covenant by saying, We are your servants; make a treaty with us (lit. cut a covenant for us; 9:11). 9:12–27 / The narrator provides an important clue for interpreting this passage. Gibeonites were accepted into the people of God because the men of Israel sampled their provisions but did not inquire of the LORD (9:14). That is, the tribal leaders test the Gibeonites’ story by sampling their moldy, dry bread, but they leave out the most important test. As happened with the spies at Ai and with Rahab