성경 주석서

Ver. 1. And it came to pass, when all the kings, &c.— The success of Joshua's arms in the eastern part of the land of Canaan, soon struck with terror those princes whose territories lay to the west of that country. The fright was general, even to the mountains inhabited by the Amorites on the south, (Deuteronomy 7:19-20.) upon the coasts of the Mediterranean, where the Canaanites, properly so called, had their settlements; and to Lebanon, which bounded the Promised Land on the north. See on Deu 20:17 and hereafter on chap Joshua 16:10.

The great sea over against Lebanon— The Mediterranean sea as far as to Lebanon. See Nold. 80. 831.

Note; 1. Those whom God means to destroy, are generally infatuated with malice and revenge. The enemies of God's people, however divided among themselves, are unanimous to oppose the truth: Deists, Arians, Socinians, Formalists, moral or profane, Conformists, or Separatists, all unite against the spiritual seed. 3. When we see the world so leagued together against the truth, surely they who are faithful should overlook their trivial differences in unessentials, and, laying every cause of dispute aside, join heart and hand against their common enemy.

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Ver. 3. And when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard, &c.— The city of Gibeon, which was much more considerable than Ai, was, according to Eusebius and St. Jerome, the capital of the country of the Hivites. Eusebius adds, that in his time there was a village of this name four miles to the west of Beth-el. Gibeon afterwards fell to the lot of the tribe of Benjamin, and was assigned to the priests. See chap. Joshua 18:25 Joshua 21:17.

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Ver. 5. And old shoes, and clouted, upon their feet, &c.— The Hebrew is, shoes spotted, i.e. of divers colours, by reason of their having been spoiled by the clay and dust; and pieced, as if worn out by the length of the journey; with clothes suited to their shoes, and their bread dry and mouldy. In the Hebrew it is bread dry, and נקדים nikkudim; that is to say, literally, pricked, speckled; so they call the cakes pierced with several holes. Buxtorf speaks of them in his Synag. Jude 1:25; Jude 1:12. Perhaps, therefore, it should be translated, and their bread was dry, like cakes, or biscuits. Calmet is of this opinion, which he confirms by the testimony of Jonathan, and other circumstances.

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Ver. 6. And they went to Joshua—and said, &c.— Some interpreters are of opinion, that the deputies from the Gibeonites addressed themselves to the first they met in the camp of Gilgal; but it seems more conformable to the text to suppose, that they did not signify their business to any but Joshua, in the presence of the chief men of Israel; i.e. to the heads of the tribes, who formed his council. 'Tis true, we read in the Hebrew, to Joshua,—and to the men of Israel; but the original expression often signifies in Scripture, men of note, people of distinction; and we need only look at verses 15. 18, 19. 21 to perceive that it should be so understood in this place.

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Ver. 8. And they said unto Joshua, We are thy servants— Being more pressingly interrogated by Joshua, they answered with humility, that, knowing the greatness of the nation of Israel and their own inferiority, they desired nothing more than to live in amity and alliance with them; which is all that the expression, we are thy servants, implies. We see others like it in the history of the Patriarchs, (Genesis 18:3-4; Genesis 32:20.) where they are most certainly used merely by way of compliment.

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Ver. 14. And the men took of their victuals— It has been asked in what light they thus took of it? and some pretend it was to taste with them in token of friendship, peace, and alliance, according to the ancient custom in use among almost all nations. Others think it was rather to examine whether their bread was, as they said, dry and mouldy, like a biscuit which has been a long voyage.

And asked not counsel at the mouth of the Lord— They did not consult the high-priest, arrayed in the breast-plate with the Urim and Thummim, as they ought to have done, to know from his mouth the will of the Lord. They were determined by views merely political. After a bare inspection of the victuals which the Gibeonites brought with them, they believed their declaration, and received them cordially, without giving themselves the trouble of consulting God, who, in all probability, would have permitted them to make peace with them, on the conditions imposed by Joshua, and secretly prescribed by his divine providence.

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Ver. 15. And Joshua— With the advice of the elders, who were deceived as well as himself, made peace with them, &c. That is, he not only preserved their lives, (for, supposing the Gibeonites to have come from a country situate beyond the land of Canaan, nothing obliged him to put them to the sword) but they were left in the quiet possession of their effects. The word life in Scripture is frequently of equal signification with prosperity; in which sense we understand it here. Joshua promised to preserve to the Gibeonites their territories, privileges, and liberty. Hence this general seems to have engaged himself, without knowing it, to what he could not perform; for all alliance with the Canaanites was prohibited. And how, indeed, could the Israelites contract alliances with nations, whose gods and worship they were to abolish, and whose government they were commanded utterly to overthrow? See Deu 7:2 and Shuckford's Connection, vol. 3: p. 385.

And the princes-sware— They ratified this treaty of peace by a solemn oath, the violation whereof was afterwards punished with terrible severity. See 2 Samuel 21:6.

REFLECTIONS.—The same event produces very different effects, according to the different tempers of men. Israel's success roused the other Canaanites to battle, and warned the Gibeonites to make their peace before the sword overtook them. As no mention is made of Gibeon's king, and the three confederate cities, it seems they were a little republic; and whilst the proud kings of Canaan refused to bow, in their senators there was wisdom. We have here,

1. The method they took to obtain peace with Israel. Well acquainted with the late transaction, and being hardly more than eight leagues distant from the camp in Gilgal, of course, likely to be soon exposed to the arm of Israel, and no strangers to the utter extirpation of the Canaanites, which was commanded; they disguised themselves, as ambassadors come from a far country, on the fame of Israel's exploits; and, to confirm the cheat, appear before Joshua, as having undergone a tedious journey. Note; (1.) They who pretend to do us most honour are most likely to impose upon us. (2.) Pretences to antiquity have, we see, of old deceived God's Israel; we must beware of being caught with this Gibeonitish wile. (3.) Not every beggar who appears in rags is an object of distress: humble and true poverty has an artless tale; but when your Honour, or your Reverence, is pat on the tongue, this court to your pride detects the knave.

2. The Israelites and Joshua have some suspicion, and therefore begin to question who they were, and whence they came. We should not be credulous to every tale, but examine well before we contract intimacy. In our spiritual warfare, as much need is there to be aware of the wily serpent as of the roaring lion.

3. The more danger there is of discovery, the more need of strong assurances and artful pleas, to gain credit to their assertions. Though they carefully conceal the mention of the place, they affirm that they come from a far country; as if utterly unknown to Israel, and that their inducement was a respect for Israel's God, whose wonders in Egypt and the land of Bashan they had heard, not mentioning Ai or Jericho, though these latter were the real motives to their journey. They profess to be so affected by these wonders of God, that on any terms they would make peace with them, and call themselves their servants, as if ready to do them any service which should be desired. Note; (1.) A Canaanite is never at a loss for a lie. (2.) One lie seldom stands alone, but requires the addition of others to support its credibility. (3.) It is very evil to seek a right end by wrong means: Perhaps if they had spoken honestly and openly, God would have interposed for them, and they would have found better terms than they afterwards obtained.

4. The stratagem succeeds, and Joshua and the princes, having inspected their bread, and found it agreeable to their description, too hastily concluded on the truth of their story; and counting it unnecessary on such an occasion to ask counsel of God, they make an agreement with them, and confirm it with an oath to let them live. Note; (1.) They who are honest themselves, are least suspicious of fraud in others. (2.) When we are hasty in our resolves, we shall often have cause to repent of them. (3.) Nothing of importance should be transacted by us, without prayer to God for his direction. (4.) It is wise in every sinner to imitate (in a good sense) those Gibeonites; in rags of humiliation and godly sorrow, to be found at the feet of Jesus, seeking that peace without which we perish, and we need not doubt of success; for he will say unto us, "Live;" and, for the comfort of our hope, confirm it with an oath.

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Ver. 16. And—at the end of three days—they heard that they were their neighbours— Montanus's opinion of this matter is very probable. The pretended ambassadors of the Gibeonites having informed their countrymen of the success of their stratagem, rejoicings were made, the news of which could not fail to be soon brought to the camp of Israel.

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