Joshua 9:27
in Joshua 9On that day he made them woodcutters and water carriers, as they are to this day for the congregation of the LORD and for the altar at the place He would choose.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And Joshua made them that day hewers of wood and drawers of water for the congregation, and for the altar of Jehovah, unto this day, in the place which he should choose.
KJV
And Joshua made them that day hewers of wood and drawers of water for the congregation, and for the altar of the Lord, even unto this day, in the place which he should choose.
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This verse in Joshua 9
Commentary
7 notes on this verseAnd Joshua made them that day,.... Constituted and appointed them, ordered and settled them, in the post and office after mentioned; or "gave" them (u); hence some think they had the name Nethinim, persons given to the Levites for the service of the sanctuary: namely, to be hewers of wood and drawers of water for the congregation, and for the altar of the Lord; some think they were employed both for the service of the congregation, when they wanted wood and water, and for the altar, and what belonged to it, that needed both.
This site's exposition
So Joshua did this and delivered them
on Joshua 9:26-27
Joshua keeps them alive and sets their labour at “the altar at the place He would choose”, the wording Deuteronomy 12:5 uses of a sanctuary. Gill and other older writers read the temple servants of Ezra 2:43-58 and 8:20 as their descendants, a link Ezra leaves unstated.
This site's exposition
the altar at the place He would choose
Matthew Henry sees a kindness in the sentence. Made servants of Israel, the Gibeonites became servants of the LORD, and Henry calls service in his house liberty. He also takes their place as a picture of the Gentiles, whom Isaiah 66:21 says God will take even for priests and Levites.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
9 ), to minister to them in the service of God. [5.] This may be looked upon as typifying the admission of the Gentiles into the gospel church. Now they were taken in upon their submission to be under-officers, but afterwards God promises that he will take of them for priests and Levites, Isa. lxvi.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-citation-number+unbalanced-parens
And thus Israel's bondmen became the Lord's freemen, for his service in the meanest office is liberty, and his work is its own wages. And this they got by their early submission.
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 Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
hewers of wood and drawers of water--The menials who performed the lowest offices and drudgery in the sanctuary; whence they were called Nethinims (1Ch 9:2; 8:20); that is, given, appropriated.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
The words behind it
18 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיִּתְּנֵ֨ם | vaiyitenem | and he made them | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| יְהוֹשֻׁ֜עַ | yehoshua' | Joshua | H3091 → | 218 times |
| בַּיּ֣וֹם | baiyom | on the day | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| הַה֗וּא | hahu' | <the> that | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| חֹטְבֵ֥י | chotevei | cutters of | H2404 → | 9 times |
| עֵצִ֛ים | ʾetzim | wood<s> | H6086 → | 328 times |
| וְשֹׁ֥אֲבֵי | veshoavei | and drawers of | H7579 → | 19 times |
| מַ֖יִם | mayim | water | H4325 → | 581 times |
| לָֽעֵדָ֑ה | laedah | for the congregation | H5712 → | 149 times |
| וּלְמִזְבַּ֤ח | ulemizbach | and for [the] altar of | H4196 → | 401 times |
| יְהוָה֙ | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| עַד־ | ʾad- | until | H5704 → | 1261 times |
| הַיּ֣וֹם | haiyom | the day | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| הַזֶּ֔ה | hazeh | <the> this | H2088 → | 1180 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| הַמָּק֖וֹם | hamakom | the place | H4725 → | 401 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֥ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| יִבְחָֽר׃ פ | yivchar | he will choose | H977 → | 171 times |
וַיִּתְּנֵ֨םand he made them
vaiyitenemH5414 →2011 times
יְהוֹשֻׁ֜עַJoshua
yehoshua'H3091 →218 times
בַּיּ֣וֹםon the day
baiyomH3117 →2304 times
הַה֗וּא<the> that
hahu'H1931 →1879 times
חֹטְבֵ֥יcutters of
choteveiH2404 →9 times
עֵצִ֛יםwood<s>
ʾetzimH6086 →328 times
וְשֹׁ֥אֲבֵיand drawers of
veshoaveiH7579 →19 times
מַ֖יִםwater
mayimH4325 →581 times
לָֽעֵדָ֑הfor the congregation
laedahH5712 →149 times
וּלְמִזְבַּ֤חand for [the] altar of
ulemizbachH4196 →401 times
יְהוָה֙Yahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
עַד־until
ʾad-H5704 →1261 times
הַיּ֣וֹםthe day
haiyomH3117 →2304 times
הַזֶּ֔ה<the> this
hazehH2088 →1180 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
הַמָּק֖וֹםthe place
hamakomH4725 →401 times
אֲשֶׁ֥רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
יִבְחָֽר׃ פhe will choose
yivcharH977 →171 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
Deuteronomy 12:5Instead, you must seek the place the LORD your God will choose from among all your tribes to establish as a dwelling for His Name, and there you must go.
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 12:11
then the LORD your God will choose a dwelling for His Name. And there you are to bring everything I command you: your burnt offerings and sacrifices, your tithes and special gifts, and all…
- 2 Chronicles 7:12
the LORD appeared to him at night and said to him: “I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for Myself as a house of sacrifice.
- Deuteronomy 26:2
you are to take some of the firstfruits of all your produce from the soil of the land that the LORD your God is giving you and put them in a basket. Then go…
- Deuteronomy 16:2
You are to offer to the LORD your God the Passover sacrifice from the herd or flock in the place the LORD will choose as a dwelling for His Name.
- 1 Kings 8:29
May Your eyes be open toward this temple night and day, toward the place of which You said, ‘My Name shall be there,’ so that You may hear the prayer that Your servant prays…
- Deuteronomy 12:11
Where this verse is studied
About Joshua
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.