9:1 the great sea See note on Josh 1:4.

Lebanon Located north of Syria.

Covenants in the Old Testament Table

9:3 Gibeon Located about five miles away from Ai (presuming Ai is et-Tell; see 7:2 and note). Gibeon would eventually be folded into Benjamin (18:25–28) and be named a Levitical city (21:17; compare Lev 25:32–33).

to Jericho and Ai See Josh 6–8.

9:6 the camp at Gilgal See note on 4:19.

make a covenant with us God had not prohibited the Israelites from entering into a covenant with people outside of Canaan, just the peoples of Canaan whose territory Israel was moving into (see Exod 34:11–12; Deut 20:10–18). The Gibeonites apparently knew about this prohibition (Josh 2:9–11; 9:9–10).

9:7 Perhaps you are living among us The Israelites want proof that the men with whom they are speaking are indeed distant foreigners.

9:9 a very far land The men do not identify the country. It seems that Joshua could have demanded more specific information, but the men could probably have provided any number of place names.

that he did in Egypt Joshua 2:9–11 indicates that Canaanites had heard about Yahweh’s miraculous defeat of the Egyptians.

9:10 to Sihon king of Heshbon See Num 21; Deut 2–3.

9:14 they did not ask direction from Yahweh The key element of the narrative and the ultimate reason that Israel was deceived is that they failed to seek Yahweh’s guidance on the matter.

9:17 went to their cities on the third day Israel ventured to Gibeonite territory to confirm if the report was true.

Gibeon, Kephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath Jearim Like the Philistines and their five-city confederation (Josh 13:3; Judg 3:3; 1 Sam 6:16–18), the Gibeonite cities were formally allied. All of the cities fall into Benjamin’s tribal allotment (Josh 18:25–26, 28) and are located within 10 miles of Jerusalem.

9:18 murmured against their leaders The people were likely uneasy that this violation of the cherem command (see note on 6:17; compare Deut 20:17) would result in retaliation from Yahweh, or perhaps withdrawal of His help.

9:21 Let them live Suggests that some Israelites wanted to kill the Gibeonites despite the treaty. See Josh 9:26.

woodcutters and water carriers The Israelites spared the Gibeonites because of the treaty but made them slaves.

9:25 whatever seems good and right The Gibeonites know that the fate Joshua gives them is preferable to the one they had feared—complete annihilation.

9:26 they did not kill them Indicates again that Israelites in the camp wanted to kill the Gibeonites, despite the treaty (compare Josh 9:21).

9:27 for the congregation and for the altar of The Gibeonite labor force would also cut the timber needed for the sacrificial altar and draw water for ritual washing.

in the place that he should choose Refers to the central sanctuary, which would become the focus of Israelite worship after the conquest (see Deut 12:5).