The text does not say how the Israelites discovered that they had been deceived, but the intimation is that they learned by accident; this would seem the better alternative in translation, if a choice must be made between intentional and unintentional learning. In any case, they set out at once and went to the four cities of the Gibeonites, but because of their treaty with them they could not kill them. Instead, the Gibeonites became slaves of the Israelites.

Three days later (in both 16 and 17) means “the day after tomorrow” (see comments on 1.11).It should be noticed that Hebrew Old Testament Text Project says that the two periods of three days in verses 16 and 17 refer to the same three days, not to six days, and propose a translation what will reflect this understanding of the text. On the face of it, this sounds correct, but it must be said that the Hebrew text as it now stands does not read as though the two three-day periods are just one three-day period. Many languages will have idiomatic ways of describing such short periods of time. Concerning the possibility of understanding three days later of both verses as a reference to the same time period, see below.

After the treaty had been made may be restructured as an active clause: either “after the Israelites had made the treaty with the Gibeonites” or “after the Israelites and the Gibeonites had made a treaty.”

The Israelites learn the truth about the Gibeonites, that they did indeed live nearby (the Hebrew is quite repetitious; “they were neighbors to them and in their neighborhood they lived”). At once the Israelites set out and arrive at Gibeon on the third day (Gibeon was only 30 kilometers from the Israelites camp at Gilgal; and notice that in 10.9 the Israelites are able to cover the distance in a nightlong forced march). The four cities were quite close together: Beeroth was about 7 kilometers northeast of Gibeon; Chephirah was about 7 kilometers southwest of Gibeon, and Kiriath Jearim a bit farther away in the same direction.

The Hebrew text of verse 16 reads “At the end of three days,” while in verse 17 it reads “on the third day.” There is the possibility that the same period of time is designated by each of these temporal phrases. If that is the case, then the text would appear to mean that three days after the treaty was signed the people of Israel happened to arrive in the area where the Gibeonites’ cities were. It was at this time that they learned that they had been tricked. Hebrew Old Testament Text Project recognizes the problem and recommends that these three-day periods be identified as one in translation. If the translator follows the Hebrew Old Testament Text Project recommendation, verses 16-17 may then become a unit:

• After making the treaty with the Gibeonites, the Israelites broke camp and were on the move again. At the end of the third day, they arrived in the vicinity of the cities of Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath Jearim. It was then that the Israelites learned that the Gibeonites did indeed live nearby.

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 .