Joshua 9:24

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

22Then Joshua called for them and spoke to them, saying, “Why have you deceived us, saying, ‘We are very far from you,’ when you are living within our land? 23Now therefore, you are cursed, and you will never cease to be slaves, both gatherers of firewood and labor to draw water for the house of my God.” So they answered Joshua and said, “Since your servants were fully informed 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 before you, we feared greatly for our lives because of you, and did this thing. 25And now behold, we are in your hands; do to us as it seems good and right in your sight to do.” 26This he did to them, and saved them from the hands of the sons of Israel, and they did not kill them.

Joshua 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

• So they answeredעָנָה‛ânâh · to answerH6030
• Joshuaיְהוֹשׁוּעַyehôshûa‛ yehôshûa‛ · JoshuaH3091
• and saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• Sinceכִּיkîy · forH3588
• your servantsעֶ֫בֶד‛ebed · servant/slaveH5650
• were fullyנָגַדnâgad · to tellH5046
• that the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• your Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
• had commandedצָוָהtsâvâh · to commandH6680
• Mosesמֹשֶׁהmôsheh · MosesH4872
• to giveנָתַןnâthan · to give: giveH5414
• you allכֹּלkôl kôl · allH3605
• the landאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
• and to destroyשָׁמַדshâmad · to destroyH8045
• the inhabitantsיָשַׁבyâshab · to dwellH3427
• beforeמִן־min minnîy minnêy · fromH4480
• beforeפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440
• you, we fearedיָרֵאyârê' · to fearH3372
• greatlyמְאֹדme'ôd · muchH3966
• for our livesנֶ֫פֶשׁnephesh · soul: lifeH5315
• becauseפָּנֶהpânîym · face: becauseH6440
• of you, and didעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
• thisזֶהzeh · thisH2088
• thingדָּבָרdâbâr · word: thingH1697

Cross-references for Joshua 9:24

• Exodus 23:31I will set your boundary from the Red Sea to the sea of the Philistines, and from the wilderness to the Euphrates River; for I will hand over the inhabitants of the land to you, and you will drive them out from you.
• Numbers 33:51“Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘When you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan,
• Deuteronomy 7:1“When the Lord your God brings you into the land where you are entering to take possession of it, and He drives away many nations from before you, the Hittites, the Girgashites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, seven nations greater and mightier than you,
• Deuteronomy 20:15This is what you shall do to all the cities that are very far from you, which are not of the cities of these nations nearby.
• Exodus 15:14The peoples have heard, they tremble; Anguish has gripped the inhabitants of Philistia.
• Job 2:4Satan answered the Lord and said, “Skin for skin! Yes, all that a man has, he will give for his life.
• Matthew 10:28And do not be afraid of those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body 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

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

In the dictionaries

• God
• Joshua
• Moses
• Alliance
• Gibeon
• Slave
• Wilily
• Certain; Certainly; Certainty
• 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