Paragraph 9:6–13

9:6a

They went to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal: After the Gibeonite men got their things together, they traveled to the Israelite camp at Gilgal to talk to Joshua.

Gilgal: Gilgal was first mentioned in 4:19. You should translate it the same way you did there.

9:6b

and said to him and the men of Israel: The Gibeonite men met with Joshua and the Israelites. The Hebrew phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as men of Israel is more literally “man of Israel.” This is a collective term that is frequently used for the Israelite army. The phrase men of Israel probably refers to the leaders of the Israelites, rather than to all the male Israelites.

9:6c

We have come from a distant land: The Gibeonites claimed that they had traveled a long distance and lived far away from the land of Canaan.

We: The word We is exclusive. It refers to the Gibeonites and not to the Israelites.

please make a treaty with us: The clause make a treaty with us is a request for the Israelites to make a treaty or agreement of friendship with them. A treaty is a formal agreement between two people or groups of people.

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