Section 9:1–27 The Gibeonites deceived the Israelites
The Gibeonite people lived near Ai. When they heard that Joshua had defeated Ai, they were afraid that he would conquer and kill them too. So, they sent messengers who pretended they had come from a long distance away. They deceived the Israelites and made a treaty of friendship with them.
Later, the Israelites learned that the Gibeonites lied to them, and that they lived quite close to them. They could not kill them because of the treaty, so they made them be water carriers and woodcutters for the Israelites.
Here are some other possible section headings:
The people of Gibeon
-or-
The Gibeon people tricked the Israelites and made a treaty with them
Paragraph 9:1–2
This paragraph forms an introduction to the story of this chapter. It tells how a group of kings from the nearby towns decided to fight together against the Israelites. Their action contrasts with how the Gibeonites deceived the Israelites.
9:1a
Now when news of this reached: The words of this are not included in the Hebrew text. The Hebrew text says only, “When all the kings heard.” In some languages it may be clearer to add words about what the kings heard.
These kings heard something that made them decide to join forces and attack the Israelites. Probably they heard how Joshua and the Israelites were defeated in the first battle of Ai. Because they saw that it was possible for the Israelites to lose a battle, they decided to attack them.
Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:
When the kings heard ⌊about the Israelites⌋ they gathered together
-or-
When the kings heard ⌊that the Israelites lost a battle against Ai⌋ , they gathered together
all the kings west of the Jordan: The phrase the kings west of the Jordan refers to the kings who ruled towns on the west side of the Jordan River. It may be clearer to add the implied information in this clause. For example:
the kings ⌊of the towns⌋ beyond the Jordan ⌊River⌋
-or-
the kings ⌊of the towns⌋ west of the Jordan ⌊River⌋
west of the Jordan: The phrase west of the Jordan refers to the region west of the Jordan River.
9:1b
those in the hill country: The term hill country refers to the central mountain range of Palestine.
the foothills: The term foothills refers to the western side of the central mountain range. It is a rocky plateau that is higher than the land near the Mediterranean Sea, but lower than the hill country.
Here are some other ways to translate this word:
western foothills (New International Version)
-or-
the lowland (Revised Standard Version)
and all along the coast of the Great Sea: The phrase Great Sea refers to the Mediterranean Sea.
toward Lebanon: Lebanon was a small but powerful kingdom to the north of Palestine. The phrase toward Lebanon indicates that some of these kings were from the north, near the kingdom of Lebanon.
9:1c
the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites: These six groups of people were mentioned in 3:10. You should translate them the same way you did there. These people are inhabitants of the land of Canaan. In Deuteronomy 20:16–18 Yahweh told the Israelites to destroy these nations with his help.
General Comment on 9:1
This is a long sentence with a long and complicated subject. It may be clearer to break it into two sentences. For example:
1a There were many people who lived on the west side of the Jordan River, 1b in the hill country, and in the foothills, and along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea and up north toward Lebanon. 1c The kings of the Hitti people, the Amor people, the Canaan people, the Periz people, the Hiw people, and the Yabus people 1a heard about the Israelites.
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