Annotations Upon the Historical Books Part 2, Joshua · Chapter 9
CHAP. IX.
Verſ. 3. ANd when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joſhua had done unto Jericho and Ai, &c.] Theſe Gibeonites were of the Hivites verſ. 7. and Chap. 11.19. Their city was great and ſtrong, Chap. 10.2. and it ſeems they had other neighbouring towns under their government, to wit, Chephirah, and Beeroth, and Kirioth-jearim, verſ. 17. of this chapter, who were therefore alſo comprehended in the covenant made with the Iſraelites. It is ſaid, verſe 1. that the hearing of that which Joſhua had done to Jericho and Ai, was the occaſion that moved the kings there mentioned to enter into a confederacy of joyning together to fight with Joſhua and with Iſrael with one accord, and yet here it is ſaid, that the ſame report of the deſtruction of Jericho moved the Gibeonites to come in and ſubmit themſelves to Joſhua and the Iſraelites, and to ſeek from them conditions of peace; which ſhews plainly that it was of God, and not of themſelves, that theſe Gibeonites were thus wiſely carefull to provide for their own ſafety. Doubtleſſe the ſame report that brought the other Canaanites the news of the deſtruction of Jericho, did alſo acquaint them how it was taken, and told them the miraculous fall of their walls and fortreſſes, and yet they reſolved to fight againſt them, which was no other then a reſolving to fight againſt God; which ſhews, that God had hardened their hearts to their deſerved ruine. On the other ſide, the Gibeonites, though they had as much reaſon becauſe of the greatneſſe of their city to truſt in their ſtrength as any people of the land had, yet when they heard what was done to Jericho and Ai, they concluded that there was no reſiſting ſuch a people, and therefore determined to try if they could make peace with them; and whence could this be but of God, who taught them to make a better uſe of theſe wonderfull works of God then their neighbours had done.
Verſ. 4. And took old ſacks upon their aſſes, and wine bottles, old and rent and bound up.] That is, mended and patched up with peices that were ſown in where they had been broken.
Verſ. 6. And they went to Joſhua to the Camp at Gilgal.] This makes it evident that even after the taking of Jericho the Camp of the Iſraelites was ſtill at Gilgal. It ſeems, becauſe it was a place of ſome ſtrength, and becauſe they deſired not to remove too farre from their brethren whom they had left without Jordan till they had in ſome good meaſure cleared the countrey before them; here they kept their ſtanding Camp for divers years, and onelyonly ſent out parties from thence againſt the inhabitants in ſeverall parts as occaſion was offered. As for the plea they uſed, to move the Iſraelites to make peace with them, to wit, that they dwelt in a countrey farre beyond Canaan, We be come from a farre countrey now therefore make ye a league with us, it proceeded doubtleſſe, from ſome aſſurance they had that the Iſraelites were come to drive them out, and dwell in their land, as alſo from a common fame that was ſpread abroad, that God had forbidden them to make any peace with the inhabitants of the land, as appears evident verſe 24. 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 before you.
Verſ. 7. Peradventure ye dwell among us, and how ſhall we make a league with you?] That is, peradventure ye dwell in this land whereof we are come to take poſſeſſion, and then we may not make a league with you to let you dwell among us. And indeed, God had expreſſely forbidden them the making of peace with any of the inhabitants of Canaan; to wit, (for ſo I conceive we muſt underſtand it) unleſſe when they yielded to imbrace the Religion of Iſrael; as we may ſee Exod. 23.32, 33. Thou ſhalt make no covenant with them, nor with their gods; they ſhall not dwell in thy land, &c. and ſo again, Exod. 34.12. Deut. 7.2. and in many other places. Even where God appointed them to tender peace to other cities before they proceeded to deſtroy them, there is an exception made of the cities of Canaan, Deut. 20.15, 16. Thus ſhalt thou do unto all the cities which are very far off from thee, which are not of the cities of theſe nations. But of the cities of theſe people, which the Lord thy God doth give thee for an inheritance, thou ſhalt ſave alive nothing that breatheth.
Verſ. 8. And they ſaid unto Joſhua, we be thy ſervants.] The laſt words of the Iſraelites in the foregoing verſe, how ſhall we make a league with you? they might underſtand as ſpoken by way of inquiring what kind of league they deſired to have with them, and that hereupon turning to Joſhua, (whom they obſerved to be the Generall for the reſt) they anſwered, we be thy ſervants, that is, ready to be commanded, and to receive whatever conditions you ſhall think fit to grant us. But however theſe words doubtleſſe they uſed to imply not onelyonly that they were friends and not enemies, as their neighbours were, but alſo that they were willing to accept of any conditions of peace.
Verſ. 9. For we have heard the fame of him and all that he did in Egypt.] Herein amongſt other things they diſcovered their ſubtilty that they make no mention of the Iſraelites taking of Ai and Jericho, which their citizens could not ſo ſoon have heard of, if they lived as they pretended in a countrey ſo farre remote from that place, but onelyonly what was done in Egypt, and againſt Sihon, and Og, which being long ſince done, the ſame thereof might be well in this time carried to a land farre off, beyond the borders of Canaan.
Verſ. 14. And the men took of their victuals, and asked not counſell at the mouth of the Lord.] That is, they took them and looked upon them, and through too much credulity ranne away with a conceit, that this plainly ſhewed the truth of what they had ſaid; never inquiring of God what an anſwer they ſhould give them.
Verſ. 15. And Joſhua made peace with them, and made a league with them that that they ſhould live.] Which he might lawfully do, ſuppoſing them not to be the inhabitants of Canaan, Deut. 20.10, 11. When thou comeſt nigh a city to fight againſt it, then proclaim peace unto it. And it ſhall be, if it make thee anſwer of peace, and open unto thee, then it ſhall be that all the people that is found therein ſhall be tributaries unto thee, and ſhall ſerve thee. And again, verſe 15, 16. Thus ſhalt thou do to the cities which are farre off from thee, which are not of the cities of theſe nations. But of the cities of theſe people which the Lord thy God doth give thee for an inheritance, thou ſhalt ſave alive nothing that breatheth.
Verſ. 16. And it came to paſſe that at the end of three dayes, after they had made a league with them, that they heard that they were their neighbours, &c.] This is added to ſet forth the folly of their unadviſed raſhneſſe, who without any deliberation do preſently make a covenant with the Gibeonites, whereas if they had but deferred their anſwer even for a day or two they had found out the truth, and had not been ſo gulled and abuſed as now they were.
Verſ. 18. And the children of Iſrael ſmote them not, becauſe the Princes of the Congregations had ſworn unto them by the Lord God of Iſrael.] That the Iſraelites did well in ſparing the Gibeonites, becauſe of the oath which their Princes had taken, and that they had ſinned greatly if they had ſlain them, is evident 2. Sam. 21.1, 2. where we reade, that God ſent a famine upon the land, becauſe Saul foure hundred years after this had ſlain ſome of the Gibeonites, and ſo brake the oath which their fathers had now obtained of Joſhua and the Iſraelites, and yet Saul did it too in his zeal to the children of Iſrael and Judah. If it be objected that the Gibeonites had fraudulently drawn the Princes into that oath, and therefore there was no reaſon why they ſhould be tied thereby to that which they never intended, for they had covenanted to grant peace to a people that dwelt far off, and the Gibeonites were of the inhabitants of the land, ſo that this covenant made with them under theſe terms, was of it ſelf void and of none effect: to this I anſwer, That though when men are drawn by force or fraud into any promiſe or covenant, they are not bound to keep that promiſe or covenant, and that becauſe he to whom the promiſe or covenant is made (with whom onelyonly we have to do in this caſe) cannot by any rule of equity challenge any right to that which he hath obtained by deceit or violence; yet when men do confirm any ſuch promiſe or covenant by oath, the caſe is otherwiſe, becauſe they are bound then to God, and not to the man onelyonly that uſed ſuch fraud and violence, whoſe wickedneſſe in ſo drawing them into an oath cannot make void the engagement that lieth upon them that have ſworn in regard of God. And if it be again objected, as it is by many, That the Princes had ſworn to do that which was againſt the expreſſe command of God, who had often enjoyned them to deſtroy all the inhabitants of Canaan, and not to make any league of peace with them, as is noted before upon verſ. 7. to this I anſwer too, That though an oath or vow doth not bind men for the doing of any thing that is abſolutely unlawfull, yet in this caſe it was not ſo, and that becauſe the charge which God had given them for ſlaying all the inhabitants of the land was a particular command, & ſo farre onelyonly to bind their conſciences as it might be obeyed without any breach of the Morall Law, as in Rahabs caſe is alſo evident. But here they could not obey that command of Gods concerning their deſtroying all the inhabitants of Canaan without perjury, which is directly againſt the law and light of nature; and beſides, it would have given the heathen great occaſion of blaſpheming the name of the Lord, if they had ſworn in his name and had not kept it: all which muſt needs lie as a ſtrong bond upon the conſciences of the Iſraelites, ſtrictly to obſerve this oath though they were deluded by the Gibeonites: for in this that rule holds good, I will have mercy and not ſacrifice.
Verſ. 21. But let them be hewers of wood, and drawers of water unto all the congregation.] That is, for the uſe of all the congregation to provide wood and water which they were to uſe in their ſacrifices: as is evident verſ. 27. And Joſhua made them that day hewers of wood, and drawers of water for all the congregation, and for the altar of the Lord: yet becauſe it is certain that the inhabitants of theſe foure cities, could not dwell in any one place where the Tabernacle was ſeated, nor yet in Jeruſalem when the Temple was built, but were ſeverally diſperſed throughout the land, coming up happely in their courſes as the Levites did, to do their ſervice in the houſe of God; I ſhould think it moſt probable, that in the time when they waited not at the Tabernacle as publick ſervants, they were alſo imployed in other ſervile offices for the people. Theſe were they that afterwards were called Nethinims, 1. Chron. 9.2. that is, Deodati, men given to God, or the publick ſervice of the Tabernacle: for though Ezra 8.20. it is ſaid, that David and the Princes appointed the Nethinims for the ſervice of the Levites; yet it is meant onelyonly of the ordering of them, how they ſhould in their ſeverall courſes attend upon that ſervice, for even now they were allotted to this ſervice, and did therein doubtleſſe attend upon the Levites in the ſervice of the Tabernacle, from this time unto the dayes of David.
Verſ. 23. Now therefore ye are curſed, and there ſhall none of you be freed from being bondmen, &c.] Theſe words, Now therefore ye are curſed, the moſt of Expoſitours underſtand of the curſe or puniſhment of bondage, which for their diſſembling and fraudulent dealing they were adjudged to undergo, and ſo they take the following words, and there ſhall none of you be freed from being bondmen, to be an explanation of the words that went before; but it is better underſtood of that generall curſe which God had laid upon all the inhabitants of Canaan, to wit, as if Joſhua had ſaid, The curſe which God hath pronounced againſt the people of this land, requires that you ſhould be cut off as well as the reſt; yet becauſe of the oath which we have taken, this curſe ſhall be upon you in bondage, and not in death. And indeed here was that curſe literally fulfilled in the Gibeonites, which Noah pronounced againſt the Canaanites in generall, Gen. 9.25. And he ſaid, Curſed be Canaan: a ſervant of ſervants ſhall he be unto his brethren.