God’s Word Translation
Joshua 9:24
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.
Joshua 9:24 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And they answered Joshua, and said, Because it was certainly told thy servants, how that the Lord thy God commanded his servant Moses to give you all the land, and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land from before you, therefore we were sore afraid of our lives because of you, and have done this thing.
- New International Version (NIV)They answered Joshua, “Your servants were clearly told how the Lord your God had commanded his servant Moses to give you the whole land and to wipe out all its inhabitants from before you. So we feared for our lives because of you, and that is why we did this.
- English Standard Version (ESV)They answered Joshua, "Because it was told to your servants for a certainty that the Lord your God had commanded his servant Moses to give you all the land and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land from before you—so we feared greatly for our lives because of you and did this thing.
- New King James Version (NKJV)So they answered Joshua and said, “Because your servants were clearly told that the Lord your God commanded His servant Moses to give you all the land, and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land from before you; therefore we were very much afraid for our lives because of you, and have done this thing.
Context of Joshua 9:24
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? 23You are under a curse now. You will always be servants. You will be woodcutters and water carriers for the house of my God.” They 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.” 26So Joshua rescued them and did not let the people of Israel kill them.
Read all of Joshua 9Joshua 9:24 word by word
וַיַּעֲנ֨וּ אֶת־יְהוֹשֻׁ֜עַ וַיֹּאמְר֗וּ כִּי֩ הֻגֵּ֨ד הֻגַּ֤ד לַעֲבָדֶ֙יךָ֙ אֵת֩ אֲשֶׁ֨ר צִוָּ֜ה יְהוָ֤ה אֱלֹהֶ֙יךָ֙ אֶת־מֹשֶׁ֣ה עַבְדּ֔וֹ לָתֵ֤ת לָכֶם֙ אֶת־כָּל־הָאָ֔רֶץ וּלְהַשְׁמִ֛יד אֶת־כָּל־יֹשְׁבֵ֥י הָאָ֖רֶץ מִפְּנֵיכֶ֑ם וַנִּירָ֨א מְאֹ֤ד לְנַפְשֹׁתֵ֙ינוּ֙ מִפְּנֵיכֶ֔ם וַֽנַּעֲשֵׂ֖ה אֶת־הַדָּבָ֥ר הַזֶּֽה׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And they answeredעָנָה‛ânâh · to answerH6030
- Joshuaיְהוֹשׁוּעַyehôshûa‛ yehôshûa‛ · JoshuaH3091
- and saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- Because it was certainlyנָגַדnâgad · to tellH5046
- thy servantsעֶ֫בֶד‛ebed · servant/slaveH5650
- how that the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- thy Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
- commandedצָוָהtsâvâh · to commandH6680
- Mosesמֹשֶׁהmôsheh · MosesH4872
- to giveנָתַןnâthan · to give: giveH5414
- you all the landאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
- and to destroyשָׁמַדshâmad · to destroyH8045
- all the inhabitantsיָשַׁבyâshab · to dwellH3427
- from beforeפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440
- you, therefore we were soreמְאֹדme'ôd · muchH3966
- afraidיָרֵאyârê' · to fearH3372
- of our livesנֶ֫פֶשׁnephesh · soul: lifeH5315
- becauseפָּנֶהpânîym · face: becauseH6440
- of you, and have doneעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
- this thingדָּבָרdâbâr · word: thingH1697
Cross-references for Joshua 9:24
- Exodus 23:31“I will establish your borders from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea and from the Sinai Desert to the Euphrates River. I will put the people living in the land under your control, and you will force them out of your way.
- Numbers 33:51“Tell the Israelites, ‘You will be crossing the Jordan River and entering Canaan.
- Deuteronomy 7:1The Lord your God will bring you to the land you’re about to enter and take possession of. He will force many nations out of your way: the Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites—seven nations larger and more powerful than you.
- Deuteronomy 20:15This is what you must do to all the cities that are far away which don’t belong to the nations nearby.
- Exodus 15:14People will hear of it and tremble. The people of Philistia will be in anguish.
- Job 2:4Satan answered the Lord, “Skin for skin! Certainly, a man will give everything he has for his life.
- Matthew 10:28Don’t be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Instead, fear the one who can destroy both body and soul in hell.
Commentaries on Joshua 9:24
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 24We were sore afraid of our lives - Self-preservation, which is the most powerful law of nature, dictated to them those measures which they adopted; and they plead this as the motive of their conduct.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 24It was mere fear which drove the Gibeonites to act as they did. They sought for union with God‘s people, not for its own sake, but to save their lives. Rahab‘s motives were higher (Joshua 2:9 ff). Hence, she was adopted into Israel; the Gibeonites remained forever bondsmen of Israel.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. 24-25The response of the Gibeonites showed their faith in the Lord. They used dishonesty because they believed God would help Israel conquer Canaan.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 9:24
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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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