Joshua 9:18
in Joshua 9But the Israelites did not attack them, because the leaders of the congregation had sworn an oath to them by the LORD, the God of Israel. And the whole congregation grumbled against the leaders.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And the children of Israel smote them not, because the princes of the congregation had sworn unto them by Jehovah, the God of Israel. And all the congregation murmured against the princes.
KJV
And the children of Israel smote them not, because the princes of the congregation had sworn unto them by the Lord God of Israel. And all the congregation murmured against the princes.
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This verse in Joshua 9
Commentary
7 notes on this verseAll the congregation murmured - Merely because they were deprived of the spoils of the Gibeonites. They had now got under the full influence of a predatory spirit; God saw their proneness to this, and therefore, at particular times, totally interdicted the spoils of conquered cities, as in the case of Jericho.
This site's exposition
on the third day arrived at their cities
on Joshua 9:17-19
Four towns come in with Gibeon, each with a later history: Kiriath-jearim keeps the ark at 1 Samuel 7:1-2. The congregation grumbles against the leaders with the verb the wilderness chapters use against Moses. The leaders rest their whole answer on having sworn “by the LORD, the God of Israel”.
This site's exposition
grumbled against the leaders
Adam Clarke says the congregation grumbled only because it lost the spoil of the four cities. Matthew Henry allows that some may have cared for God's command. He thinks most were moved by their own profit, and adds how readily a people censures rulers whose reasons it cannot see.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices
) it is to be feared, more from a jealousy for their own profit than from a zeal for the fulfilling of God's command, though some of them perhaps had a regard to that. Many are forward to arraign and censure the actions of princes while they are ignorant of the springs of those actions and are incompetent judges of the reasons of state that govern them.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
Against the princes - Both from that proneness which is in people to censure the actions of their rulers; and from their desire of the spoil of these cities.
And the children of Israel smote them not,....
How the matter was adjusted to the satisfaction of all sides, by giving these Gibeonites their lives because they had covenanted with them, yet depriving them of their liberties because the covenant was not fairly obtained,
The words behind it
17 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְלֹ֤א | velo' | and not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| הִכּוּם֙ | hikum | they attacked them | H5221 → | 499 times |
| בְּנֵ֣י | benei | [the] people of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| כִּֽי־ | ki- | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| נִשְׁבְּע֤וּ | nishbeu | they had sworn an oath | H7650 → | 186 times |
| לָהֶם֙ | lahem | to <the> them | ||
| נְשִׂיאֵ֣י | nesiei | [the] leaders of | H5387 → | 134 times |
| הָֽעֵדָ֔ה | haedah | the congregation | H5712 → | 149 times |
| בַּֽיהוָ֖ה | bayahweh | by Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֱלֹהֵ֣י | ʾelohei | [the] God of | H430 → | 2601 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| וַיִּלֹּ֥נוּ | vaiyilonu | and they grumbled | H3885 → | 84 times |
| כָל־ | khol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| הָעֵדָ֖ה | haedah | the congregation | H5712 → | 149 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| הַנְּשִׂיאִֽים׃ | hanesiim | the leaders | H5387 → | 134 times |
וְלֹ֤אand not
velo'H3808 →5168 times
הִכּוּם֙they attacked them
hikumH5221 →499 times
בְּנֵ֣י[the] people of
beneiH1121 →4930 times
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔לIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
כִּֽי־for
ki-H3588 →4482 times
נִשְׁבְּע֤וּthey had sworn an oath
nishbeuH7650 →186 times
לָהֶם֙to <the> them
lahem
נְשִׂיאֵ֣י[the] leaders of
nesieiH5387 →134 times
הָֽעֵדָ֔הthe congregation
haedahH5712 →149 times
בַּֽיהוָ֖הby Yahweh
bayahwehH3068 →6520 times
אֱלֹהֵ֣י[the] God of
ʾeloheiH430 →2601 times
יִשְׂרָאֵ֑לIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
וַיִּלֹּ֥נוּand they grumbled
vaiyilonuH3885 →84 times
כָל־all
khol-H3605 →5413 times
הָעֵדָ֖הthe congregation
haedahH5712 →149 times
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
הַנְּשִׂיאִֽים׃the leaders
hanesiimH5387 →134 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
Ecclesiastes 5:2Do not be quick to speak, and do not be hasty in your heart to utter a word before God. After all, God is in heaven and you are on earth. So let your…
it leads to
- Matthew 6:7
And when you pray, do not babble on like pagans, for they think that by their many words they will be heard.
- Proverbs 10:19
When words are many, sin is unavoidable, but he who restrains his lips is wise.
- Isaiah 55:9
“For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so My ways are higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.
- Matthew 6:9
So then, this is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name.
- Ecclesiastes 5:7
For as many dreams bring futility, so do many words. Therefore, fear God.
- Matthew 6:7
Through
Ecclesiastes 5:6Do not let your mouth cause your flesh to sin, and do not tell the messenger that your vow was a mistake. Why should God be angry with your words and destroy the work…
it leads to
- James 1:26
If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not bridle his tongue, he deceives his heart and his religion is worthless.
- 2 John 1:8
Watch yourselves, so that you do not lose what we have worked for, but that you may be fully rewarded.
- James 1:26
Through
Psalms 15:4who despises the vile but honors those who fear the LORD, who does not revise a costly oath,
it leads to
- Judges 11:35
As soon as Jephthah saw her, he tore his clothes and said, “No! Not my daughter! You have brought me to my knees! You have brought great misery upon me, for I have given…
- Judges 11:35
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies5
On this verse
About Joshua
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: Joshua, Judges, Ruth and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.