Joshua 9:23

Joshua 9:23 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Now therefore ye are cursed, and there shall none of you be freed from being bondmen, and hewers of wood and drawers of water for the house of my God.
• New International Version (NIV)You are now under a curse: You will never be released from service as woodcutters and water carriers for the house of my God.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)Now therefore you are cursed, and some of you shall never be anything but servants, cutters of wood and drawers of water for the house of my God."
• New King James Version (NKJV)Now therefore, you are cursed, and none of you shall be freed from being slaves—woodcutters and water carriers for the house of my God.”

Context of Joshua 9:23

21The leaders said that they should be allowed to live. So they became woodcutters and water carriers for the whole congregation, as the leaders had said. 22Joshua sent for the people of Gibeon and asked, “Why did you deceive us by saying, ‘We live very far away from you,’ when you live here with us? You are under a curse now. You will always be servants. You will be woodcutters and water carriers for the house of my God.” 24They answered Joshua, “We were told that the Lord your God commanded his servant Moses to give you the whole land and destroy all who live there. We deceived you because we feared for our lives. 25Now we’re at your mercy. Do to us what you think is good and right.”

Joshua 9:23 word by word

וְעַתָּ֖ה אֲרוּרִ֣ים אַתֶּ֑ם וְלֹֽא־יִכָּרֵ֨ת מִכֶּ֜ם עֶ֗בֶד וְחֹטְבֵ֥י עֵצִ֛ים וְשֹֽׁאֲבֵי־מַ֖יִם לְבֵ֥ית אֱלֹהָֽי׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• cursedאָרַר'ârar · to curseH779
• and there shall none of you be freedכָּרַתkârath · to cut: cutH3772
• from being bondmenעֶ֫בֶד‛ebed · servant/slaveH5650
• and hewersחָטַבchâţab · to chopH2404
• of woodעֵץ‛êts · tree: woodH6086
• and drawersשָׁאַבshâ'ab · to drawH7579
• of waterמַיmayim · waterH4325
• for the houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: templeH1004
• of my Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430

Cross-references for Joshua 9:23

• Genesis 9:25So he said, “Canaan is cursed! He will be the lowest slave to his brothers.
• Leviticus 27:28“However, everything dedicated to the Lord for destruction—a person, an animal, or a field that belongs to you—must not be sold or bought back. Everything dedicated in that way is very holy. It belongs to the Lord.
• Joshua 9:21The leaders said that they should be allowed to live. So they became woodcutters and water carriers for the whole congregation, as the leaders had said.

Commentaries on Joshua 9:23

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 23Now therefore ye are cursed - Does not this refer to what was pronounced by Noah, Genesis 9:26, against Ham and his posterity? Did not the curse of Ham imply slavery, and nothing else? Cursed be Canaan, a servant of servants shall he be; and does it not sufficiently appear that nothing else than perpetual slavery is implied in the curse of the Gibeonites? They were brought, no doubt, under tribute; performed the meanest offices for the Israelites, being…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 22-27Verses 22-27 The Gibeonites do not justify their lie, but plead that they did it to save their lives. And the fear was not merely of the power of man; one might flee from that to the Divine protection; but of the power of God himself, which they saw engaged against them. Joshua sentences them to perpetual bondage. They must be servants, but any work becomes honourable, when it is done for the house of the Lord, and the offices thereof. Let us, in like…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 23under a curse: This means they became servants. At that time, the house of my God was the tabernacle. Later, it was the temple in Jerusalem.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 9:23

• Church
• Contracts
• Joshua
• Kirjath-Jearim
• Magnanimity
• Servant

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Alliance
• Drawer of water
• Gibeon
• Slave
• Wilily
• Abinadab
• Chephirah
• Exodus, the Book of

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