J
O S H U A
CHAP. IX.
Here
is in this chapter, I. The impolite confederacy of the kings of
Canaan
against
Israel, ver. 1, 2. II. The
polite confederacy of the inhabitants of Gibeon with Israel, 1. How it was
subtly proposed and petitioned for by the Gibeonites pretending to come from a
far country, ver. 3-13. 2. How it was unwarily consented to by Joshua and the
Israelites, to the disgust of the congregation when the fraud was discovered,
ver. 14-18. 3. How the matter was adjusted to the satisfaction of all sides,
by giving these Gibeonites their lives because they had covenanted with them,
yet depriving them of their liberties because the covenant was not fairly
obtained, ver. 19-27.
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The
Application of the Gibeonites.
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B.
C. 1450.
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1 And 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; 2 That they gathered themselves
together, to fight with Joshua and with Israel, with one accord.
Hitherto the Canaanites had acted defensively; the Israelites were the
aggressors upon Jericho and Ai. But here the kings of Canaan are in
consultation to attack Israel, and concert matters for a vigorous effort of
their united forces to check the progress of their victorious arms. Now, 1. It
was strange they did not do this sooner. They had notice long since of their
approach; Israel's design upon Canaan was no secret; one would have expected
that a prudent concern for their common safety would put them upon taking some
measures to oppose their coming over Jordan, and maintain that pass against
them, or to give them a warm reception as soon as they were over. It was
strange they did not attempt to raise the siege of Jericho, or at least fall
in with the men of Ai, when they had given them a defeat. But they were,
either through presumption or despair, wonderfully infatuated and at their
wits' end. Many know not the things that belong to their peace till they are
hidden from their eyes. 2. It was more strange that they did it now. Now that
the conquest of Jericho had given such a pregnant proof of God's power, and
that of Ai of Israel's policy, one would have thought the end of their
consultation should be, not to fight with Israel, but to make peace with them,
and to gain the best terms they could for themselves. This would have been
their wisdom (Luke xiv. 32), but their minds were blinded, and their hearts
hardened to their destruction. Observe, (1.) What induced them now at last to
enter upon this consultation. When they heard thereof (v. 1),
not only of the conquest of Jericho and Ai, but of the convention of the
states of Mount Ebal, of which we have an account immediately before,--when
they heard that Joshua, as if he thought himself already completely master of
the country, had had all his people together, and had read the laws to them by
which they must be governed, and taken their promises to submit to those
laws,--then they perceived the Israelites were in good earnest, and thought it
was high time for them to bestir themselves. The pious devotion of God's
people sometimes provokes and exasperates their enemies more than any thing
else. (2.) How unanimous they were in their resolves. Though they were many
kings of different nations, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, &c., doubtless
of different interests, and that had often been at variance one with another,
yet they determined, nemine contradicente--unanimously, to unite
against Israel. O that Israel would learn this of Canaanites, to sacrifice
private interests to the public welfare, and to lay aside all animosities
among themselves, that they may cordially unite against the common enemies of
God's kingdom among men!
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The
Artifice of the Gibeonites.
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B.
C. 1450.
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3 And when the
inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done unto Jericho and to Ai,
4 They 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; 5 And old shoes and clouted upon their feet, and old garments
upon them; and all the bread of their provision was dry and
mouldy. 6 And 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. 7 And the men of Israel said
unto the Hivites, Peradventure ye dwell among us; and how shall we make a
league with you? 8 And they said unto Joshua, We are thy
servants. And Joshua said unto them, Who are ye? and from whence come
ye? 9 And 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, 10 And 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. 11 Wherefore 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. 12 This 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:
13 And 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. 14 And the men took of their victuals, and
asked not counsel at the mouth of the LORD.
Here, I. The Gibeonites desire to make peace with Israel, being alarmed by the
tidings they heard of the destruction of Jericho, v. 3. Other people
heard those tidings, and were irritated thereby to make war upon Israel; but
the Gibeonites heard them and were induced to make peace with them. Thus the
discovery of the glory and grace of God in the gospel is to some a savour
of life unto life, but to others a savour of death unto death, 2 Cor. ii.
16. The same sun softens wax and hardens clay. I do not remember that we read
any where of a king of Gibeon. Had their government been at this time in a
single person, perhaps his heart would have been too high to yield to Israel,
and he would have joined with the rest of the kings against Israel. But these
four united cities (mentioned v. 17) seem to have been governed by
elders, or senators (v. 11), who consulted the common safety more than
their own personal dignity. The inhabitants of Gibeon did well for themselves.
We have,
II. The method they took to compass it. They knew that all the inhabitants of
the land of Canaan were to be cut off; perhaps they had some spies in the
congregation at Ebal, when the law was read, who observed and brought them
notice of the command given to Israel (Deut. vii. 1-3), that they should show
no mercy to the Canaanites, give them no quarter in battle, which made
them afraid of fighting them, and that they should make no covenant with
them, which made them despair of gaining any advantage by treating with
them; and therefore there was no way of saving their lives from the sword of
Israel unless they could, by disguising themselves, make Joshua believe that
they came from some very country, which the Israelites were not commanded to
make war upon nor forbidden to make peace with, but were particularly
appointed to offer peace to, Deut. xx. 10, 15. Unless they could be
admitted under this notion, they saw there was but one way with them: they
must submit to the fate of Jericho and Ai. Though the neighbouring princes knew
that all the men thereof were mighty (ch. x. 2), and they knew it
themselves, yet they durst not contend with Israel, who had an Almighty God on
their side. This therefore is the only game they have to play, and observe,
1. They play it very artfully and successfully. Never was any such thing more
craftily managed.
(1.) They come under the character of ambassadors from a foreign state, which
they thought would please the princes of Israel, and make them proud of the
honour of being courted by distant countries: we find Hezekiah fond of those
that came to him from a far country (Isa. xxxix. 3); they were not used to be
thus courted.
(2.) They pretended to have undergone the fatigues of a very long journey, and
produced what passed for an ocular demonstration of it. It should seem it was
then usual for those that undertook long journeys to take with them, as we do
now for long voyages, all manner of provision in kind, the country not being
furnished as ours is now with houses of entertainment, for the convenience of
which, when we have occasion to make use of them, we have reason to be very
thankful. Now they here pretended that their provision, when they brought it
from home, was fresh and new, but now it appeared to be old and dry, whereas
it might well be presumed they had not loitered, but made the best of their
way; so that hence it must be inferred that they came, as they said they did,
from a very far country: their sacks or portmanteaus were old; the wine was
all drunk, and the bottles in which it had been were broken; their shoes and
clothes were worse than those of the Israelites in forty years, and their
bread was mouldy, v. 4, 5, and again, v. 12, 13. Thus God's
Israel have often been deceived and imposed upon with a show of antiquity. But
(as bishop Hall expresses it) errors are never the older for being patched,
and so seeming old; but those that will be caught with this Gibeonitish
stratagem prove they have not consulted with God. And thus there are those who
make themselves poor with the badges of want and distress and yet have great
riches (Prov. xiii. 7), or at least have no need of relief, by which fraud
charity is misplaced and diverted from those that are real objects of it.
(3.) When they were suspected, and more strictly examined as to whence they
came, they industriously declined telling the name of their country, till the
agreement was settled. [1.] The men of Israel suspected a fraud (v. 7):
"Peradventure you dwell among us, and then we may not, we must
not, make any league with you." This might have discouraged the
Gibeonites from urging the matter any further, concluding that if the peace
were made the Israelites would not think themselves obliged to keep it, having
thus solemnly protested against it in case they dwelt among them; but,
knowing that there was no hope at all if they stood it out, they bravely
ventured a submission. "Who knows but the people of Israel may save us
alive, though thus inveigled into a promise; and if we tell them at last we
shall but die." [2.] Joshua put the questions to them, Who are you?
and whence come you? He finds himself concerned to stand upon his guard
against secret fraud as well as against open force. We in our spiritual
warfare must stand against the wiles of the devil, remembering he is a
subtle serpent as well as a roaring lion. In all leagues of relation and
friendship we must first try and then trust, lest we repent at leisure
agreements made in haste. [3.] They would not tell whence they came; but still
repeat the same thing: We have come from a very far country, v.
9. They will have it thought that it is a country Joshua knows nothing of nor
ever heard of, and therefore would be never the wiser if they should tell him
the name of it.
(4.) They profess a respect for the God of Israel, the more to ingratiate
themselves with Joshua, and we charitably believe they were sincere in this
profession: "We have come because of the name of the Lord thy God
(v. 9), because of what we have heard of that name, which has convinced
us that it is above every name, and because we have a desire towards
that name and the remembrance of it, and would gladly come under its
protection."
(5.) They fetch their inducements from what had been done some time before in
Moses's reign, the tidings whereof might easily be supposed ere this to have
reached distant regions, the plagues of Egypt and the destruction of Sihon and
Og (v. 9, 10), but prudently say nothing of the destruction of Jericho
and Ai (though this was the true inducement, v. 3), because they will
have it supposed that they came from home long before those conquests were
made. We need not be long to seek for reasons why we should submit to the God
of Israel; we may be furnished either with new or old, which we will.
(6.) They make a general submission--We are our servants; and humbly
sue for a general agreement--Make a league with us, v. 11. They
insist not upon terms, but will be glad of peace upon any terms; nor will the
case admit of delays, lest the fraud be discovered; they would fain have the
bargain struck up immediately; if Joshua will but make a league with
them, they have all they come for, and they hope their ragged clothes and
clouted shoes will be no exception against them. God and Israel reject none
for their poverty. But,
2. There is a mixture of good and evil in their conduct. (1.) Their falsehood
cannot be justified, nor ought it to be drawn into a precedent. We must not do
evil that good may come. Had they owned their country but renounced the
idolatries of it, resigning the possession of it to Israel and themselves to
the God of Israel, we have reason to think Joshua would have been directed by
the oracle of God to spare their lives, and they needed not to have made these
pretensions. It is observable that when they had once said, We have come
from a far country (v. 6), they found themselves necessitated to
say it again (v. 9), and to say what was utterly false concerning their
bread, their bottles, and their clothes (v. 12, 13), for one lie is an
inlet to another, and that to a third, and so on. The way of that sin is
down-hill. But, (2.) Their faith and prudence are to be greatly commended. Our
Lord commended even the unjust steward, because he had done wisely and well
for himself, Luke xvi. 8. In submitting to Israel, they submitted to the God
of Israel, which implied a renunciation of the god they had served, a
resignation to the laws of true religion. They had heard enough to convince
them of the infinite power of the God of Israel, and thence might infer his
other perfections of wisdom and goodness; and how can we do better for
ourselves than surrender at discretion to infinite wisdom, and cast ourselves
upon the mercy of a God of infinite goodness. The submission of these
Gibeonites was the more laudable because it was, [1.] Singular. Their
neighbours took another course, and expected they should join with them. [2.]
Speedy. They did not stay till Israel had besieged their cities; then it would
have been too late to capitulate; but when they were at some distance they
desired conditions of peace. Thy way to avoid a judgment is to meet it by
repentance. Let us imitate these Gibeonites, and make our peace with God in
the rags of humiliation, godly sorrow, and mortification, so our iniquity
shall not be our ruin. Let us be servants to Jesus, our blessed Joshua, and
make a league with him and the Israel of God, and we shall live.
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The
League with the Gibeonites.
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B.
C. 1450.
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15 And Joshua made peace
with them, and made a league with them, to let them live: and the princes of
the congregation sware unto them. 16 And 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. 17 And the children of Israel journeyed, and came unto their
cities on the third day. Now their cities were Gibeon, and Chephirah,
and Beeroth, and Kirjath-jearim. 18 And 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.
19 But 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. 20 This 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. 21 And 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.
Here is, I. The treaty soon concluded with the Gibeonites, v. 15. The
thing was not done with much formality, but in short, 1. They agreed to let
them live, and more the Gibeonites did not ask. In a common war this would
have been but a small matter to be granted; but in the wars of Canaan, which
were to make a general destruction, it was a great favour to a Canaanite to
have his life given him for a prey, Jer. xlv. 5. 2. This agreement was
made not by Joshua only, but by the princes of the congregation in conjunction
with him. Though Joshua had an extraordinary call to the government, and
extraordinary qualifications for it, yet he would not act in an affair of this
nature without the counsel and concurrence of the princes, who were neither
kept in the dark nor kept under foot, but were treated by him as sharers in
the government. 3. It was ratified by an oath; they swore unto them, not by
any of the gods of Canaan, but by the God of Israel only, v. 19. Those
that mean honestly do not startle at assurances, but satisfy those with whom
they treat, and glorify God by calling him to witness to the sincerity of
their intentions. 4. Nothing appears to have been culpable in all this but
that it was done rashly; they took of their victuals, by which they satisfied
themselves that it was indeed old and dry, but did not consider that his was
no proof of their bringing it fresh from home; so that, making use of their
senses only, but not their reason, they received the men (as the margin
reads it) because of their victuals, perceiving perhaps, upon the view
and taste of their bread, not only that now it was old, but that it had been
fine and very good at first, whence they inferred that they were persons of
some quality, and therefore the friendship of their country was not to be
despised. But they asked not counsel at the mouth of the Lord. They had
the Urim and Thummim with them, which they might have advised with in this
difficult case, and which would have told them no lie, would have led them
into no error; but they relied so much on their own politics that they thought
it needless to bring the matter to the oracle. Joshua himself was not
altogether without blame herein. Note, We make more haste than good speed in
any business when we stay not to take God along with us, and by the word and
prayer to consult him. Many a time we see cause to reflect upon it with regret
that such and such an affair miscarried, because we asked not counsel at
the mouth of the Lord; would we acknowledge him in all our ways, we should
find them more safe, easy, and successful.
II. The fraud soon discovered, by which this league was procured. A lying
tongue is but for a moment, and truth will be the daughter of time. Within
three days they found, to their great surprise, that the cities which these
ambassadors had treated for were very near them, but one night's foot-march
from the camp at Gilgal, ch. x. 9. Either their own scouts or the
parties that sallied out to acquaint themselves with the country, or perhaps
some deserters that came over to them from the enemy, informed them of the
truth in this matter. Those that suffer themselves to be deceived by the wiles
of Satan will soon be undeceived to their confusion, and will find that near,
even at the door, which they imagined was very far off.
III. The disgust of the congregation at this. They did indeed submit to the
restraints which this league laid upon them, and smote not the cities of the
Gibeonites, neither slew the persons nor seized the prey; but it vexed them to
have their hands thus tied, and they murmured against the princes (v.
18) it is to be feared, more from a jealousy for their own profit than from a
zeal for the fulfilling of God's command, though some of them perhaps had a
regard to that. Many are forward to arraign and censure the actions of princes
while they are ignorant of the springs of those actions and are incompetent
judges of the reasons of state that govern them. While therefore we are
satisfied in general that those who are over us aim at nothing but the public
good, and sincerely seek the welfare of their people, we ought to make the
best of what they do and not exercise ourselves in things above us.
IV. The prudent endeavour of the princes to pacify the discontented
congregation, and to accommodate the matter; herein all the princes concurred
and were unanimous, which doubtless disposed the people to acquiesce.
1. They resolved to spare the lives of the Gibeonites, for so they had
expressly sworn to do (v. 15), to let them live. (1.) The oath was
lawful, else it had not bound them any more than Herod's oath bound him to cut
off John Baptist's head; it is true God had appointed them to destroy all the
Canaanites, but the law must be construed, in favorem vitæ--with some
tender allowance, to mean those only that stood it out and would not
surrender their country to them, and not to bind them so far to put off the
sense of honour and humanity as to slay those who had never lifted up a hand
against them nor ever would, but before they were reduced to any extremity, or
ever attempted any act of hostility, with one consent humbled themselves; the kings
of Israel were certainly more merciful kings than to do so (1 Kings xx.
31), and the God of Israel a more merciful God than to order it so. Satis
est prostrasse leoni--It is enough to have laid the lion prostrate. And
besides, the reason of the law is the law; the mischief designed to be
prevented by that law was the infecting of the Israelites with their idolatry,
Deut. vii. 4. But if the Gibeonites renounce their idolatry, and become
friends and servants to the house of God, the danger is effectually prevented,
the reason of the law ceases, and consequently the obligation of it,
especially to a thing of this nature. The conversion of sinners shall prevent
their ruin. (2.) The oath being lawful, both the princes and the people for
whom they transacted were bound by it, bound in conscience, bound in honour to
the God of Israel, by whom they had sworn, and whose name would have been
blasphemed by the Canaanites if they had violated this oath. They speak as
those that feared an oath (Eccl. ix. 2), when they argued thus: We
will let them live, lest wrath be upon us, because of the oath which we swore,
v. 20. He that ratifies a promise with an oath imprecates the divine
vengeance if he wilfully break his promise, and has reason to expect that
divine justice will take him at his word. God is not mocked, and therefore
oaths are not to be jested with. The princes would keep their word, [1.]
Though they lost by it. A citizen of Zion swears to his own hurt and
changes not, Ps. xv. 4. Joshua and the princes, when they found it was to
their prejudice that they had thus bound themselves, did not apply to Eleazar
for a dispensation, much less did they pretend that no faith is to be kept
with heretics, with Canaanites; no, they were strangers to the modern
artifices of the Romish church to elude the most sacred bonds, and even to
sanctify perjuries [2.] Though the people were uneasy at it, and their
discontent might have ended in a mutiny, yet the princes would not violate
their engagement to the Gibeonites; we must never be over-awed, either by
majesty or multitude, to do a sinful thing, and go against our consciences.
[3.] Though they were drawn into this league by a wile, and might have had a
very plausible pretence to declare it null and void, yet they adhered to it.
They might have pleaded that though those were the men with whom they
exchanged the ratifications, yet these were not the cities intended in the
league; they had promised to spare certain cities, without names, that were
very far off, and upon the express consideration of their being so; but these
were very near, and therefore not the cities that they covenanted with. And
many learned men have thought that they were so grossly imposed upon by the
Gibeonites that it would have been lawful for them to have recalled their
promise, but to preserve their reputation, and to keep up in Israel a
veneration of an oath, they would stand to it; but it is plain that they
thought themselves indispensably obliged by it, and were apprehensive that the
wrath of God would fall upon them if they broke it. And, however their
adherence to it might be displeasing to the congregation, it is plain that it
was acceptable to God; for when, in pursuance of this league, they undertook
the protection of the Gibeonites, God gave them the most glorious victory that
ever they had in all their wars (ch. x.), and long afterwards severely
avenged the wrong Saul did to the Gibeonites in violation of this league, 2
Sam. xxi. 1. Let this convince us all how religiously we ought to perform our
promises, and make good our bargains; and what conscience we ought to make of
our words when they are once given. If a covenant obtained by so many lies and
deceits might not be broken, shall we think to evade the obligation of those
that have been made with all possible honesty and fairness? If the fraud of
others will not justify or excuse our falsehood, certainly the honesty of
others in dealing with us will aggravate and condemn our dishonesty in dealing
with them.
2. Though they spared their lives, yet they seized their liberties, and
sentenced them to be hewers of wood and drawers of water to the
congregation, v. 21. By this proposal the discontented congregation
was pacified; for, (1.) Those who were angry that the Gibeonites lived might
be content when they saw them condemned to that which, in the general
apprehension, is worse than death, perpetual servitude. (2.) Those who were
angry that they were not spoiled might be content when their serving the
congregation would be more to the public advantage than their best effects
could be; and, in short, the Israelites would be not losers either in honour
or profit by this peace with the Gibeonites; convince them of this, and they
will be satisfied.
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The
Gibeonites Made Bondmen.
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B.
C. 1450.
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22 And 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? 23 Now
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. 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 from before you, therefore we were sore afraid
of our lives because of you, and have done this thing. 25 And now,
behold, we are in thine hand: as it seemeth good and right unto thee to
do unto us, do. 26 And so did he unto them, and delivered them out
of the hand of the children of Israel, that they slew them not. 27
And 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.
The matter is here settled between Joshua and the Gibeonites, and an
explanation of the league agreed upon. We may suppose that now, not the
messengers who were first sent, but the elders of Gibeon, and of the cities
that were dependent upon it, were themselves present and treated with, that
the matter might be fully compromised.
I. Joshua reproves them for their fraud, v. 22. And they excuse it as
well as they can, v. 24. 1. Joshua gives the reproof very mildly: Wherefore
have you beguiled us? He does not load them with any ill names, does not
give them any harsh provoking language, does not call them, as they deserved
to be called, base liars, but only asks them, Why have you beguiled
us? Under the greatest provocations, it is our wisdom and duty to keep our
temper, and to bridle our passion; a just cause needs not anger to defend it,
and a bad one is made never the better by it. 2. They make the best excuse for
themselves, that the thing would bear, v. 24. They found by the word of
God that sentence of death was passed upon them (the command was to destroy
all the inhabitants of the land, without exception), and they found by the
works of God already wrought that there was no opposing the execution of this
sentence; they considered that God's sovereignty is incontestable, his justice
inflexible, his power irresistible, and therefore resolved to try what his
mercy was, and found it was not in vain to cast themselves upon it. They do
not go about to justify their lie, but in effect beg pardon for it, pleading
it was purely to save their lives that they did it, which every man that finds
in himself the force of the law of self-preservation will therefore make great
allowances for, especially in such a case as this, where the fear was not
merely of the power of man (if that were all, one might flee from that to the
divine protection), but of the power of God himself, which they saw engaged
against them.
II. Joshua condemns them to servitude, as a punishment of their fraud (v.
23), and they submit to the sentence (v. 25), and for aught that
appears both sides are pleased.
1. Joshua pronounces them perpetual bondmen. They had purchased their lives
with a lie, but, that being no good consideration, he obliges them to hold
their lives under the rent and reservation of their continual labours, in
hewing wood and drawing water, the meanest and most toilsome employments. Thus
their lie was punished; had they dealt fairly and plainly with Israel, perhaps
they would have had more honourable conditions granted them, but now, since
they gain their lives with ragged clothes and clouted shoes, the badges of
servitude, they are condemned for ever to wear such, so must their doom be.
And thus the ransom of their lives is paid; dominion is acquired by the
preservation of a life that lies at mercy (servus dicitur a servando--a
servant is so called from the act of saving); they owe their service to
those to whom they owe their lives. Observe how the judgment is given against
them. (1.) Their servitude is made a curse to them. "Now you are cursed
with the ancient curse of Canaan," from whom these Hivites descended, a
servant of servants shalt thou be, Gen. ix. 25. What shall be done to the
false tongue but this? Cursed shall it be. (2.) Yet this curse is turned into
a blessing; they must be servants, but it shall be for the house of my God.
The princes would have them slaves unto all the congregation (v.
21), at least they chose to express themselves so, for the pacifying of the
people that were discontented; but Joshua mitigates the sentence, both in
honour to God and in favour to the Gibeonites: it would be too hard upon them
to make them every man's drudge; if they must be hewers of wood and drawers
of water, than which there cannot be a greater disparagement, especially
to those who are citizens of a royal city, and all mighty men (ch.
x. 2), yet they shall be so to the house of my God, than which there
cannot be a greater preferment: David himself could have wished to be a
door-keeper there. Even servile work becomes honourable when it is done for
the house of our God and the offices thereof. [1.] They were hereby excluded
from the liberties and privileges of true-born Israelites, and a remaining
mark of distinction was put upon their posterity throughout all their
generations. [2.] They were hereby employed in such services as required their
personal attendance upon the altar of God in the place which he should
choose (v. 27), which would bring them to the knowledge of the law
of God, keep them strictly to that holy religion to which they were
proselyted, and prevent their revolt to the idolatries of their fathers. [3.]
This would be a great advantage to the priests and Levites to have so many,
and those mighty men, constant attendants upon them, and engaged by office to
do all the drudgery of the tabernacle. A great deal of wood must be hewed for
fuel for God's house, not only to keep the fire burning continually upon the
altar, but to boil the flesh of the peace-offerings, &c. And a great deal
of water must be drawn for the divers washings which the law prescribed. These
and other such servile works, such as washing the vessels, carrying out ashes,
sweeping the courts, &c., which otherwise the Levites must have done
themselves, these Gibeonites were appointed to do. [4.] They were herein
servants to the congregation too; for whatever promotes and helps forward the
worship of God is real service to the commonwealth. It is the interest of
every Israelite that the altar of God be well attended. Hereby also the
congregation was excused from much of that servile work which perhaps would
otherwise have been expected from some of them. God had made a law that the
Israelites should never make any of their brethren bondmen; if they had
slaves, they must be of the heathen that were round about them, Lev. xxv. 44.
Now in honour of this law, and of Israel that was honoured by it, God would
not have the drudgery, no, not of the tabernacle itself, to be done by
Israelites, but by Gibeonites, who were afterwards called Nethinim, men
given to the Levites, as the Levites were to the priests (Num. iii. 9), to
minister to them in the service of God. [5.] This may be looked upon as
typifying the admission of the Gentiles into the gospel church. Now they were
taken in upon their submission to be under-officers, but afterwards God
promises that he will take of them for priests and Levites, Isa. lxvi.
21.
2. They submit to this condition, v. 25. Conscious of a fault in
framing a lie whereby to deceive the Israelites, and sensible also how
narrowly they escaped with their lives and what a kindness it was to have them
spared, they acquiesce in the proposal: Do as it seemeth right unto thee.
Better live in servitude, especially such servitude, than not live at all.
Those of the very meanest and most despicable condition are described to be hewers
of wood and drawers of water, Deut. xxix. 11. But skin for skin, liberty,
and labour, and all that a man has, will he give for his life, and no
ill bargain. Accordingly the matter was determined. (1.) Joshua delivered them
out of the hands of the Israelites that they should not be slain, v.
26. It seems there were those who would have fallen upon them with the sword
if Joshua had not interposed with his authority; but wise generals know when
to sheathe the sword, as well as when to draw it. (2.) He then delivered them
again into the hands of the Israelites to be enslaved, v. 27. They were
not to keep possession of their cities, for we find afterwards that three of
them fell to the lot of Benjamin and one to that of Judah; nor were they
themselves to be at their own disposal, but, as bishop Patrick thinks, were
dispersed into the cities of the priests and Levites, and came up with them in
their courses to serve at the altar, out of the profits of which, it is
probable, they were maintained. And thus Israel's bondmen became the Lord's
freemen, for his service in the meanest office is liberty, and his work is its
own wages. And this they got by their early submission. Let us, in like
manner, submit to our Lord Jesus, and refer our lives to him, saying, "We
are in thy hand, do unto us as seemeth good and right unto thee; only save
our souls, and we shall not repent it:" if he appoint us to bear his
cross, and draw in his yoke, and serve at his altar, this shall be afterwards
neither shame nor grief to us, while the meanest office in God's service will
entitle us to a dwelling in the house of the Lord all the days of our life.
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