֨וּand they answered
vaiyaanuH6030 →331 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
יְהוֹשֻׁ֜עַJoshua
yehoshua'H3091 →218 times
וַיֹּאמְר֗וּand they said
vaiyomeruH559 →5305 times
כִּי֩that
kiH3588 →4482 times
הֻגֵּ֨דcertainly <to tell>
hugedH5046 →370 times
הֻגַּ֤דit was told
hugadH5046 →370 times
לַעֲבָדֶ֙יךָ֙to servants your
laavadeikhaH5650 →799 times
אֵת֩<obj.>
ʾetH853 →10935 times
אֲשֶׁ֨רthis:
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
צִוָּ֜הhe had commanded
tzivahH6680 →494 times
יְהוָ֤הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
אֱלֹהֶ֙יךָ֙God your
ʾeloheikhaH430 →2601 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
מֹשֶׁ֣הMoses
moshehH4872 →765 times
עַבְדּ֔וֹservant his
avdoH5650 →799 times
לָתֵ֤תto give
latetH5414 →2011 times
לָכֶם֙to <the> you
lakhem
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
הָאָ֔רֶץthe land
haaretzH776 →2504 times
וּלְהַשְׁמִ֛ידand to destroy
ulehashmidH8045 →90 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
יֹשְׁבֵ֥י[the] inhabitants of
yosheveiH3427 →1079 times
הָאָ֖רֶץthe land
haaretzH776 →2504 times
מִפְּנֵיכֶ֑םfrom before you
mipeneikhemH6440 →2123 times
וַנִּירָ֨אand we were afraid
vanira'H3372 →315 times
מְאֹ֤דvery
meodH3966 →300 times
לְנַפְשֹׁתֵ֙ינוּ֙for lives our
lenafshoteinuH5315 →754 times
מִפְּנֵיכֶ֔ם<from> because of you
mipeneikhemH6440 →2123 times
וַֽנַּעֲשֵׂ֖הand we did
vanaasehH6213 →2628 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הַדָּבָ֥רthe thing
hadavarH1697 →1440 times
הַזֶּֽה׃<the> this
hazehH2088 →1180 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
5 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Matthew 10:28Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Instead, fear the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
it leads to
- Luke 12:4–5
I tell you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more.
- Isaiah 8:12–13
“Do not call conspiracy everything these people regard as conspiracy. Do not fear what they fear; do not live in dread.
- Revelation 2:10
Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Look, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison to test you, and you will suffer tribulation for ten days. Be faithful…
- James 4:12
There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the One who is able to save and destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor?
- Ecclesiastes 8:12–13
Although a sinner does evil a hundred times and still lives long, yet I also know that it will go well with those who fear God, who are reverent in His presence.
- Luke 12:4–5
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies5
On this chapter
About Joshua
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.