Joshua 9:17 So the Israelites set out and on the third day arrived at their cities--Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath-jearim.

◄ Joshua 9:17 ►

New International Version
So the Israelites set out and on the third day came to their cities: Gibeon, Kephirah, Beeroth and Kiriath Jearim.

New Living Translation
The Israelites set out at once to investigate and reached their towns in three days. The names of these towns were Gibeon, Kephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath-jearim.

English Standard Version
And the people of Israel set out and reached their cities on the third day. Now their cities were Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath-jearim.

Berean Standard Bible
So the Israelites set out and on the third day arrived at their cities—Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath-jearim.

King James Bible
And the children of Israel journeyed, and came unto their cities on the third day. Now their cities were Gibeon, and Chephirah, and Beeroth, and Kirjathjearim.

New King James Version
Then the children of Israel journeyed and came to their cities on the third day. Now their cities were Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kirjath Jearim.

New American Standard Bible
Then the sons of Israel set out and came to their cities on the third day. Now their cities were Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath-jearim.

NASB 1995
Then the sons of Israel set out and came to their cities on the third day. Now their cities were Gibeon and Chephirah and Beeroth and Kiriath-jearim.

NASB 1977
Then the sons of Israel set out and came to their cities on the third day. Now their cities were Gibeon and Chephirah and Beeroth and Kiriath-jearim.

Legacy Standard Bible
Then the sons of Israel set out and came to their cities on the third day. Now their cities were Gibeon and Chephirah and Beeroth and Kiriath-jearim.

Amplified Bible
Then the sons of Israel set out and came to their cities on the third day. Now the cities [of the Hivites] were Gibeon and Chephirah and Beeroth and Kiriath-jearim.

Christian Standard Bible
So the Israelites set out and reached the Gibeonite cities on the third day. Now their cities were Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath-jearim.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
So the Israelites set out and reached the Gibeonite cities on the third day. Now their cities were Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath-jearim.

American Standard Version
And the children of Israel journeyed, and came unto their cities on the third day. Now their cities were Gibeon, and Chephirah, and Beeroth, and Kiriath-jearim.

English Revised Version
And the children of Israel journeyed, and came unto their cities on the third day. Now their cities were Gibeon, and Chephirah, and Beeroth, and Kiriath-jearim.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
The Israelites broke camp. They came to the cities of Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath Jearim two days later.

Good News Translation
So the people of Israel started out and three days later arrived at the cities where these people lived: Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath Jearim.

International Standard Version
So the Israelis set out for their cities and three days later they reached their cities of Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath-jearim.

Majority Standard Bible
So the Israelites set out and on the third day arrived at their cities—Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath-jearim.

NET Bible
So the Israelites set out and on the third day arrived at their cities--Gibeon, Kephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath Jearim.

New Heart English Bible
The children of Israel traveled and came to their cities on the third day. Now their cities were Gibeon, Kephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath Jearim.

Webster's Bible Translation
And the children of Israel journeyed, and came to their cities on the third day. Now their cities were Gibeon, and Chephirah, and Beeroth, and Kirjath-jearim.

World English Bible
The children of Israel traveled and came to their cities on the third day. Now their cities were Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath Jearim.

Literal Translations

Literal Standard Version
And the sons of Israel journey and come to their cities on the third day—and their cities [are] Gibeon, and Chephirah, and Beeroth, and Kirjath-Jearim—

Young's Literal Translation
And the sons of Israel journey and come in unto their cities on the third day -- and their cities are Gibeon, and Chephirah, and Beeroth, and Kirjath-Jearim --

Smith's Literal Translation
And the sons of Israel will remove and will come to their cities in the third day. And their cities, Gibeon and Chephirah and Barith, and Kirjath-Jearim.

Catholic Translations

Douay-Rheims Bible
And the children of Israel removed the camp, and came into their cities on the third day, the names of which are Gabaon, and Caphira, and Beroth, and Cariathiarim.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And so the sons of Israel moved the camp, and they arrived at their cities on the third day, those which are called: Gibeon, and Chephirah, and Beeroth, and Kiriath-jearim.

New American Bible
The third day on the road, the Israelites came to their cities of Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath-jearim,

New Revised Standard Version
So the Israelites set out and reached their cities on the third day. Now their cities were Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath-jearim.

Translations from Aramaic

Lamsa Bible
And the children of Israel journeyed, and came to their cities on the third day. Now the names of their cities were Gibeon, Chephirah, Aeerooth and Koriath-naarin.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And the children of Israel picked up and they came to their cities on the third day, and the names of their cities: “Gebuun and Kaphira and Irutha and Quryath Narin

OT Translations

JPS Tanakh 1917
And the children of Israel journeyed, and came unto their cities on the third day. Now their cities were Gibeon, and Chephirah, and Beeroth, and Kiriath-jearim.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And the children of Israel departed and came to their cities; and their cities were Gabaon, and Kephira, and Berot, and the cities of Jarin.

Additional Translations ...

Audio Bible

Context

The Deceit of the Gibeonites
…16Three days after they had made the treaty with the Gibeonites, the Israelites learned that they were neighbors, living among them. 17So the Israelites set out and on the third day arrived at their cities— Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath-jearim. 18But the Israelites did not attack them, because the leaders of the congregation had sworn an oath to them by the LORD, the God of Israel. And the whole congregation grumbled against the leaders.…

Berean Standard Bible · Download

Cross References

Deuteronomy 20:10-18
When you approach a city to fight against it, you are to make an offer of peace. / If they accept your offer of peace and open their gates, all the people there will become forced laborers to serve you. / But if they refuse to make peace with you and wage war against you, lay siege to that city. ...

Exodus 23:32-33
You shall make no covenant with them or with their gods. / They must not remain in your land, lest they cause you to sin against Me. For if you serve their gods, it will surely be a snare to you.”

Numbers 33:55-56
But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land before you, those you allow to remain will become barbs in your eyes and thorns in your sides; they will harass you in the land where you settle. / And then I will do to you what I had planned to do to them.”

Judges 2:1-3
Now the angel of the LORD went up from Gilgal to Bochim and said, “I brought you up out of Egypt and led you into the land that I had promised to your fathers, and I said, ‘I will never break My covenant with you, / and you are not to make a covenant with the people of this land, but you shall tear down their altars.’ Yet you have not obeyed My voice. What is this you have done? / So now I tell you that I will not drive out these people before you; they will be thorns in your sides, and their gods will be a snare to you.”

2 Samuel 21:1-2
During the reign of David there was a famine for three successive years, and David sought the face of the LORD. And the LORD said, “It is because of the blood shed by Saul and his family, because he killed the Gibeonites.” / At this, David summoned the Gibeonites and spoke to them. (Now the Gibeonites were not Israelites, but a remnant of the Amorites. The Israelites had taken an oath concerning them, but in his zeal for Israel and Judah, Saul had sought to kill them.)

1 Kings 9:20-21
As for all the people who remained of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites (the people who were not Israelites)— / their descendants who remained in the land, those whom the Israelites were unable to devote to destruction—Solomon conscripted these people to be forced laborers, as they are to this day.

2 Chronicles 8:7-8
As for all the people who remained of the Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites (these people were not Israelites)— / their descendants who remained in the land, those whom the Israelites had not destroyed—Solomon conscripted these people to be forced laborers, as they are to this day.

Nehemiah 9:24-25
So their descendants went in and possessed the land; You subdued before them the Canaanites dwelling in the land. You delivered into their hands the kings and peoples of the land, to do with them as they wished. / They captured fortified cities and fertile land and took houses full of all goods, wells already dug, vineyards, olive groves, and fruit trees in abundance. So they ate and were filled; they grew fat and delighted in Your great goodness.

Psalm 106:34-36
They did not destroy the peoples as the LORD had commanded them, / but they mingled with the nations and adopted their customs. / They worshiped their idols, which became a snare to them.

Isaiah 30:1-2
“Woe to the rebellious children,” declares the LORD, “to those who carry out a plan that is not Mine, who form an alliance, but against My will, heaping up sin upon sin. / They set out to go down to Egypt without asking My advice, to seek shelter under Pharaoh’s protection and take refuge in Egypt’s shade.

Jeremiah 18:18
Then some said, “Come, let us make plans against Jeremiah, for the law will never be lost to the priest, nor counsel to the wise, nor an oracle to the prophet. Come, let us denounce him and pay no heed to any of his words.”

Matthew 5:37
Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ Anything more comes from the evil one.

Matthew 10:16
Behold, I am sending you out like sheep among wolves; therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.

Luke 16:8
The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the sons of this age are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the sons of light.

John 7:24
Stop judging by outward appearances, and start judging justly.”

Treasury of Scripture

And the children of Israel journeyed, and came to their cities on the third day. Now their cities were Gibeon, and Chephirah, and Beeroth, and Kirjathjearim.

Gibeon

Joshua 10:2
That they feared greatly, because Gibeon was a great city, as one of the royal cities, and because it was greater than Ai, and all the men thereof were mighty.

Joshua 18:25-28
Gibeon, and Ramah, and Beeroth, …

1 Chronicles 21:29
For the tabernacle of the LORD, which Moses made in the wilderness, and the altar of the burnt offering, were at that season in the high place at Gibeon.

kirjath-jearim

Joshua 15:9,60
And the border was drawn from the top of the hill unto the fountain of the water of Nephtoah, and went out to the cities of mount Ephron; and the border was drawn to Baalah, which is Kirjathjearim: …

Joshua 18:14
And the border was drawn thence, and compassed the corner of the sea southward, from the hill that lieth before Bethhoron southward; and the goings out thereof were at Kirjathbaal, which is Kirjathjearim, a city of the children of Judah: this was the west quarter.

1 Samuel 7:1
And the men of Kirjathjearim came, and fetched up the ark of the LORD, and brought it into the house of Abinadab in the hill, and sanctified Eleazar his son to keep the ark of the LORD.

Jump to Previous

Beeroth Chephirah Chephi'rah Children Cities Israel Israelites Jearim Journey Journeyed Kiriath Kiriath-Jearim Kir'iath-Je'arim Kirjathjearim Kirjath-Jearim Reached Third Traveled

Jump to Next

Beeroth Chephirah Chephi'rah Children Cities Israel Israelites Jearim Journey Journeyed Kiriath Kiriath-Jearim Kir'iath-Je'arim Kirjathjearim Kirjath-Jearim Reached Third Traveled

Joshua 9

1. The kings combine against Israel
3. The Gibeonites by craft obtain a league
22. They are condemned to perpetual bondage

Berean Study Bible

So the Israelites set out
This phrase marks a decisive action taken by the Israelites. The Hebrew root for "set out" is "nasa," which often implies a purposeful journey or expedition. In the context of Joshua, this action signifies obedience to God's command to take possession of the Promised Land. The Israelites' movement is not just physical but also spiritual, as they continue to fulfill the covenant promises given to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. This journey reflects the Christian life, where believers are called to move forward in faith, trusting in God's guidance and promises.

on the third day
The mention of "the third day" is significant throughout Scripture, often symbolizing divine intervention or completion. In Hebrew culture, the third day is associated with resurrection and new beginnings, as seen in the account of Jonah and ultimately in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Here, it underscores the urgency and determination of the Israelites to confront the Gibeonites, who had deceived them. For Christians, this can be a reminder of God's perfect timing and the hope of renewal and redemption.

came to their cities
The phrase "came to their cities" indicates the Israelites' arrival at the Gibeonite cities. The Hebrew word for "came" is "bo," which can mean to enter or to arrive. This arrival is not just a geographical transition but a confrontation with the reality of the Gibeonites' deception. It serves as a reminder of the importance of discernment and the consequences of failing to seek God's counsel, as the Israelites did not inquire of the Lord before making a treaty with the Gibeonites.

Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath-jearim
These cities were part of a confederation of Hivite cities that sought peace with Israel through deception. Archaeologically, Gibeon has been identified with modern-day el-Jib, and excavations have revealed significant findings that align with biblical accounts. Each city represents a strategic location within the land of Canaan, and their mention highlights the extent of the Gibeonites' influence. Spiritually, these cities symbolize the challenges and temptations believers face in their walk with God. The Gibeonites' deception serves as a cautionary tale about the importance of seeking God's wisdom in all decisions.

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(17) Gibeon, and Chephirah, and Beeroth, and Kirjath-jearim.--The first three of these were assigned to Benjamin (Joshua 18:25-26), the last to Judah (15:60), in the division of the land. The fact that the larger portion of the territory of the Gibeonites was in the tribe of Benjamin explains how Saul was tempted to confiscate their possessions for the purpose of supplying his followers with fields and vineyards (1Samuel 22:7). He appears to have carried out his purpose in the case of Beeroth (2Samuel 4:2-3), but not as regards all the Gibeonite towns. Gibeon became a city of the priests (Joshua 21:17), and also a principal place of worship and the seat of the tabernacle (as Kirjath-jearim was of the ark) in later times. (See 1Samuel 6:21; 1Samuel 7:1, &c.; 1 Chron. 20:29; and 2Chronicles 1:3-6.) The fact that the Gibeonites were dedicated to the service of the sanctuary may partly account for this. In Gibeon, Solomon asked and received the wisdom which Joshua and Israel at this time did not ask. . . .

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 17. - On the third day. After the trick was discovered. Keil remarks that we need not suppose that the three days were consumed on the march. Not only did Joshua, when celerity was necessary, perform the journey in a single night, but the whole distance was not more than eighteen or twenty miles, if we accept the hypothesis of a second Gilgal. Now their cities were. Beeroth still exists, we are told, as el-Bireh (Robinson 2:132. So also Vaudcvelde and Conder). Jerome identified it with a place only seven miles from Jerusalem, which is an obvious error. It contains nearly 700 inhabitants, and is only about twenty minutes' walk from el-Jib, or Gibeon. Kirjath-jearim (the name means the city of forests) is well known in the history of Israel (e.g., Judges 18:12). But it is, chiefly remarkable for the twenty years sojourn of the ark there (1 Samuel 7:2). It was also known by the name of Baalah, Kirjath-Baal (Joshua 15:9, 60; 2 Samuel 6:2). The Hivites seem to have been removed thence (probably to Gibeon), for there is no trace of any non-Jewish element in the population in the account of the reception of the ark among them (see 1 Samuel 6.). It is called Baale of Judah in 2 Samuel 6:2 (cf. Joshua 18:15). The Jewish population seems to be due to one of the posterity of Caleb (see 1 Chronicles 2:50-53). Modern explorers, with the exception of Lieut. Conder, have identified Kirjath-jearim with Kuriet-el-Enab, "the city of the grape," about four miles from el-Jib, or Gibeon. This is the opinion of Robinson and Vandevelde. Supposing it to be near Beth-shemesh, on the authority of Josephus, Lieut. Conder places it at 'Arma, west of Bethlehem, and identifies the waters of Nepbtoah with a fountain nearly due south of the valley of giants or Rephaim (see Joshua 15:9). But this is too far from Gibeon. He identifies Kuriet-el-Enab with Kirjath in Joshua 18:28, and regards this as one of the cities of Benjamin within the border. But this Kirjath may be Kirjath-jearim, and may as reasonably, standing on the border, be accounted to belong to both tribes, as Zorah, Eshtaol (mentioned in the boundaries of Judah and Dan), Beth-arahah, possibly Gibeah or Gibeath (belonging to Judah and Benjamin), and even Jerusalem itself (see Joshua 15:53). The identification of Kirjath-jearim with Kuriet-el-Enab, of the waters of Nephtoah with Ain Lifta, giving a line running northwestward from the valley of Rephaim, seems more probable as the border of Judah and Benjamin, and the word "compassed," or rather deflected, adds probability to this interpretation (see Joshua 15:9, 10, and notes).

Parallel Commentaries ...

Hebrew

So the Israelites
בְנֵֽי־ (ḇə·nê-)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 1121: A son

set out
וַיִּסְע֣וּ (way·yis·‘ū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 5265: To pull up, the tent-pins, start on a, journey

and on the third
הַשְּׁלִישִׁ֑י (haš·šə·lî·šî)
Article | Number - ordinal masculine singular
Strong's 7992: Third, feminine a, third, a third, a third-story cell)

day
בַּיּ֣וֹם (bay·yō·wm)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3117: A day

arrived
וַיָּבֹ֛אוּ (way·yā·ḇō·’ū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 935: To come in, come, go in, go

at their cities—
עָרֵיהֶ֖ם (‘ā·rê·hem)
Noun - feminine plural construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 5892: Excitement

Gibeon,
גִּבְע֣וֹן (giḇ·‘ō·wn)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 1391: Gibeon -- a Levitical city in Benjamin

Chephirah,
וְהַכְּפִירָ֔ה (wə·hak·kə·p̄î·rāh)
Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 3716: A city in Benjamin

Beeroth,
וּבְאֵר֖וֹת (ū·ḇə·’ê·rō·wṯ)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 881: Beeroth -- 'wells', a place in Palestine

and Kiriath-jearim.
יְעָרִֽים׃ (yə·‘ā·rîm)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 7157: Kiriath-jearim -- 'city of forests', a city given to Judah, then to Benjamin

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OT History: Joshua 9:17 The children of Israel traveled and came (Josh. Jos)