Darby Bible
Joshua 9:21
21And the princes said to them, Let them live. And they were hewers of wood and drawers of water for all the assembly; as the princes had said to them.
Joshua 9:21 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And the princes said unto them, Let them live; but let them be hewers of wood and drawers of water unto all the congregation; as the princes had promised them.
- New International Version (NIV)They continued, “Let them live, but let them be woodcutters and water carriers in the service of the whole assembly.” So the leaders’ promise to them was kept.
- English Standard Version (ESV)And the leaders said to them, "Let them live." So they became cutters of wood and drawers of water for all the congregation, just as the leaders had said of them.
- New King James Version (NKJV)And the rulers said to them, “Let them live, but let them be woodcutters and water carriers for all the congregation, as the rulers had promised them.”
Context of Joshua 9:21
19And all the princes said to all the assembly, We have sworn unto them by Jehovah the God of Israel, and now we may not touch them. 20This we will do to them, and let them live, lest wrath come upon us, because of the oath which we swore unto them. And the princes said to them, Let them live. And they were hewers of wood and drawers of water for all the assembly; as the princes had said to them. 22And Joshua called for them, and he spoke to them, saying, Why have ye deceived us, saying, We are very far from you; whereas ye dwell in our midst? 23And now ye are cursed, and ye shall never cease to be bondmen, and hewers of wood, and drawers of water for the house of my God.
Read all of Joshua 9Joshua 9:21 word by word
וַיֹּאמְר֧וּ אֲלֵיהֶ֛ם הַנְּשִׂיאִ֖ים יִֽחְי֑וּ וַ֠יִּֽהְיוּ חֹטְבֵ֨י עֵצִ֤ים וְשֹֽׁאֲבֵי־מַ֙יִם֙ לְכָל־הָ֣עֵדָ֔ה כַּאֲשֶׁ֛ר דִּבְּר֥וּ לָהֶ֖ם הַנְּשִׂיאִֽים׃Read the interlinear
Cross-references for Joshua 9:21
- Joshua 9:23And now ye are cursed, and ye shall never cease to be bondmen, and hewers of wood, and drawers of water for the house of my God.
- Deuteronomy 29:11your little ones, your wives, and thy stranger that is in thy camp, as well the hewer of thy wood as the drawer of thy water;
- 2 Chronicles 2:17And Solomon numbered all the strangers that were in the land of Israel, after the account that David his father had taken of them, and there were found a hundred and fifty-three thousand six hundred.
- Joshua 9:15And Joshua made peace with them, and made a covenant with them, to let them live; and the princes of the assembly swore unto them.
Commentaries on Joshua 9:21
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 21Hewers of wood and drawers of water - Perhaps this is a sort of proverbial expression, signifying the lowest state of servitude, though it may also be understood literally. See below.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 21Render “they shall be hewers of wood and drawers of water:” menial duties belonging to the lowest classes only (compare the marginal reference). The curse of Noah Genesis 9:25 on the children of Ham was thus fulfilled to the letter in the case of these Hivites.Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 14-21Verses 14-21 The Israelites, having examined the provisions of the Gibeonites, hastily concluded that they confirmed their account. We make more haste than good speed, when we stay not to take God with us, and do not consult him by the word and prayer. The fraud was soon found out. A lying tongue is but for a moment. Had the oath been in itself unlawful, it would not have been binding; for no obligation can render it our duty to commit a sin. But it was…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 18-21Israel could not violate this treaty, even though the Gibeonites tricked them into making it. Violating a covenant sworn by an oath before the Lord would have shown a lack of respect for God's name and honor (compare Genesis 27:30–38).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 18-2718-27. the children of Israel smote them not--The moral character of the Gibeonites' stratagem was bad. The princes of the congregation did not vindicate either the expediency or the lawfulness of the connection they had formed; but they felt the solemn obligations of their oath; and, although the popular clamor was loud against them, caused either by disappointment at losing the spoils of Gibeon, or by displeasure at the apparent breach of the divine…Read the comment
Topics related to Joshua 9:21
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Joshua 9
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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