Joshua 9:3-14 Meaning: The Mistake of Not Asking God
3But when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and to Ai,
4they also resorted to a ruse, and went and made as if they had been ambassadors, and took old sacks on their donkeys, and old, torn-up and bound up wineskins,
5and old and patched sandals on their feet, and wore old garments. All the bread of their food supply was dry and moldy.
6They went to Joshua at the camp at Gilgal, and said to him and to the men of Israel, “We have come from a far country. Now therefore make a covenant with us.”
7The men of Israel said to the Hivites, “What if you live among us? How could we make a covenant with you?”
8They said to Joshua, “We are your servants.” Joshua said to them, “Who are you? Where do you come from?”
9They said to him, “Your servants have come from a very far country because of the name of Yahweh your God; for we have heard of his fame, all that he did in Egypt,
10and all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon king of Heshbon and to Og king of Bashan, who was at Ashtaroth.
11Our elders and all the inhabitants of our country spoke to us, saying, ‘Take supplies in your hand for the journey, and go to meet them. Tell them, “We are your servants. Now make a covenant with us.”’
12This our bread we took hot for our supplies out of our houses on the day we went out to go to you; but now, behold, it is dry, and has become moldy.
13These wineskins, which we filled, were new; and behold, they are torn. These our garments and our sandals have become old because of the very long journey.”
14The men sampled their provisions, and didn’t ask counsel from Yahweh’s mouth.
3And when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done unto Jericho and to Ai,
4They did work wilily, and went and made as if they had been ambassadors, and took old sacks upon their asses, and wine bottles, old, and rent, and bound up;
5And old shoes and clouted upon their feet, and old garments upon them; and all the bread of their provision was dry and mouldy.
6And they went to Joshua unto the camp at Gilgal, and said unto him, and to the men of Israel, We be come from a far country: now therefore make ye a league with us.
7And the men of Israel said unto the Hivites, Peradventure ye dwell among us; and how shall we make a league with you?
8And they said unto Joshua, We are thy servants. And Joshua said unto them, Who are ye? and from whence come ye?
9And they said unto him, From a very far country thy servants are come because of the name of the Lord thy God: for we have heard the fame of him, and all that he did in Egypt,
10And all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites, that were beyond Jordan, to Sihon king of Heshbon, and to Og king of Bashan, which was at Ashtaroth.
11Wherefore our elders and all the inhabitants of our country spake to us, saying, Take victuals with you for the journey, and go to meet them, and say unto them, We are your servants: therefore now make ye a league with us.
12This our bread we took hot for our provision out of our houses on the day we came forth to go unto you; but now, behold, it is dry, and it is mouldy:
13And these bottles of wine, which we filled, were new; and, behold, they be rent: and these our garments and our shoes are become old by reason of the very long journey.
14And the men took of their victuals, and asked not counsel at the mouth of the Lord.
3But when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done unto Jericho and to Ai,
4they also did work wilily, and went and made as if they had been ambassadors, and took old sacks upon their asses, and wine-skins, old and rent and bound up,
5and old and patched shoes upon their feet, and old garments upon them; and all the bread of their provision was dry and was become mouldy.
6And they went to Joshua unto the camp at Gilgal, and said unto him, and to the men of Israel, We are come from a far country: now therefore make ye a covenant with us.
7And the men of Israel said unto the Hivites, Peradventure ye dwell among us; and how shall we make a covenant with you?
8And they said unto Joshua, We are thy servants. And Joshua said unto them, Who are ye? and from whence come ye?
9And they said unto him, From a very far country thy servants are come because of the name of Jehovah thy God: for we have heard the fame of him, and all that he did in Egypt,
10and all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites, that were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon king of Heshbon, and to Og king of Bashan, who was at Ashtaroth.
11And our elders and all the inhabitants of our country spake to us, saying, Take provision in your hand for the journey, and go to meet them, and say unto them, We are your servants: and now make ye a covenant with us.
12This our bread we took hot for our provision out of our houses on the day we came forth to go unto you; but now, behold, it is dry, and is become mouldy:
13and these wine-skins, which we filled, were new; and, behold, they are rent: and these our garments and our shoes are become old by reason of the very long journey.
14And the men took of their provision, and asked not counsel at the mouth of Jehovah.
3And the inhabitants of Gibeon have heard that which Joshua hath done to Jericho and to Ai,
4and they work, even they, with subtilty, and go, and feign to be ambassadors, and take old sacks for their asses, and wine-bottles, old, and rent, and bound up,
5and sandals, old and patched, on their feet, and old garments upon them, and all the bread of their provision is dry--it was crumbs.
6And they go unto Joshua, unto the camp at Gilgal, and say unto him, and unto the men of Israel, `From a land far off we have come, and now, make with us a covenant;'
7and the men of Israel say unto the Hivite, `It may be in our midst ye are dwelling, and how do we make with thee a covenant?'
8and they say unto Joshua, `Thy servants we are .' And Joshua saith unto them, `Who are ye? and whence come ye?'
9And they say unto him, `From a land very far off have thy servants come, for the name of Jehovah thy God, for we have heard His fame, and all that He hath done in Egypt,
10and all that He hath done to the two kings of the Amorite who are beyond the Jordan, to Sihon king of Heshbon, and to Og king of Bashan, who is in Ashtaroth.
11`And our elders, and all the inhabitants of our land speak unto us, saying, Take in your hand provision for the way, and go to meet them, and ye have said unto them, Your servants we are , and now, make with us a covenant;
12this our bread--hot we provided ourselves with it out of our houses, on the day of our coming out to go unto you, and now, lo, it is dry, and hath been crumbs;
13and these are the wine-bottles which we filled, new, and lo, they have rent; and these, our garments and our sandals, have become old, from the exceeding greatness of the way.'
14And the men take of their provision, and the mouth of Jehovah have not asked;
3And when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and to Ai,
4then they also acted with craft, and they went prepared as on a journey, and took old sacks upon their asses, and wine-flasks, old and rent and tied up;
5and old and patched sandals upon their feet, and old garments upon them; and all the bread of their provision was dry [and] mouldy.
6And they went to Joshua unto the camp at Gilgal, and said to him, and to the men of Israel, From a far country are we come; and now make a covenant with us.
7And the men of Israel said to the Hivite, Perhaps thou dwellest in the midst of us, and how should I make a covenant with thee?
8And they said unto Joshua, We are thy servants. And Joshua said to them, Who are ye? and from whence come ye?
9And they said to him, From a very far country are thy servants come, because of the name of Jehovah thy God; for we have heard the fame of him, and all that he did in Egypt,
10and all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites that were beyond Jordan, to Sihon the king of Heshbon, and to Og the king of Bashan, who was at Ashtaroth.
11And our elders and all the inhabitants of our country spoke to us, saying, Take victuals in your hand for the way, and go to meet them, and say to them, We are your servants, and now make a covenant with us.
12This our bread we took warm for our provision out of our houses on the day we came forth to go unto you; and now, behold, it is dry, and is become mouldy.
13And these flasks of wine which we filled new, behold, they are rent; and these our garments and our sandals are become old by reason of the very long journey.
14And the men took of their victuals, but they did not inquire at the mouth of Jehovah.
Meaning in one sentence
Why did the Gibeonites deceive Israel? And why did Joshua fall for it?
Context
Joshua and the people of Israel have just taken Jericho and Ai. Word spreads through Canaan, and the local kings band together to fight. But the Gibeonites, a powerful Hivite city, take a different path. They have heard what the Lord did for Israel, and fear drives them to a desperate plan: deception. They dress in worn-out clothes, pack moldy bread, and claim to be from a far country. They ask for a peace treaty. The elders of Israel examine the evidence, taste the provisions, and make a decision. And that is where the story turns. They do not ask the Lord what to do.
Key Words
The Hebrew word behind “ruse” or “wilily” is ormah. It can mean shrewdness or prudence, even wisdom. But here it is cunning for survival. The Gibeonites used it well, but the word later in Proverbs describes a sensible person who acts with knowledge. The same skill can serve good or bad ends.
When the Gibeonites ask for a covenant, the verb is karat, “to cut.” A covenant was sealed by cutting an animal in two. The parties walked between the pieces, saying in effect, “May this happen to me if I break this promise.” It was a serious, life-or-death bond.
The real heart of the passage is in that last line: “did not ask counsel from Yahweh’s mouth.” The verb sha’al means to inquire, to seek a response. It is the same word used earlier when Joshua sought the Lord before battle. Here, the leaders inspected the bread and the wineskins. They looked at visible evidence. But they did not turn to the Lord. The one step that would have saved them, they skipped.
How Christians Read This Verse
Across Christian traditions, this passage serves as a warning about making decisions without consulting God. Many commentators, from Calvin to Matthew Henry, have noted that the problem was not the treaty itself but the way it was made. The Gibeonites acted out of fear of the Lord, and their deception succeeded because the Israelites judged only by appearances. Some traditions point to the ongoing consequences: centuries later, King Saul violated the oath and brought a famine on Israel (2 Samuel 21:1). Others emphasize that Joshua bound himself with an oath in God’s name, and kept it even when it cost him. The passage invites readers to reflect on how quickly we trust our own observations and how much we need divine direction in every decision, big or small.
A common misunderstanding
Some readers think the main lesson is “never trust appearances” or “don’t make covenants with outsiders.” But the text gives the real problem plainly: “they did not ask counsel from Yahweh’s mouth.” The sin was not the treaty itself, but the rashness of acting on visible evidence alone. If they had prayed, the Lord could have exposed the lie. In fact, we are told what they should have done: sought the Lord’s direction.
Living This Out
Think about a decision you are facing right now. Maybe it is a financial choice, a conversation you need to have, or a new commitment. The evidence may seem clear. The bread looks old. The wineskins are torn. Everything fits the story. And you are ready to move ahead. But this passage asks you to stop before you act. Not to doubt your judgment, but to bring it to the Lord. Ask Him what He sees. That pause, that prayer, is the line between wisdom and regret.
Main takeaway: When we rely on our own judgment instead of asking God for guidance, even the most careful decisions can lead to long-lasting consequences.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
The Gibeonites told a lie to make friends with Israel. The leaders of Israel looked at the bread and the clothes and believed the story. They forgot to ask God what to do. You can always ask God for help before you make a decision.
For ages 9, 12
The Gibeonites were afraid of Israel because God had helped them win big battles. Instead of fighting, they tricked the leaders into making a promise. The leaders saw the dry bread and patched sandals and thought, “This seems true.” But they did not stop to pray and ask God. That is the most important part. Even when everything looks right, we need to ask God for His wisdom. He knows what we cannot see.
Questions People Ask
Why did the Gibeonites choose to deceive Israel instead of fight?
They had heard what God did for Israel at Jericho and Ai, and they were terrified. Instead of joining the other Canaanite kings in battle, they decided to trick Israel into making a peace treaty. They knew direct force would fail, so they used cunning to survive.
What does “did not ask counsel at the mouth of the Lord” mean?
It means the leaders of Israel did not pray and seek God’s direction before making the covenant. They examined the physical evidence, but they never turned to the Lord for wisdom. Even though they had access to His guidance, they acted on their own reasoning.
Was Joshua wrong to make a covenant with the Gibeonites?
Many Christian teachers say the mistake was not the peace treaty itself, but making it without consulting God. If Joshua and the elders had asked the Lord first, He could have revealed the deception. After they made the oath in God’s name, they kept it, even when they learned the truth, because breaking an oath would dishonor God.
Did the Gibeonites truly believe in the God of Israel?
They said they came “because of the name of the Lord your God” and claimed to have heard of His fame. This shows they recognized His power. But their actions were deceptive. The Bible does not say they had genuine faith, only that they feared enough to seek peace at any cost.
What happened after the deception was discovered?
Three days later, Israel learned that the Gibeonites were actually their neighbors. The people were angry, but Joshua and the leaders kept the covenant because they had sworn by the Lord. The Gibeonites became servants, woodcutters and water carriers for the community (Joshua 9:21, 23). The oath stood for generations, as seen in 2 Samuel 21.
For pastors & researchers
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