The enemies of Israel see the annihilation of Jericho, then Ai, and know Israel is advancing to their territory so they agree to band together to fight. But one group, the Hivites, decide to seek peace with Israel and deceive the elders and Joshua into a covenant as allies. The Hivites have one of the largest cities and three other cities and a great number of warriors so this is a big loss to the enemies of Israel who turn to Gibeon, the city of the Hivites, to destroy them. When Gibeon calls on Joshua, he seeks the Lord in Joshua 10:8 And Yahweh said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid of them, for I have given them into your hand; no one will withstand you”. The Lord sends hailstones on the opposing armies and in Joshua 10:12–13 Then Joshua spoke to Yahweh, on the day Yahweh gave the Amorites over to the Israelites, and he said in the sight of Israel, “Sun in Gibeon, stand still, and moon, in the valley of Aijalon.” 13 And the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, until the nation took vengeance on its enemies.
All The Kings Gathered Together to Fight
Joshua 9:1–8
As the word spreads of Israel’s march through and destruction of Jericho and Ai, the kings of the region band together in
Joshua 9:1–2 Now when all the kings who were beyond the Jordan in the hill country and in the Shephelah, and on all the coast of the great sea toward Lebanon—the Hittites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites—heard of this, 2 they gathered themselves together to fight with one accord against Joshua and Israel.
But one group, the inhabitants of Gibeon, the Hivites in Joshua 9:7, develop a scheme to present themselves to Joshua as a people from far away that want to become Israel’s allies in
Joshua 9:6 And they went to Joshua at the camp at Gilgal and said to him and to the men of Israel, “We have come from a far land; so then make a covenant with us.”
Make A Covenant With Us
Joshua 9:9–17
These people that appeared to be travelers, and who presented old food and wineskins in
Joshua 9:12–13 This is our bread; it was hot when we took it from our houses as provisions on the day we set out to come to you. But now, look, it is dry and crumbled. 13 These are the wineskins that we filled new, but look, they have burst; and these are our clothes and sandals that have worn out from the very long journey.”
These people that said in Joshua 9:11 “We are your servants; so then make a covenant with us.” were accepted by the leaders and Joshua in
Joshua 9:14–15 So the leaders took from their provisions, but they did not ask direction from Yahweh. 15 And Joshua made peace with them, and he made a covenant with them to allow them to live happily, and the leaders of the congregation swore an oath to them.
and if we read this carefully, we find an interesting form of government among the Israelites. This was not Joshua ruling as a king, it was not dictatorial or authoritarian. Joshua was the leader, so he “made a covenant”, but it was “the leaders of the congregation” that “swore an oath to them”. This was a very representative form of government where they talked and agreed together. However, in this case, “they did not ask direction from Yahweh”.
It wasn’t until a few days later when Israel prepared to move on the next cities that they found they had made a covenant with their neighbors in
Joshua 9:16 And it happened that at the end of three days, after they made a covenant with them, they heard that they were their neighbors and living among them.
We Were Very Afraid For Our Lives
Joshua 9:18–27
As Israel moved forward, they did not attack the cities of the Hivites, (Gibeon, Kephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath Jearim in Joshua 9:17) and in Joshua 9:18 “all the congregation murmured against their leaders”. Though this was a representative form of government, the people held their representatives accountable for this breach in what God had commanded them all to do. Now, the leaders give account for their actions in
Joshua 9:19–21 But all the leaders of the congregation said, “We have sworn to them by Yahweh the God of Israel, and so we cannot touch them. 20 This we will do to them: we will let them live so that wrath will not be on us because of the oath we swore to them.” 21 And the leaders said to them, “Let them live.” So they became woodcutters and water carriers for all the congregation, just as the leaders had said to them.
This satisfied the people and, because of their deception, Joshua questioned them saying in Joshua 9:22 “Why have you deceived us?” They respond in
Joshua 9:24 And they answered Joshua and said, “Because it was told with certainty to your servants that Yahweh your God commanded Moses his servant to give to you all the land and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land before you, so we were very afraid for our lives because of you, and so we did this thing.
So, Joshua pronounced a curse on the Hivites in
Joshua 9:23 Therefore you are cursed; some of you will always be slaves as woodcutters and water carriers for the house of my God.”
So, while the cities and lives of the Hivites were spared, their culture was disrupted. They would serve Israel in the places and with the numbers of people Israel chose, dispersing them from place to place as Israel chose.
Because It Made Peace With The Israelites
Joshua 10:1–10
This action by the Hivites to make peace with Israel now makes them the target, the enemy of the others in the land. The Hivites were among the kings who had said they would band together against Israel in Joshua 9:1-2. But the Hivites went on their own to make peace with Israel and this fear in the “Adoni-Zedek king of Jerusalem” in Joshua 10:1 because in
Joshua 10:2 he became very afraid because Gibeon was a very large city, like one of the royal cities, and because it was larger than Ai, and all its men were mighty warriors.
The alliance of kings against Israel had lost one of its largest members and all of their warriors and they turn their anger toward Gibeon. They were afraid of Israel, but thought they could defeat Gibeon in
Joshua 10:4–5 “Come up and help me, and let us attack Gibeon, because it has made peace with Joshua and the Israelites.” 5 And the five kings of the Amorites, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon, gathered together and went up, they and all their forces, and they laid siege to Gibeon and made war against it.
Now, Joshua has a problem, these people that had deceived him to gain peace with him are calling out for Israel to defend them. The agreement had been for Gibeon to serve Israel, but not this. But God, can turn a bad situation to our good and in
Joshua 10:8 And Yahweh said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid of them, for I have given them into your hand; no one will withstand you.
More Died By Hail Stones Than Israelites Killed
Joshua 10:11–19
The Lord fought this battle for Israel in
Joshua 10:11 And as they were fleeing from Israel, they were on the slope of Beth-horon, and Yahweh threw huge stones from the heavens on them as far as Azekah; and more died by the hail stones than those whom the Israelites killed by the sword.
Even so, this was a huge battle and Joshua needed more time to completely overcome their enemies who were now scattering, so, in
Joshua 10:12–13 Then Joshua spoke to Yahweh, on the day Yahweh gave the Amorites over to the Israelites, and he said in the sight of Israel, “Sun in Gibeon, stand still, and moon, in the valley of Aijalon.” 13 And the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, until the nation took vengeance on its enemies. Is it not written in the scroll of Jashar? The sun stood still in the middle of the heaven and was not in haste to set for about a full day.
The sun held its place in the sky until “Joshua and the Israelites had finished striking them with a very great blow, until they perished” in Joshua 10:20 and then “all the people returned to the camp safely” in Joshua 10:21.
Put Your Feet On The Necks of These Kings
Joshua 10:20–28
He Utterly Destroyed as Yahweh the God of Israel Commanded
Joshua 10:29–43
Study Verses
- Joshua 9:18–27 We Were Very Afraid For Our Lives
- Joshua 10:1–10 Because It Made Peace With The Israelites
- Joshua 10:11–19 More Died By Hail Stones Than Israelites Killed
Today’s Reading
- Joshua 9:1-27
- Joshua 10:1-43