Because of their lie, God has condemned them (literally “you are accursed”). In order to make immediately clear the connection between God’s condemnation of the Gibeonites and their punishment, this portion of the verse may be translated, “God has condemned you, and this will be your punishment: your people will always….” From then on the Gibeonites would be slaves for the Israelites, cutting wood and carrying water for the sanctuary of the Lord.

It is not certain where this sanctuary is to be located, if, in fact, the writer had a particular place in mind. It could be in Gilgal or in Gibeon itself (see 1 Kgs 3.4; Gibeon is an important religious center in the time of King Solomon), or it could be taken to refer to the Jerusalem Temple.Instead of “for the house of my God,” the Septuagint has “for me and my God,” which Soggin understands as indicating a desire “to avoid the anachronism of the mention of the Jerusalem temple.” Sanctuary may be translated either “house of worship” or “Temple.” And the modifier (of my God) may be rendered “of the God of Israel.”

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Newman, Barclay M. A Handbook on Joshua. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1983. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .