And they said unto Joshua, We are thy servants. And Joshua said unto them, Who are ye? and from whence come ye?
The Gibeonites heard of Israel's victories and chose peace instead of war, whereas other peoples were hardened by the same tidings. The same report that softens one heart hardens another; it becomes life to the wise and death to the proud.
AI summary
Commenting on Joshua 9:3-14
And they said unto Joshua, we are thy servants,.... Not that they meant to be subjects of his, and tributaries to him; but this they said in great humility and lowliness of mind, being willing to be or do anything he should enjoin them.
Gibeon was no small settlement but the capital of the Hivites, a large independent city six miles northwest of Jerusalem, commanding a rocky height where El Jib now stands. It led a confederacy of neighboring towns in what amounted to a republican state, which is why its treaty with Joshua carried such weight.
AI summary
Commenting on Joshua 9:3-15