Joshua 9:16

Verse

Three days after they had made the treaty with the Gibeonites, the Israelites learned that they were neighbors, living among them.

American Standard Version (1901)

And it came to pass at the end of three days after they had made a covenant with them, that they heard that they were their neighbors, and that they dwelt among them.

Bible in Basic English

Now three days after, when they had made this agreement with them, they had word that these men were their neighbours, living near them.

Free Bible Version

Three days after they had made the treaty, the Israelites learned that the Gibeonites lived nearby, right among them!

Geneva Bible 1599

But at the end of three dayes, after they had made a league with them, they heard that they were their neighbours, and that they dwelt among them.

King James (Authorized) Version

¶ And it came to pass at the end of three days after they had made a league with them, that they heard that they were their neighbours, and that they dwelt among them.

Translation for Translators

Three days later the Israelis found out that the men from Gibeon lived nearby.

Unlocked Literal Bible

Three days after the Israelites made this covenant with them, they learned that they were their neighbors and that they lived nearby.

Noah Webster Bible

And it came to pass at the end of three days after they had made a league with them, that they heard that they were their neighbors, and that they dwelt among them.

World English Bible

At the end of three days after they had made a covenant with them, they heard that they were their neighbors, and that they lived among them.

Young's Literal Translation

And it cometh to pass, at the end of three days after that they have made with them a covenant, that they hear that they [are] their neighbours — that in their midst they are dwelling.

Context

The Deceit of the Gibeonites

¹⁵And Joshua made a treaty of peace with them to let them live, and the leaders of the congregation swore an oath to them.¹⁶Three days after they had made the treaty with the Gibeonites, the Israelites learned that they were neighbors, living among them.¹⁷So the Israelites set out and on the third day arrived at their cities—Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath-jearim.

Summary

In Joshua 9:16, we see the Israelites discovering that the Gibeonites had deceived them by pretending to be from a distant land. This deception occurred because the Gibeonites feared the power of God and sought to make a treaty with Israel to avoid destruction. Despite the Israelites' anger at being tricked, they honored the treaty they had made with the Gibeonites, showing the importance of keeping one's word even in difficult circumstances. This event serves as a reminder of the consequences of deception and the value of integrity in honoring commitments made before God.

Commentary

Adam Clarke
Keil-Delitzsch
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
John Gill
Tyndale

Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

At the end of three days - Gibeon is reputed to be only about eight leagues distant from Gilgal, and on this account the fraud might be easily discovered in the time mentioned above.

Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch Old Testament Commentary

Three days after the treaty had been concluded, the Israelites discovered that they had been deceived, and that their allies dwelt among them (see Jos 9:7). They set out therefore to deal with the deceivers, and reached their towns Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kirjath-jearim on the third day. "Chephirah, which was afterwards allotted to the tribe of Benjamin along with Gibeon and Beeroth, and was still inhabited after the captivity (Jos 18:25-26; Ezr 2:25; Neh 7:29), is to be seen in the ruins of Kefir, an hour's journey to the east of Yalo, in the mountains, and three hours to the west of Gibeon (see Rob. Bibl. Res. p. 146, and Van de Velde, Memoir, pp. 303-4). Beeroth, Βηρώθ, according to Eusebius (Onom. s. v.) a hamlet near Jerusalem, and seven miles on the road to Nicopolis (it should read Neapolis), was in the tribe of Benjamin (Sa2 4:2), and still exists in the large village of Bireh, which is situated upon a mountain nine Roman miles to the north of Jerusalem in a stony and barren district, and has still several springs and a good well, besides the remains of a fine old church of the time of the Crusades (see Rob. Pal. ii. pp. 130ff.; Seetzen, R. ii. pp. 195-6). Kirjath-jearim, also called Kirjath-baal (Jos 15:60), Baalah (Jos 15:9), and Baal-Jehuda (Sa2 6:2), was allotted to the tribe of Judah. It stood upon the boundary between Judah and Benjamin (Jos 15:60; Jos 18:15); and the ark remained there, after it had been sent back by the Philistines, until the time of David (Sa1 7:2; Sa2 6:2; Ch1 13:5-6). According to the Onom., s. v. Καριαθιαρείμ and Βαάλ, it was nine or ten Roman miles from Jerusalem, on the road to Diospolis (Lydda), and is probably to be seen in the present Kuryet el Enab, a considerable village with a large number of olive trees, figs, pomegranates, and vineyards, from the last of which the old "town of the forests" has received the more modern name of "town of the vine" (see Rob. Pal. ii. p. 335, and Bibl. Res. pp. 156-7; and Seetzen, ii. p. 65). These towns, which formed one republic with Gibeon, and were governed by elders, were at so short a distance from Gilgal (Jiljilia), that the Israelites could reach it in one or two days. The expression "on the third day" is not at variance with this; for it is not stated that Israel took three days to march there, but simply that they arrived there on the third day after receiving the intelligence of the arrival of the ambassadors.

Joshua 9:16

The Deceit of the Gibeonites

Scripture
Sermons
Commentary

Berean Standard Bible

Three days after they had made the treaty with the Gibeonites, the Israelites learned that they were neighbors, living among them.

American Standard Version (1901)

And it came to pass at the end of three days after they had made a covenant with them, that they heard that they were their neighbors, and that they dwelt among them.

Bible in Basic English

Now three days after, when they had made this agreement with them, they had word that these men were their neighbours, living near them.

Free Bible Version

Three days after they had made the treaty, the Israelites learned that the Gibeonites lived nearby, right among them!

Geneva Bible 1599

But at the end of three dayes, after they had made a league with them, they heard that they were their neighbours, and that they dwelt among them.

King James (Authorized) Version

¶ And it came to pass at the end of three days after they had made a league with them, that they heard that they were their neighbours, and that they dwelt among them.

Translation for Translators

Three days later the Israelis found out that the men from Gibeon lived nearby.

Unlocked Literal Bible

Three days after the Israelites made this covenant with them, they learned that they were their neighbors and that they lived nearby.

Noah Webster Bible

And it came to pass at the end of three days after they had made a league with them, that they heard that they were their neighbors, and that they dwelt among them.

World English Bible

At the end of three days after they had made a covenant with them, they heard that they were their neighbors, and that they lived among them.

Young's Literal Translation

And it cometh to pass, at the end of three days after that they have made with them a covenant, that they hear that they [are] their neighbours — that in their midst they are dwelling.

Adam Clarke
Keil-Delitzsch
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
John Gill
Tyndale

Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

At the end of three days - Gibeon is reputed to be only about eight leagues distant from Gilgal, and on this account the fraud might be easily discovered in the time mentioned above.

Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch Old Testament Commentary

Joshua 9:16

Verse

Context

The Deceit of the Gibeonites

Summary

Commentary

Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch Old Testament Commentary

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

John Gill Bible Commentary

Tyndale Open Study Notes

Joshua 9:16

The Deceit of the Gibeonites

Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch Old Testament Commentary

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

John Gill Bible Commentary

Tyndale Open Study Notes