Joshua 9
Study sheet, King James Version, with the original-language words this chapter turns on.
The text
1And it came to pass, when all the kings which were on this side Jordan, in the hills, and in the valleys, and in all the coasts of the great sea over against Lebanon, the Hittite, and the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, heard thereof;
2That they gathered themselves together, to fight with Joshua and with Israel, with one accord.
3And when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done unto Jericho and to Ai,
4They did work wilily, and went and made as if they had been ambassadors, and took old sacks upon their asses, and wine bottles, old, and rent, and bound up;
5And old shoes and clouted upon their feet, and old garments upon them; and all the bread of their provision was dry and mouldy.
6And they went to Joshua unto the camp at Gilgal, and said unto him, and to the men of Israel, We be come from a far country: now therefore make ye a league with us.
7And the men of Israel said unto the Hivites, Peradventure ye dwell among us; and how shall we make a league with you?
8And they said unto Joshua, We are thy servants. And Joshua said unto them, Who are ye? and from whence come ye?
9And they said unto him, From a very far country thy servants are come because of the name of the LORD thy God: for we have heard the fame of him, and all that he did in Egypt,
10And all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites, that were beyond Jordan, to Sihon king of Heshbon, and to Og king of Bashan, which was at Ashtaroth.
11Wherefore our elders and all the inhabitants of our country spake to us, saying, Take victuals with you for the journey, and go to meet them, and say unto them, We are your servants: therefore now make ye a league with us.
12This our bread we took hot for our provision out of our houses on the day we came forth to go unto you; but now, behold, it is dry, and it is mouldy:
13And these bottles of wine, which we filled, were new; and, behold, they be rent: and these our garments and our shoes are become old by reason of the very long journey.
14And the men took of their victuals, and asked not counsel at the mouth of the LORD.
15And Joshua made peace with them, and made a league with them, to let them live: and the princes of the congregation sware unto them.
16And 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.
17And the children of Israel journeyed, and came unto their cities on the third day. Now their cities were Gibeon, and Chephirah, and Beeroth, and Kirjathjearim.
18And the children of Israel smote them not, because the princes of the congregation had sworn unto them by the LORD God of Israel. And all the congregation murmured against the princes.
19But all the princes said unto all the congregation, We have sworn unto them by the LORD God of Israel: now therefore we may not touch them.
20This we will do to them; we will even let them live, lest wrath be upon us, because of the oath which we sware unto them.
21And the princes said unto them, Let them live; but let them be hewers of wood and drawers of water unto all the congregation; as the princes had promised them.
22And Joshua called for them, and he spake unto them, saying, Wherefore have ye beguiled us, saying, We are very far from you; when ye dwell among us?
23Now therefore ye are cursed, and there shall none of you be freed from being bondmen, and hewers of wood and drawers of water for the house of my God.
24And 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 from before you, therefore we were sore afraid of our lives because of you, and have done this thing.
25And now, behold, we are in thine hand: as it seemeth good and right unto thee to do unto us, do.
26And so did he unto them, and delivered them out of the hand of the children of Israel, that they slew them not.
27And Joshua made them that day hewers of wood and drawers of water for the congregation, and for the altar of the LORD, even unto this day, in the place which he should choose.
Words in this chapter
Definitions are Strong's own wording from his Exhaustive Concordance (1890). Counts are how often each word appears in this chapter, from the tagged text.
- אֵלʼêlH41318× in this chapter
near, with or among; often in general, to
- אֵתʼêthH85314× in this chapter
properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)
- אָמַרʼâmarH55913× in this chapter
to say (used with great latitude)
- כֹּלkôlH360512× in this chapter
properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)
- אֲשֶׁרʼăsherH83412× in this chapter
who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc.
- עָשָׂהʻâsâhH621310× in this chapter
to do or make, in the broadest sense and widest application
- יְהוֹשׁוּעַYᵉhôwshûwaʻH30919× in this chapter
Jehoshua (i.e. Joshua), the Jewish leader
- יִשְׂרָאֵלYisrâʼêlH34788× in this chapter
Jisrael, a symbolical name of Jacob; also (typically) of his posterity
- הָיָהhâyâhH19616× in this chapter
to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)
- יְהֹוָהYᵉhôvâhH30686× in this chapter
Jehovah, Jewish national name of God
- יָשַׁבyâshabH34276× in this chapter
properly, to sit down (specifically as judge. in ambush, in quiet); by implication, to dwell, to remain; causatively, to settle, to marry
- כָּרַתkârathH37726× in this chapter
to cut (off, down or asunder); by implication, to destroy or consume; specifically, to covenant (i.e. make an alliance or bargain, originally by cutting flesh and passing between the pieces)
- לֹאlôʼH38086× in this chapter
not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles
- נָשִׂיאnâsîyʼH53876× in this chapter
properly, an exalted one, i.e. a king or sheik; also a rising mist
- עֶבֶדʻebedH56506× in this chapter
a servant
- עֵדָהʻêdâhH57126× in this chapter
a stated assemblage (specifically, a concourse, or generally, a family or crowd)
- עַתָּהʻattâhH62586× in this chapter
at this time, whether adverb, conjunction or expletive
- בְּרִיתbᵉrîythH12855× in this chapter
a compact (because made by passing between pieces of flesh)
- יוֹםyôwmH31175× in this chapter
a day (as the warm hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one sunset to the next), or figurative (a space of time defined by an associated term), (often used adverb)
- אֱלֹהִיםʼĕlôhîymH4305× in this chapter
gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlative
- אֶרֶץʼeretsH7765× in this chapter
the earth (at large, or partitively a land)
- בָּלֶהbâlehH10874× in this chapter
worn out
- הָלַךְhâlakH19804× in this chapter
to walk (in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively)
- כִּיkîyH35884× in this chapter
(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexed
- מְאֹדmᵉʼôdH39664× in this chapter
properly, vehemence, i.e. (with or without preposition) vehemently; by implication, wholly, speedily, etc. (often with other words as an intensive or superlative; especially when repeated)
- מֶלֶךְmelekH44284× in this chapter
a king
- אֲנַחְנוּʼănachnûwH5874× in this chapter
we
- עַלʻalH59214× in this chapter
above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications
- שָׁבַעshâbaʻH76504× in this chapter
to seven oneself, i.e. swear (as if by repeating a declaration seven times)
- שָׁמַעshâmaʻH80854× in this chapter
to hear intelligently (often with implication of attention, obedience, etc.; causatively, to tell, etc.)
- אַתָּהʼattâhH8594× in this chapter
thou and thee, or (plural) ye and you
- בּוֹאbôwʼH9354× in this chapter
to go or come (in a wide variety of applications)
- בֵּןbênH11213× in this chapter
a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like father or brother), etc.)
- הֵםhêmH19923× in this chapter
they (only used when emphatic)
- זֶהzehH20883× in this chapter
the masculine demonstrative pronoun, this or that
- חָטַבchâṭabH24043× in this chapter
to chop or carve wood
- חָיָהchâyâhH24213× in this chapter
to live, whether literally or figuratively; causatively, to revive
- יָדyâdH30273× in this chapter
a hand (the open one (indicating power, means, direction, etc.),
- לָקַחlâqachH39473× in this chapter
to take (in the widest variety of applications)
- מַיִםmayimH43253× in this chapter
water; figuratively, juice; by euphemism, urine, semen