Joshua 9:1
in Joshua 9Now when news of this reached all the kings west of the Jordan—those in the hill country, the foothills, and all along the coast of the Great Sea toward Lebanon (the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites)—
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And it came to pass, when all the kings that were beyond the Jordan, in the hill-country, and in the lowland, and on all the shore of the great sea in front of Lebanon, the Hittite, and the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, heard thereof;
KJV
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;
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This verse in Joshua 9
Commentary
10 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
In the hills - See the Num 13:17 note. The valleys - Or “the vale” (the Shephelah, Deu 1:7), which imports the lowland country between the mountains and the sea coast.
This site's exposition
Now when news of this reached all the kings west of the Jordan
on Joshua 9:1-2
The kings west of the Jordan hear what the kings of 5:1 heard, and where those hearts melted, these combine. The six nations named are the six of Exodus 3:8 and Deuteronomy 20:17. Their answer stands first so it can be weighed against Gibeon’s answer to the same report.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
The narrative of the exploits is clear, and what is plainly expressed does not need explanation. Nevertheless, out of these visible things that were done, let us consider the wars and triumphs that the Lord Jesus, our Savior, led, although we may also perceive these things to be visibly fulfilled in him. For the kings of the earth have assembled together, the senate and the people and the leaders of Rome, to blot out the name of Jesus and Israel at the same time. For they have decreed in their laws that there be no Christians.
The Reformation1 voice
And it came to pass when all the kings, etc. As the arrival of the people was well known to these kings from the very first, it is certain that their minds were intoxicated from above with security or lethargy, so that they did not forthwith league together to oppose them.
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
And it came to pass, when all the kings which were on this side Jordan,....
O that Israel would learn this of Canaanites, to sacrifice private interests to the public welfare, and to lay aside all animosities among themselves, that they may cordially unite against the common enemies of God's kingdom among men!
The polite confederacy of the inhabitants of Gibeon with Israel, 1. How it was subtly proposed and petitioned for by the Gibeonites pretending to come from a far country,
3 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
all the kings which were on this side--that is, the western side of Jordan. in the hills, and in ther valleys, and in all the coasts of the great sea--This threefold distinction marks out very clearly a large portion of Canaan.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
And it came to pass, when all the kings - heard thereof - From this account it appears that the capture and destruction of Jericho and Ai had been heard of to the remotest parts of the land, that a general fear of the Israelitish arms prevailed, and that the different dynasties or petty governments into which the land was divided, felt all their interests at stake, and determined to make the defense of their country a common cause. This was the most prudent step they could take in their circumstances, and therefore they entered into a confederation in order to arrest the progress of the Israelites. The Great Sea mentioned here is the Mediterranean Sea, the coasts of which were inhabited by the Phoenicians, Syrians, Sidonians, and Philistines. It is very likely that all these united with the Canaanites for their common safety.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
In the hills - See the Num 13:17 note. The valleys - Or “the vale” (the Shephelah, Deu 1:7), which imports the lowland country between the mountains and the sea coast.
The words behind it
22 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיְהִ֣י | vayhi | and it was | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| כִשְׁמֹ֣עַ | khishmoa' | when heard | H8085 → | 1159 times |
| כָּֽל־ | kal- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| הַמְּלָכִ֡ים | hamelakhim | the kings | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| אֲשֶׁר֩ | ʾasher | who | H834 → | 5497 times |
| בְּעֵ֨בֶר | beever | [were] on [the] other side of | H5676 → | 90 times |
| הַיַּרְדֵּ֜ן | haiyarden | the Jordan | H3383 → | 182 times |
| בָּהָ֣ר | bahar | in the hill country | H2022 → | 546 times |
| וּבַשְּׁפֵלָ֗ה | uvashefelah | and in the Shephelah | H8219 → | 20 times |
| וּבְכֹל֙ | uvekhol | and in all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| ח֚וֹף | chof | [the] coast of | H2348 → | |
| הַיָּ֣ם | haiyam | the sea | H3220 → | 396 times |
| הַגָּד֔וֹל | hagadol | <the> great | H1419 → | 526 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| מ֖וּל | mul | [the] front of | H4136 → | 36 times |
| הַלְּבָנ֑וֹן | halevanon | <the> Lebanon | H3844 → | 71 times |
| הַֽחִתִּי֙ | hachiti | the Hittite[s] | H2850 → | 48 times |
| וְהָ֣אֱמֹרִ֔י | vehaemori | and the Amorite[s] | H567 → | 87 times |
| הַֽכְּנַעֲנִי֙ | hakenaani | the Canaanite[s] | H3669 → | 73 times |
| הַפְּרִזִּ֔י | haperizi | the Perizzite[s] | H6522 → | 23 times |
| הַחִוִּ֖י | hachivi | the Hivite[s] | H2340 → | 25 times |
| וְהַיְבוּסִֽי׃ | vehayvusi | and the Jebusite[s] | H2983 → | 41 times |
וַיְהִ֣יand it was
vayhiH1961 →3559 times
כִשְׁמֹ֣עַwhen heard
khishmoa'H8085 →1159 times
כָּֽל־all
kal-H3605 →5413 times
הַמְּלָכִ֡יםthe kings
hamelakhimH4428 →2525 times
אֲשֶׁר֩who
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
בְּעֵ֨בֶר[were] on [the] other side of
beeverH5676 →90 times
הַיַּרְדֵּ֜ןthe Jordan
haiyardenH3383 →182 times
בָּהָ֣רin the hill country
baharH2022 →546 times
וּבַשְּׁפֵלָ֗הand in the Shephelah
uvashefelahH8219 →20 times
וּבְכֹל֙and in all
uvekholH3605 →5413 times
ח֚וֹף[the] coast of
chofH2348 →
הַיָּ֣םthe sea
haiyamH3220 →396 times
הַגָּד֔וֹל<the> great
hagadolH1419 →526 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
מ֖וּל[the] front of
mulH4136 →36 times
הַלְּבָנ֑וֹן<the> Lebanon
halevanonH3844 →71 times
הַֽחִתִּי֙the Hittite[s]
hachitiH2850 →48 times
וְהָ֣אֱמֹרִ֔יand the Amorite[s]
vehaemoriH567 →87 times
הַֽכְּנַעֲנִי֙the Canaanite[s]
hakenaaniH3669 →73 times
הַפְּרִזִּ֔יthe Perizzite[s]
haperiziH6522 →23 times
הַחִוִּ֖יthe Hivite[s]
hachiviH2340 →25 times
וְהַיְבוּסִֽי׃and the Jebusite[s]
vehayvusiH2983 →41 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 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
Joshua 3:10He continued, “This is how you will know that the living God is among you and that He will surely drive out before you the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites, and Jebusites.
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 7:1
When the LORD your God brings you into the land that you are entering to possess, and He drives out before you many nations—the Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, seven nations…
- Exodus 33:2
And I will send an angel before you, and I will drive out the Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites.
- Psalms 44:2–3
With Your hand You drove out the nations and planted our fathers there; You crushed the peoples and cast them out.
- Hebrews 10:31
It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
- Deuteronomy 7:1
Through
Exodus 23:23For My angel will go before you and bring you into the land of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites, and Jebusites, and I will annihilate them.
it leads to
- Exodus 23:20
Behold, I am sending an angel before you to protect you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared.
- Exodus 23:20
Through
Joshua 13:5the land of the Gebalites; and all Lebanon to the east, from Baal-gad below Mount Hermon to Lebo-hamath.
it leads to
- 1 Kings 5:18
So Solomon’s and Hiram’s builders, along with the Gebalites, quarried the stone and prepared the timber and stone for the construction of the temple.
- Joshua 12:7
And these are the kings of the land that Joshua and the Israelites conquered beyond the Jordan to the west, from Baal-gad in the Valley of Lebanon to Mount Halak, which rises toward Seir…
- 1 Kings 5:18
Through
Exodus 3:17And I have promised to bring you up out of your affliction in Egypt, into the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites—a land flowing with milk and honey.’
it leads to
- Genesis 15:13–21
Then the LORD said to Abram, “Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated four hundred years.
- Genesis 15:13–21
Where this verse is studied
About Joshua

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Calvin, Commentaries; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: Joshua, Judges, Ruth; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Origen of Alexandria, HOMILIES ON JOSHUA 9.10.
