The History of the Old Testament Methodized, Chapter 4 · Section 102
SECT. CII.
THe Kings of Canaan affrighted at this great Succeſs of the Iſraelites, now at laſt begin to combine together, and to make War againſt them. But the Inhabitants of Gibeon *Afterwards allotted to Benjamin.(which was a great and ſtrong City, having other Neighbouring-Towns under its Government,) hearing of the Iſraelites taking Jericho and Ai, and what they did to them, yet their hearts were not ſo hardned as the hearts of the other Canaanites were to fight againſt Iſrael, but they were willing to ſubmit to them, and to ſue to them for Conditions of Peace; which plainly ſhews that it was of God, and not of themſelves that theſe Gibeonites were thus wiſe and careful to provide for their own ſafety. They concluded there was no reſiſting ſuch a people for whom God himſelf fought, and therefore they determined to try if they could by any means make Peace with them. And whence could this be but from God, who taught them to make a better uſe of the Succeſſes he had given his people than their Neighbours did? Accordingly they ſent ſome of their City unto Joſhua (as if they had been Ambaſſadors from a far Country) with old Sacks upon their Aſſes, and old Wine Bottles patched and mended, with old clouted Shoes on their Feet, and old Garments upon their Backs, and old mouldy and dry Bread; and they came to Joſhua at Gilgal, and told him, They were come from a far Country (for they had heard, as it ſeems, that God had forbidden the Iſraelites to make Peace with the Inhabitants of Cannan, verſ. 24.) to deſire him to make a League with them, which the Iſraelites might do with the Inhabitants of remote Countries, provided they would ſubmit to become Tributaries unto them, ſee Deut. 20.11. The men of Iſrael replied, That peradventure they dwelled near them, in that very Land that they were come to take poſſeſſion of, and then they might not make a League with them, nor let them dwell among them, ſee Deut. 20.15, 16. The Gibeonites applying themſelves to Joſhua (whom they diſcovered to be the General of the Army) ſaid unto him, We are thy Servants; We pray thee look upon us not as Enemies to thee as the Canaanites are, but as thoſe that are willing to be thy faithful Allies, yea thy Servants, and wholly to ſubmit themſelves to thy pleaſure, and to accept of any Conditions thou ſhalt pleaſe to impoſe on us. Joſhua asks them, Whence they came? They replied, They came from a very far Country, where they had heard of the Glory of the God of Iſrael, and the mighty Works He had done in Egypt, and to Sihon and Og (but they mention nothing of the taking Jericho or Ai, leſt the taking notice of theſe things might have diſcovered them to be near Neighbours,) therefore (ſay they) our Elders *V. 11. They mention their Elders, but no mention of their King, ſo that they ſeem to have been at Commonwealth.and the Inhabitants of our Country ſpake to us to take Victuals for our long Journey, and to come and addreſs our ſelves to you, and to deſire you to make a League with us on what terms you pleaſe. And you may the rather be induc'd to believe that we came from a far Country; for this Bread of ours that you ſee now to be dry and mouldy, we took hot out of our Houſes on the day we came out; and theſe leathern Wine-ſacks or Bottles which we filled with Wine were new when we came out, and behold they are now rent and torn; and our very Garments and Shoes you ſee are become old by reaſon of our very long Journey. Then the men of Iſrael took and looked on their Victuals, and thorow too much Credulity judged by their mouldy Bread, that they were indeed come from a far Country, never inquiring of the Lord by the High Prieſt what Anſwer they ſhould give them. Hereupon Joſhua made Peace with them, and a League, promiſing that they ſhould live, and not be deſtroyed by them, and the Princes of the Congregation ſware to them to perform this Covenant. This they might lawfully do (as we ſaid before) to Cities that were far off, and not of the Cities of the Canaanites. But after three days they underſtood theſe Gibeonites were their Neighbours, and that their Cities were nigh unto them: upon this the people murmured againſt their Princes for this raſh and haſty League. But the Princes told them, They had ſworn to them by the Lord God of Iſrael to perform that Covenant, and therefore might not deſtroy them, leſt wrath from the Lord ſhould come upon them, if they ſhould violate their Oath, as it happened afterwards in the days of Saul, who 400 years after this ſlew ſome of the Gibeonites, and ſo brake the Oath which their Fathers had made with them, upon which God ſent a Famine upon the Land, ſee 2 Sam. 21.1, 2. Joſhua and the Iſraelites finding themſelves thus deceived by the Gibeonites, they marched up to them, but ſmote them not. Joſhua highly expoſtulates with them, and asks them, Why they had thus beguiled them? They replied, It was certainly told thy Servants that the Lord thy God commanded his Servant Moſes to bring you to this Land, and to give it you in his Name, and that you ſhould deſtroy all the Inhabitants thereof before you; therefore we were ſore afraid of our lives, and upon that account we have done what we have done. And now behold (ſay they) we are in thy hands, being willing to ſubmit unto thee; ſo that thou maiſt do with us, and impoſe upon us what Service thou pleaſeſt. Joſhua tells them, They were curſed, that is, of thoſe curſed Nations whom God commanded them to deſtroy; but yet becauſe of the Oath they had made to them, this Curſe ſhould be upon them only in bondage, and ſhould not extend to the taking away their lives. He tells them, That none of them ſhould be freed from being bondmen; they ſhould be Hewers of Wood and Drawers of Water for the Houſe of God. And ſo the Curſe was literally and particularly fulfilled on the Gibeonites, which Noah pronounced againſt the Canaanites in general, Gen. 9.25. Curſed be Canaan, a Servant of Servants ſhall he be unto his Brethren. But yet this Curſe, thorow Gods mercy, became in ſome reſpects a great Bleſſing to theſe Gibeonites, ſeeing by theſe Services (though baſe in themſelves) they had a near approach to God in the Service of the Sanctuary, for the good of their Souls, and were in a ſort given and conſecrated to God as the Name Nethinims (afterwards given them) doth import, ſee 1 Chron. 9.2. and Ezra 8.20.
Joſh. Ch. 9. whole Chapter.