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.

JOSHUA 9:24KJV
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Joshua 9:24 (KJV)

What does Joshua 9:24 mean?

Joshua 9:24 records the Gibeonites explaining to Joshua that they deceived Israel because they had heard that the LORD had commanded Moses to give Israel all the land and destroy its inhabitants, so they feared for their lives and acted to protect themselves. The verse shows the Gibeonites’ motivation for their actions: fear of destruction based on what they had learned about Israel’s God and His commands.

In this verse, the Gibeonites are speaking directly to Joshua after their deception has been uncovered. They admit that their actions—pretending to be from a distant country—were driven by fear, since they knew about God’s command to Moses to give Israel the land and remove its people. This confession reveals both their awareness of Israel’s God and their desperate attempt to survive.

The Hebrew behind Joshua 9:24

  • The word for “afraid” is יָרֵא (yare’), which means to fear or be terrified. Here, it emphasizes the depth of the Gibeonites’ fear for their lives, not just general anxiety.
  • The word for “destroy” is שָׁמַד (shamad), which means to completely wipe out or exterminate. This highlights the seriousness of what the Gibeonites believed would happen to them based on God’s command.
  • The word for “servants” is עֶבֶד (eved), used twice—once for Moses and once for the Gibeonites themselves. This connects their position of humility before Joshua with Moses’ role as God’s servant.

Why Joshua 9:24 matters

  • This verse clarifies that the Gibeonites’ deception was not random trickery, but a calculated response to what they had heard about God’s promises and commands to Israel.
  • Joshua 9:24 highlights the reputation of Israel’s God among the surrounding nations and how seriously others took His commands, even if they were not Israelites themselves.
  • The verse connects to the broader story by showing the consequences of Israel’s actions and God’s commands on the people living in Canaan, setting up later events in the book.