Why are the Gabaonites spared after Israel learns that their claim to come from far away was false?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

The princes have sworn to them in the name of the Lord God of Israel. They say the oath prevents touching them and that breaking it would stir the Lord’s wrath. Josue delivers them from Israel’s hand so they are not slain, but orders lasting service in cutting wood and carrying water for the people and the Lord’s altar.

Chapter breakdown

The kings beyond the Jordan hear what has happened: those in the mountains, plains, places near the sea, the great sea’s coasts and by Libanus—the Hethite, Amorrhite, Chanaanite, Pherezite, Hevite and Jebusite. They gather to fight Josue and Israel with one mind and resolution. Gabaon’s inhabitants hear what Josue has done to Jericho and Hai and devise a cunning plan. They take provisions, put old sacks on their asses and carry torn wine bottles sewn up again. They wear very old shoes patched to show age and old garments; their bread is hard and broken in pieces.

They go to Josue at the camp in Galgal and tell him and all Israel they come from a far country and want peace. Israel’s children answer that perhaps they live in the land falling to Israel’s lot; if so, Israel can make no league with them. They call themselves Josue’s servants, and he asks who they are and where they came from. They answer that they come from a very far country in the name of the Lord his God, having heard the fame of his power and all he did in Egypt and to the two Amorrhite kings beyond the Jordan: Sehon, king of Hesebon, and Og, king of Basan, in Astaroth. They claim their elders and all their country’s inhabitants told them to take food for a long way, meet Israel, call themselves servants and request a league. These are the visitors’ claims.

The visitors say they took their loaves hot when they left their houses, but now the bread is dry and broken from great age. They say their wine bottles were new when filled but are now torn and burst, and their clothes and shoes are worn out and almost consumed because of the very long journey. Israel takes some of their provisions and does not consult the mouth of the Lord. Josue makes peace and enters a league, promising they will not be slain; the princes of the multitude also swear to them.

Three days after making the league, Israel hears that the visitors live nearby and are to be among them. Israel’s children move camp and come to their cities on the third day: Gabaon, Caphira, Beroth and Cariathiarim. They do not kill them because the princes have sworn in the name of the Lord God of Israel. All the common people murmur against the princes. The princes answer that their oath in the Lord’s name means they cannot touch them. They will save their lives lest the Lord’s wrath be stirred against Israel if they break that oath. The Gabaonites are to live by serving the whole multitude, cutting wood and bringing water.

Josue calls the Gabaonites and asks why they deceived Israel by claiming to live far away when they are in its midst. He says they are under a curse, and their race will always cut wood and carry water into the house of his God. They answer that they were told the Lord his God promised Moses, his servant, to give Israel all the land and destroy all its inhabitants. They feared greatly and took this counsel to provide for their lives, compelled by their dread of Israel. They now place themselves in Josue’s hand and ask him to do what seems good and right to him. Their fear and reason for the plan are stated in their own answer.

Josue does as he has said and delivers them from Israel’s children so they are not slain. That day he orders them to serve all the people and the Lord’s altar by cutting wood and carrying water. The account says this lasts until the present time, in the place the Lord has chosen.

The story inside

The chapter contrasts the kings’ joint preparation for war with the Gabaonites’ false claim to distant origins. Their worn provisions and clothing support the story they tell, and Israel raises the precise concern that nearby inhabitants cannot receive a league. Josue asks their identity and origin; the visitors repeat their claim and describe a supposed long journey. The account expressly records Israel taking provisions without consulting the Lord, then Josue’s peace promise and the princes’ oath. When nearby residence is discovered, the princes explain that the oath prevents killing and that breaking it risks the Lord’s wrath. Josue asks about the deception; the Gabaonites themselves explain their fear after hearing the promise to Moses. The narrated outcome is actual deliverance from Israel’s hand and ordered wood-and-water service for the people and altar. Their admission supplies the reason for their plan; no invented motive or oracle procedure is needed.

Lessons worth keeping

1
The false-distance claim is tested by a specific question. Israel says a league cannot be made if the visitors live in its allotted land. The visitors’ bread, bottles, clothes and shoes are presented as signs of a long journey, and Israel accepts provisions without consulting the Lord.
2
Discovery does not undo the recorded oath’s stated consequence. The princes explain why they cannot touch the Gabaonites and why they must preserve their lives: they have sworn in the Lord’s name and fear wrath if they break that oath. Josue’s actual rescue follows.
3
Sparing their lives comes with lasting service. Josue names a curse and wood-and-water work for their race in God’s house. The final order names service to all the people and the Lord’s altar, continuing until the account’s present time in the chosen place.

Test your recall

What earlier promise explains the decision to spare the Gabaonites, and what consequence do the princes fear if they break it?

Source edition and notes

Douay–Rheims, revised by Richard Challoner (1749–1752). Project Gutenberg no. 1581. Locators refer to lines in the admitted pg1581.txt edition. Source notes may include Challoner commentary.

Lines 23202–23224
Josue Chapter 9 Josue is deceived by the Gabaonites: who being detected are condemned to be perpetual servants. 9:1. Now when these things were heard of, all the kings beyond the Jordan, that dwelt in the mountains, and in the plains, in the places near the sea, and on the coasts of the great sea, they also that dwell by Libanus, the Hethite, and the Amorrhite, the Chanaanite, the Pherezite, and the Hevite, and the Jebusite, 9:2. Gathered themselves together, to fight against Josue and Israel with one mind, and one resolution. 9:3. But they that dwelt in Gabaon, hearing all that Josue had done to Jericho and Hai: 9:4. Cunningly devising took for themselves provisions, laying old sacks upon their asses, and wine bottles rent and sewed up again, 9:5. And very old shoes, which for a show of age were clouted with patches, and old garments upon them: the loaves also, which they carried for provisions by the way, were hard, and broken into pieces:
Lines 23226–23247
9:6. And they went to Josue, who then abode in the camp at Galgal, and said to him, and to all Israel with him: We are come from a far country, desiring to make peace with you. And the children of Israel answered them, and said: 9:7. Perhaps you dwell in the land which falls to our lot; if so, we can make no league with you. 9:8. But they said to Josue: We are thy servants. Josue said to them: Who are you? and whence came you? 9:9. They answered: From a very far country thy servants are come in the name of the Lord thy God. For we have heard the fame of his power, all the things that he did in Egypt. 9:10. And to the two kings of the Amorrhites, that were beyond the Jordan, Sehon, king of Hesebon, and Og, king of Basan, that was in Astaroth: 9:11. And our ancients, and all the inhabitants of our country, said to us: Take with you victuals for a long way, and go meet them, and say: We are your servants, make ye a league with us.
Lines 23249–23263
9:12. Behold, these loaves we took hot, when we set out from our houses to come to you, now they are become dry, and broken in pieces by being exceeding old. 9:13. These bottles of wine when we filled them were new, now they are rent and burst. These garments we have on, and the shoes we have on our feet, by reason of the very long journey, are worn out, and almost consumed. 9:14. They took therefore of their victuals, and consulted not the mouth of the Lord. 9:15. And Josue made peace with them, and entering into a league, promised that they should not be slain: the princes also of the multitude swore to them.
Lines 23265–23283
9:16. Now three days after the league was made, they heard that they dwelt nigh, and they should be among them. 9:17. And the children of Israel removed the camp, and came into their cities on the third day, the names of which are, Gabaon, and Caphira, and Beroth, and Cariathiarim. 9:18. And they slew them not, because the princes of the multitude had sworn in the name of the Lord, the God of Israel. Then all the common people murmured against the princes. 9:19. And they answered them: We have sworn to them in the name of the Lord, the God of Israel, and therefore we may not touch them. 9:20. But this we will do to them: Let their lives be saved, lest the wrath of the Lord be stirred up against us, if we should be forsworn: 9:21. But so let them live, as to serve the whole multitude in hewing wood, and bringing in water. As they were speaking these things,
Lines 23285–23299
9:22. Josue called the Gabaonites, and said to them: Why would you impose upon us, saying: We dwell very far off from you, whereas you are in the midst of us? 9:23. Therefore you shall be under a curse, and your race shall always be hewers of wood, and carriers of water, into the house of my God. 9:24. They answered: It was told us, thy servants, that the Lord thy God had promised his servant Moses, to give you all the land, and to destroy all the inhabitants thereof. Therefore we feared exceedingly and provided for our lives, compelled by the dread we had of you, and we took this counsel. 9:25. And now we are in thy hand: deal with us as it seemeth good and right unto thee.
Lines 23301–23309
9:26. So Josue did as he had said, and delivered them from the hand of the children of Israel, that they should not be slain. 9:27. And he gave orders in that day, that they should be in the service of all the people, and of the altar of the Lord, hewing wood, and carrying water, until this present time, in the place which the Lord hath chosen.