Joshua 9:21

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

19But all the leaders said to them, ‘We have made a strong promise to the Lord, Israel's God. So now we cannot hurt the Gibeonites. 20But this is what we will do. We will let them live, because we made a strong promise to do that. Then God will not punish us. We will let them live, but they will become our servants. They will cut wood and they will fetch water for all the Israelite people.’ That is what the Israelite leaders decided to do. 22Joshua called the Gibeonites to come to him. He asked them, ‘Why did you deceive us like that? You said that you lived far away from us. But you really live near to us. 23Because you told lies to us, you will always have to be our servants. You will cut wood and you will fetch water to serve our God.’

Joshua 9:21 word by word

וַיֹּאמְר֧וּ אֲלֵיהֶ֛ם הַנְּשִׂיאִ֖ים יִֽחְי֑וּ וַ֠יִּֽהְיוּ חֹטְבֵ֨י עֵצִ֤ים וְשֹֽׁאֲבֵי־מַ֙יִם֙ לְכָל־הָ֣עֵדָ֔ה כַּאֲשֶׁ֛ר דִּבְּר֥וּ לָהֶ֖ם הַנְּשִׂיאִֽים׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And the princesנָשִׂיאnâώîy' nâώi' · leaderH5387
• saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• unto them, Let them liveחָיָהchâyâh · to liveH2421
• but let them be hewersחָטַבchâţab · to chopH2404
• of woodעֵץ‛êts · tree: woodH6086
• and drawersשָׁאַבshâ'ab · to drawH7579
• of waterמַיmayim · waterH4325
• unto all the congregationעֵדָה‛êdâh · congregationH5712
• had promisedדָבַרdâbar · to speak: speakH1696

Cross-references for Joshua 9:21

• Joshua 9:23Because you told lies to us, you will always have to be our servants. You will cut wood and you will fetch water to serve our God.’
• Deuteronomy 29:11He sees your children and your wives. He sees the foreign people who live among you and who cut wood and carry water for you.
• 2 Chronicles 2:17Solomon counted all the foreign men who were living in Israel, as his father David had done. There were 153,600 foreign men.
• Joshua 9:15So Joshua agreed that they would not kill the people of Gibeon. The Israelite leaders also said that they would obey this agreement.

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

• Contracts
• Covenant
• Government
• Joshua
• Kirjath-Jearim
• Magnanimity
• Servant
• Treaty

In the dictionaries

• Alliance
• Drawer of water
• Gibeon
• Slave
• Wilily
• Chephirah
• Exodus, the Book of
• Hewer
• Joshua, Book of
• Palestine

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