Joshua 9:1-4

The Gibeonites Deceive Israel

9:1 When the news reached all the kings on the west side of the Jordan ¹  – in the hill country, the lowlands, ²  and all along the Mediterranean coast ³  as far as ⁴  Lebanon (including the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites) – 9:2 they formed an alliance to fight against Joshua and Israel. ⁵ 

9:3 When the residents of Gibeon heard what Joshua did to Jericho ⁶  and Ai, 9:4 they did something clever. They collected some provisions ⁷  and put worn-out sacks on their donkeys, along with worn-out wineskins that were ripped and patched.

¹ tn Heb “When all the kings who were beyond the Jordan heard.”

² tn Or “foothills”; Heb “the Shephelah.”

³ tn Heb “all the coast of the Great Sea.” The “Great Sea” was the typical designation for the Mediterranean Sea.

⁴ tn Heb “in front of.”

⁵ tn Heb “they gathered together to fight against Joshua and Israel [with] one mouth.”

⁶ map For location see Map5-B2; Map6-E1; Map7-E1; Map8-E3; Map10-A2; Map11-A1.

⁷ tc Heb “and they went and [?].” The root and meaning of the verb form יִצְטַיָּרוּ (yitstayyaru) are uncertain. The form is most likely a corruption of יִצְטַיָּדוּ (yitstayyadu), read by some Hebrew mss and ancient versions, from the root צוּד (tsud, “take provisions,” BDB 845 s.v. II צוד) which also occurs in v. 11. Note NRSV “they went and prepared provisions”; cf. NEB “They went and disguised themselves”; NIV “they went as a delegation.”