Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version they resorted to a ruse: They went as a delegation whose donkeys were loaded with worn-out sacks and old wineskins, cracked and mended. New Living Translation they resorted to deception to save themselves. They sent ambassadors to Joshua, loading their donkeys with weathered saddlebags and old, patched wineskins. English Standard Version they on their part acted with cunning and went and made ready provisions and took worn-out sacks for their donkeys, and wineskins, worn-out and torn and mended, Berean Standard Bible acted deceptively and set out as envoys, carrying on their donkeys worn-out sacks and old wineskins, cracked and mended. King James Bible They did work wilily, and went and made as if they had been ambassadors, and took old sacks upon their asses, and wine bottles, old, and rent, and bound up; New King James Version they worked craftily, and went and pretended to be ambassadors. And they took old sacks on their donkeys, old wineskins torn and mended, New American Standard Bible but they on their part acted craftily and went and took provisions for a journey, and took worn-out sacks on their donkeys, and wineskins that were worn out, split open, and patched, NASB 1995 they also acted craftily and set out as envoys, and took worn-out sacks on their donkeys, and wineskins worn-out and torn and mended, NASB 1977 they also acted craftily and set out as envoys, and took worn-out sacks on their donkeys, and wineskins, worn-out and torn and mended, Legacy Standard Bible So they also acted craftily and went and traveled as envoys and took worn-out sacks on their donkeys, and wineskins worn-out and torn and mended, Amplified Bible they too acted craftily and cunningly, and set out and took along provisions, but took worn-out sacks on their donkeys, and wineskins (leather bottles) that were worn out and split open and patched together, Christian Standard Bible they acted deceptively. They gathered provisions and took worn-out sacks on their donkeys and old wineskins, cracked and mended. Holman Christian Standard Bible they acted deceptively. They gathered provisions and took worn-out sacks on their donkeys and old wineskins, cracked and mended. American Standard Version they also did work wilily, and went and made as if they had been ambassadors, and took old sacks upon their asses, and wine-skins, old and rent and bound up, Contemporary English Version So they decided that some of their men should pretend to be messengers to Israel from a faraway country. The men put worn-out bags on their donkeys and found some old wineskins that had cracked and had been sewn back together. English Revised Version they also did work wilily, and went and made as if they had been ambassadors, and took old sacks upon their asses, and wineskins, old and rent and bound up; GOD'S WORD® Translation they devised a scheme. They posed as messengers. They took worn-out sacks on their donkeys. Their wineskins were old, split, and patched. Good News Translation and they decided to deceive him. They went and got some food and loaded their donkeys with worn-out sacks and patched-up wineskins. International Standard Version they took the initiative by preparing their provisions shrewdly: they took tattered sacks for their donkeys, worn-out, torn, and mended wineskins, Majority Standard Bible acted deceptively and set out as envoys, carrying on their donkeys worn-out sacks and old wineskins, cracked and mended. NET Bible they did something clever. They collected some provisions and put worn-out sacks on their donkeys, along with worn-out wineskins that were ripped and patched. New Heart English Bible they also resorted to a ruse, and went and made as if they had been ambassadors, and took old sacks on their donkeys, and wineskins, old and torn and bound up, Webster's Bible Translation They did work craftily, and went and made as if they had been embassadors, and took old sacks upon their asses, and wine-bottles, old, and rent, and bound up; World English Bible they also resorted to a ruse, and went and made as if they had been ambassadors, and took old sacks on their donkeys, and old, torn-up and bound up wine skins, Literal Translations Literal Standard Versionand they work, even they, with subtlety, and go, and feign to be ambassadors, and take old sacks for their donkeys, and wine-bottles, old, and split, and bound up, Young's Literal Translation and they work, even they, with subtilty, and go, and feign to be ambassadors, and take old sacks for their asses, and wine-bottles, old, and rent, and bound up, Smith's Literal Translation And they will do in guile, and will go and will lay snares, and will take sacking worn out, for their asses, and leather sacks of wine worn out, and being rent and bound up; Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleCunningly devising took for themselves provisions, laying old sacks upon their asses, and wine bottles rent and sewed up again, Catholic Public Domain Version planning cleverly, took for themselves provisions, placing old sacks upon their donkeys, and wineskins that had torn and been sewed up, New American Bible formed their own scheme. They chose provisions for a journey, making use of old sacks for their donkeys, and old wineskins, torn and mended. New Revised Standard Version they on their part acted with cunning: they went and prepared provisions, and took worn-out sacks for their donkeys, and wineskins, worn-out and torn and mended, Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleThey worked subtly, and prepared provisions, and laid old sacks upon their asses, and wine skins, old, torn, and patched; Peshitta Holy Bible Translated And they also worked with subtlety and they went, they traveled as Ambassadors and they cast old sackcloth on their donkeys and wineskins of wine that were worn out and torn and sewn up OT Translations JPS Tanakh 1917they also did work wilily, and went and made as if they had been ambassadors, and took old sacks upon their asses, and wine skins, worn and rent and patched up; Brenton Septuagint Translation And they also wrought craftily, and they went and made provision and prepared themselves; and having taken old sacks on their shoulders, and old and rent and patched bottles of wine, Additional Translations ... Audio Bible Context The Deceit of the Gibeonites…3But the people of Gibeon, having heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai, 4acted deceptively and set out as envoys, carrying on their donkeys worn-out sacks and old wineskins, cracked and mended. 5They put worn, patched sandals on their feet and threadbare clothing on their bodies, and their whole supply of bread was dry and moldy.… Cross References Deuteronomy 20:10-11 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. 1 Samuel 21:2 “The king has given me a mission,” David replied. “He told me no one is to know about the mission on which I am sending you. And I have directed my young men to meet me at a certain place. 1 Kings 20:31-34 Then the servants of Ben-hadad said to him, “Look now, we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful. Let us go out to the king of Israel with sackcloth around our waists and ropes around our heads. Perhaps he will spare your life.” / So with sackcloth around their waists and ropes around their heads, they went to the king of Israel and said, “Your servant Ben-hadad says, ‘Please spare my life.’” And the king answered, “Is he still alive? He is my brother.” / Now the men were looking for a sign of hope, and they quickly grasped at this word and replied, “Yes, your brother Ben-hadad.” “Go and get him!” said the king. Then Ben-hadad came out, and Ahab had him come up into his chariot. ... Genesis 34:13 But because Shechem had defiled their sister Dinah, Jacob’s sons answered him and his father Hamor deceitfully. 2 Samuel 21:2 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.) 2 Kings 10:19 Now, therefore, summon to me all the prophets of Baal, all his servants, and all his priests. See that no one is missing, for I have a great sacrifice for Baal. Whoever is missing will not live.” But Jehu was acting deceptively in order to destroy the servants of Baal. 2 Chronicles 18:19-22 And the LORD said, ‘Who will entice Ahab king of Israel to march up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?’ And one suggested this, and another that. / Then a spirit came forward, stood before the LORD, and said, ‘I will entice him.’ ‘By what means?’ asked the LORD. / And he replied, ‘I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouths of all his prophets.’ ‘You will surely entice him and prevail,’ said the LORD. ‘Go and do it.’ ... Jeremiah 9:8 Their tongues are deadly arrows; they speak deception. With his mouth a man speaks peace to his neighbor, but in his heart he sets a trap for him. Psalm 55:21 His speech is smooth as butter, but war is in his heart. His words are softer than oil, yet they are swords unsheathed. Proverbs 26:24-26 A hateful man disguises himself with his speech, but he lays up deceit in his heart. / When he speaks graciously, do not believe him, for seven abominations fill his heart. / Though his hatred is concealed by deception, his wickedness will be exposed in the assembly. Matthew 10:16 Behold, I am sending you out like sheep among wolves; therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. Matthew 23:28 In the same way, on the outside you appear to be righteous, but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness. Luke 20:23 But Jesus saw through their duplicity and said to them, John 7:24 Stop judging by outward appearances, and start judging justly.” Acts 5:3-4 Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and withhold some of the proceeds from the land? / Did it not belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? How could you conceive such a deed in your heart? You have not lied to men, but to God!” Treasury of Scripture They did work wilily, and went and made as if they had been ambassadors, and took old sacks on their asses, and wine bottles, old, and rent, and bound up; work wilily Genesis 34:13 And the sons of Jacob answered Shechem and Hamor his father deceitfully, and said, because he had defiled Dinah their sister: 1 Kings 20:31-33 And his servants said unto him, Behold now, we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful kings: let us, I pray thee, put sackcloth on our loins, and ropes upon our heads, and go out to the king of Israel: peradventure he will save thy life… Matthew 10:16 Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. Psalm 119:83 For I am become like a bottle in the smoke; yet do I not forget thy statutes. Matthew 9:17 Neither do men put new wine into old bottles: else the bottles break, and the wine runneth out, and the bottles perish: but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved. Mark 2:22 And no man putteth new wine into old bottles: else the new wine doth burst the bottles, and the wine is spilled, and the bottles will be marred: but new wine must be put into new bottles. Jump to Previous Acted Acting Ambassadors Asses Bottles Bound Cord Craftily Deceit Delegation Donkeys Embassadors Envoys Journey Kept Loaded Patched Prepared Ready Rent Resorted Sacks Skins Together Torn Wine Wine-Bottles Wineskins Work Worn Worn-OutJump to Next Acted Acting Ambassadors Asses Bottles Bound Cord Craftily Deceit Delegation Donkeys Embassadors Envoys Journey Kept Loaded Patched Prepared Ready Rent Resorted Sacks Skins Together Torn Wine Wine-Bottles Wineskins Work Worn Worn-OutJoshua 9 1. The kings combine against Israel3. The Gibeonites by craft obtain a league 22. They are condemned to perpetual bondage acted deceptively The Hebrew root for "deceptively" is "רָמָה" (ramah), which means to beguile or deceive. This word choice highlights the cunning and craftiness of the Gibeonites. In the broader biblical context, deception is often associated with a lack of faith or trust in God's provision and protection. The Gibeonites' actions reflect a worldly wisdom that relies on human cunning rather than divine guidance. This serves as a reminder of the importance of seeking God's wisdom and discernment in all our dealings. they set out as envoys took worn-out sacks on their donkeys and old wineskins, cracked and mended They . . . made as if they had been ambassadors.--The verb thus translated does not occur elsewhere in the Hebrew Bible. By the alteration of a letter, the Targum, LXX., and some other versions make it mean, "they gat them provision." Verse 4. - They did work wilily. Rather, and they worked - they also - with craft. The reference, no doubt, is to the confederacy of the other kings. The Gibeonites also acted upon what they had heard, but they preferred an accommodation to war. So Calvin and Rosenmuller; also Drusius. And they felt that they could only effect their purpose by craft. Other explanations are given, such as that a reference is made to Joshua's stratagem at Ai. Keil rejects both, and proposes an explanation of his own, which is unintelligible. Origen's interpretation here is interesting as a specimen of the theology of the third century. He regards the Gibeonites as the type of men who, though they are enrolled in the Church as believers and have faith in God, and acquiesce in all the Divine precepts, and are ready enough to take part in all the external duties of religion, are yet involved in vices and foulnesses, like the Gibeonites in their old garments and clouted shoes. They display no signs of improvement or alteration, yet Jesus our Lord concedes to them salvation, even though that salvation does not escape a certain stigma of disgrace. That there may be some persons in a condition somewhat resembling this described by Origen may be admitted, but it is difficult to see how any one in a state of salvation can display no signs of improvement whatever. There are many who do not improve as they might, whom we should yet hesitate to pronounce altogether reprobate from God. But surely the entire absence of all improvement is a manifest sign of reprobation. This passage is one of many among the voluminous works of Origen in which that holy and learned man has not sufficiently weighed what he was saying (see below, ver. 23). Made as if they had been ambassadors. "Sent an embassy" (Luther). If we take this reading, we must suppose, with Grotius and others, the word to be the Hithpahel of צִיר to go, to revolve. But the form is rare, and the word is elsewhere unknown, at least in Hebrew, though an Arabic form of it is found. It is therefore better to read יֹצְטַיָּדוּ "they prepared themselves provisions." This is the reading of the LXX., the Vulgate, the Chaldee, the Syriac, and of most modern editors. It is rendered still more probable by the occurrence of the same word in ver. 12. Old sacks. Rather, worn out, and so throughout the passage. The usual mode of conveyance still in the East is in sackcloth bags on the backs of horses, mules, camels, and asses. Such bags are apt to meet with rough usage in a long journey. Wine bottles. Rather, wine skins, the wine then being kept in skins, not in vessels of glass. This explains how they could be burst open (מְבֻקָּעִים) and tied up. These skins were hung up frequently in the smoke (Psalm 119:83), which gave them a shrivelled appearance. The first bottles were made of such skins, as Herodotus tells us. The Egyptian monuments confirm his statements, displaying as they do skins of animals so used, with the legs or the neck forming what we still term the "neck" of the bottle (cf. Homer, Iliad, 4:247, ἀσκῷ ἐν αἰγείῳ). Similar bottles are depicted on the walls of Herculaneum and Pompeii, and the like may be seen still in Italian villages. They were pitched over at the seams to prevent leakage (cf. Job 32:19; Matthew 9:17; Mark 2:22; Luke 5:37, 38. See also Kitto's 'Cyclopaedia of Biblical Literature '). Bound up. The usual mode of mending in the East, except when a patch is inserted, is to tie or sew up the hole.Parallel Commentaries ... Hebrew acted deceptivelyוַיַּעֲשׂ֤וּ (way·ya·‘ă·śū) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural Strong's 6213: To do, make and set out וַיֵּלְכ֖וּ (way·yê·lə·ḵū) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural Strong's 1980: To go, come, walk as envoys, וַיִּצְטַיָּ֑רוּ (way·yiṣ·ṭay·yā·rū) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hitpael - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural Strong's 6737: To make an errand, betake oneself carrying וַיִּקְח֞וּ (way·yiq·ḥū) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural Strong's 3947: To take on their donkeys לַחֲמ֣וֹרֵיהֶ֔ם (la·ḥă·mō·w·rê·hem) Preposition-l | Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural Strong's 2543: A male ass worn-out בָּלִים֙ (bā·lîm) Adjective - masculine plural Strong's 1087: Worn out sacks שַׂקִּ֤ים (śaq·qîm) Noun - masculine plural Strong's 8242: A mesh, coarse loose cloth, sacking, a bag and old בָּלִ֔ים (bā·lîm) Adjective - masculine plural Strong's 1087: Worn out wineskins, וְנֹאד֥וֹת (wə·nō·ḏō·wṯ) Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural construct Strong's 4997: A skin bottle, skin cracked וּמְבֻקָּעִ֖ים (ū·mə·ḇuq·qā·‘îm) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Pual - Participle - masculine plural Strong's 1234: To cleave, to rend, break, rip, open and mended. וּמְצֹרָרִֽים׃ (ū·mə·ṣō·rā·rîm) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Pual - Participle - masculine plural Strong's 6887: To bind, tie up, be restricted, narrow, scant, or cramped Links Joshua 9:4 NIVJoshua 9:4 NLT Joshua 9:4 ESV Joshua 9:4 NASB Joshua 9:4 KJV Joshua 9:4 BibleApps.com Joshua 9:4 Biblia Paralela Joshua 9:4 Chinese Bible Joshua 9:4 French Bible Joshua 9:4 Catholic Bible OT History: Joshua 9:4 They also resorted to a ruse (Josh. 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