Jos 9:15 | MHM | STEP | Joshua 9:15 – The League with the Gibeonites This section tells how the leaders of Israel made a treaty with the Gibeonites, agreeing to let them live in exchange for peace ( v. 15 ). The agreement was made quickly and was confirmed by an oath, involving both Joshua and the leaders of Israel. The commentary highlights that Israel did not seek God’s guidance before making this decision, which was a mistake. Soon after, they discovered they had been tricked, as the Gibeonites actually lived nearby. The people of Israel were upset about the situation, but the leaders explained why they had to keep their promise. As a result, the Gibeonites were allowed to live but were made servants. The story shows the importance of keeping promises, even when made in difficult situations, and the need to ask for God’s direction before making big decisions. v. 15 : The treaty with the Gibeonites was made quickly. Israel’s leaders agreed to let the Gibeonites live, which was a big favor since Canaanites were supposed to be destroyed in these wars (Jeremiah 45:5 ). The agreement was not just Joshua’s decision; all the leaders were involved. They confirmed the peace by making an oath to God ( v. 19 ). However, they did this without asking God for advice. They trusted their own judgment after seeing the old food of the Gibeonites, but they should have prayed and checked with God first.

‏ Joshua 9:15

Joshua 9:15 – The League with the Gibeonites

This section tells how the leaders of Israel made a treaty with the Gibeonites, agreeing to let them live in exchange for peace (v. 15 ^a). The agreement was made quickly and was confirmed by an oath, involving both Joshua and the leaders of Israel. The commentary highlights that Israel did not seek God’s guidance before making this decision, which was a mistake. Soon after, they discovered they had been tricked, as the Gibeonites actually lived nearby. The people of Israel were upset about the situation, but the leaders explained why they had to keep their promise. As a result, the Gibeonites were allowed to live but were made servants. The story shows the importance of keeping promises, even when made in difficult situations, and the need to ask for God’s direction before making big decisions.

v. 15: The treaty with the Gibeonites was made quickly. Israel’s leaders agreed to let the Gibeonites live, which was a big favor since Canaanites were supposed to be destroyed in these wars (Jeremiah 45:5 ^b). The agreement was not just Joshua’s decision; all the leaders were involved. They confirmed the peace by making an oath to God (v. 19 ^c). However, they did this without asking God for advice. They trusted their own judgment after seeing the old food of the Gibeonites, but they should have prayed and checked with God first.