Jos 9:3 | MHM | STEP | Joshua 9:3 – The Artifice of the Gibeonites This section explains how the Gibeonites tried to make peace with Israel because they were afraid after hearing about the destruction of Jericho and Ai ( v. 3 ). Unlike other Canaanites who wanted to fight, the Gibeonites chose to deceive Israel in order to save their lives. The people of Gibeon were ruled by elders, not by a single king, which may have helped them decide to seek peace. The Gibeonites acted cleverly, using trickery to pretend they were from a distant land, since they knew Israel was not allowed to make peace with the people of Canaan (Deuteronomy 7:1-3 ). Their actions show both cunning and a desire to survive, but also involve lying, which the commentary says cannot be approved. v. 3 : The people of Gibeon heard about Israel’s victories and decided to try to make peace instead of fighting like the other Canaanites ( v. 3 ). The gospel can affect people differently: some are drawn to God, while others are hardened against Him (2 Corinthians 2:16 ).

‏ Joshua 9:3

Joshua 9:3 – The Artifice of the Gibeonites

This section explains how the Gibeonites tried to make peace with Israel because they were afraid after hearing about the destruction of Jericho and Ai (v. 3 ^a). Unlike other Canaanites who wanted to fight, the Gibeonites chose to deceive Israel in order to save their lives. The people of Gibeon were ruled by elders, not by a single king, which may have helped them decide to seek peace. The Gibeonites acted cleverly, using trickery to pretend they were from a distant land, since they knew Israel was not allowed to make peace with the people of Canaan (Deuteronomy 7:1-3 ^b). Their actions show both cunning and a desire to survive, but also involve lying, which the commentary says cannot be approved.

v. 3: The people of Gibeon heard about Israel’s victories and decided to try to make peace instead of fighting like the other Canaanites (v. 3 ^c). The gospel can affect people differently: some are drawn to God, while others are hardened against Him (2 Corinthians 2:16 ^d).