Joshua 9:9 "Your servants have come from a very distant land," they replied, "because of the fame of the LORD your God. For we have heard the reports about Him: all that He did in Egypt,

◄ Joshua 9:9 ►

New International Version
They answered: “Your servants have come from a very distant country because of the fame of the LORD your God. For we have heard reports of him: all that he did in Egypt,

New Living Translation
They answered, “Your servants have come from a very distant country. We have heard of the might of the LORD your God and of all he did in Egypt.

English Standard Version
They said to him, “From a very distant country your servants have come, because of the name of the LORD your God. For we have heard a report of him, and all that he did in Egypt,

Berean Standard Bible
“Your servants have come from a very distant land,” they replied, “because of the fame of the LORD your God. For we have heard the reports about Him: all that He did in Egypt,

King James Bible
And they said unto him, From a very far country thy servants are come because of the name of the LORD thy God: for we have heard the fame of him, and all that he did in Egypt,

New King James Version
So they said to him: “From a very far country your servants have come, because of the name of the LORD your God; for we have heard of His fame, and all that He did in Egypt,

New American Standard Bible
They said to him, “Your servants have come from a very distant country because of the fame of the LORD your God; for we have heard the report about Him and all that He did in Egypt,

NASB 1995
They said to him, “Your servants have come from a very far country because of the fame of the LORD your God; for we have heard the report of Him and all that He did in Egypt,

NASB 1977
And they said to him, “Your servants have come from a very far country because of the fame of the LORD your God; for we have heard the report of Him and all that He did in Egypt,

Legacy Standard Bible
They said to him, “Your servants have come from a very far country because of the fame of Yahweh your God; for we have heard the report of Him and all that He did in Egypt,

Amplified Bible
They said to him, “Your servants have come from a country that is very far away because of the fame of the LORD your God; for we have heard the news about Him and all [the remarkable things] that He did in Egypt,

Christian Standard Bible
They replied to him, “Your servants have come from a faraway land because of the reputation of the LORD your God. For we have heard of his fame, and all that he did in Egypt,

Holman Christian Standard Bible
They replied to him, “Your servants have come from a far away land because of the reputation of the LORD your God. For we have heard of His fame, and all that He did in Egypt,

American Standard Version
And they said unto him, From a very far country thy servants are come because of the name of Jehovah thy God: for we have heard the fame of him, and all that he did in Egypt,

Contemporary English Version
We are your servants, and we live far from here. We came because the LORD your God is so famous. We heard what the LORD did in Egypt

English Revised Version
And they said unto him, From a very far country thy servants are come because of the name of the LORD thy God: for we have heard the fame of him, and all that he did in Egypt,

GOD'S WORD® Translation
They answered him, "We came from a country very far away because the LORD your God has become famous. We heard stories about him and everything he did in Egypt.

Good News Translation
Then they told him this story: "We have come from a very distant land, sir, because we have heard of the LORD your God. We have heard about everything that he did in Egypt

International Standard Version
They answered, "Your servants have arrived from a very distant land, because of the reputation of the LORD your God, because we've heard a report about all that he did in Egypt,

Majority Standard Bible
?Your servants have come from a very distant land,? they replied, ?because of the fame of the LORD your God. For we have heard the reports about Him: all that He did in Egypt,

NET Bible
They told him, "Your subjects have come from a very distant land because of the reputation of the LORD your God, for we have heard the news about all he did in Egypt

New Heart English Bible
They said to him, "Your servants have come from a very far country because of the name of the LORD your God; for we have heard of his fame, all that he did in Egypt,

Webster's Bible Translation
And they said to him, From a very far country thy servants have come because of the name of the LORD thy God: for we have heard the fame of him, and all that he did in Egypt,

World English Bible
They said to him, “Your servants have come from a very far country because of the name of Yahweh your God; for we have heard of his fame, all that he did in Egypt,

Literal Translations

Literal Standard Version
And they say to him, “Your servants have come from a very far-off land, for the Name of your God YHWH, for we have heard His fame, and all that He has done in Egypt,

Young's Literal Translation
And they say unto him, 'From a land very far off have thy servants come, for the name of Jehovah thy God, for we have heard His fame, and all that He hath done in Egypt,

Smith's Literal Translation
And they will say to him, From a land very far off thy servants came, for the name of Jehovah thy God; for we heard his fame and all that he did in Egypt.

Catholic Translations

Douay-Rheims Bible
They answered: From a very far country thy servants are come in the name of the Lord thy God. For we have heard the fame of his power, all the things that he did in Egypt.

Catholic Public Domain Version
They responded: “Your servants have arrived, from a very far away land, in the name of the Lord, your God. For we have heard about the fame of his power, all the things that he has done in Egypt,

New American Bible
They answered him, “Your servants have come from a far-off land, because of the fame of the LORD, your God. For we have heard reports of all that he did in Egypt

New Revised Standard Version
They said to him, “Your servants have come from a very far country, because of the name of the LORD your God; for we have heard a report of him, of all that he did in Egypt,

Translations from Aramaic

Lamsa Bible
And they said to him, From a very far country your servants have come because of the name of the LORD your God; for we have heard the fame of him, and all that he did in Egypt.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And they said to him: “From the land of a place that is very distant your Servants came for the name of LORD JEHOVAH your God, because we have heard his name and everything that he did in Egypt

OT Translations

JPS Tanakh 1917
And they said unto him: 'From a very far country thy servants are come because of the name of the LORD thy God; for we have heard the fame of Him, and all that He did in Egypt,

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And they said, Thy servants are come from a very far country in the name of the Lord thy God: for we have heard his name, and all that he did in Egypt,

Additional Translations ...

Audio Bible

Context

The Deceit of the Gibeonites
…8“We are your servants,” they said to Joshua. Then Joshua asked them, “Who are you and where have you come from?” 9“Your servants have come from a very distant land,” they replied, “because of the fame of the LORD your God. For we have heard the reports about Him: all that He did in Egypt, 10and all that He did to the two kings of the Amorites beyond the Jordan—Sihon king of Heshbon and Og king of Bashan, who reigned in Ashtaroth.…

Berean Standard Bible · Download

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.

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.”

Deuteronomy 7:2
and when the LORD your God has delivered them over to you to defeat them, then you must devote them to complete destruction. Make no treaty with them and show them no mercy.

1 Kings 8:41-43
And as for the foreigner who is not of Your people Israel but has come from a distant land because of Your name— / for they will hear of Your great name and mighty hand and outstretched arm—when he comes and prays toward this temple, / then may You hear from heaven, Your dwelling place, and do according to all for which the foreigner calls to You. Then all the peoples of the earth will know Your name and fear You, as do Your people Israel, and they will know that this house I have built is called by Your Name.

2 Chronicles 6:32-33
And as for the foreigner who is not of Your people Israel but has come from a distant land because of Your great name and Your mighty hand and outstretched arm—when he comes and prays toward this temple, / then may You hear from heaven, Your dwelling place, and do according to all for which the foreigner calls to You. Then all the peoples of the earth will know Your name and fear You, as do Your people Israel, and they will know that this house I have built is called by Your Name.

Exodus 34:12
Be careful not to make a treaty with the inhabitants of the land you are entering, lest they become a snare in your midst.

Deuteronomy 20:15-18
This is how you are to treat all the cities that are far away from you and do not belong to the nations nearby. / However, in the cities of the nations that the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, you must not leave alive anything that breathes. / For you must devote them to complete destruction—the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites—as the LORD your God has commanded you, ...

Numbers 27:21
He shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who will seek counsel for him before the LORD by the judgment of the Urim. At his command, he and all the Israelites with him—the entire congregation—will go out and come in.”

1 Samuel 27:8-12
Now David and his men went up and raided the Geshurites, the Girzites, and the Amalekites. (From ancient times these people had inhabited the land extending to Shur and Egypt.) / Whenever David attacked a territory, he did not leave a man or woman alive, but he took the flocks and herds, the donkeys, camels, and clothing. Then he would return to Achish, / who would ask him, “What have you raided today?” And David would reply, “The Negev of Judah,” or “The Negev of Jerahmeel,” or “The Negev of the Kenites.” ...

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.)

Psalm 18:44-45
When they hear me, they obey me; foreigners cower before me. / Foreigners lose heart and come trembling from their strongholds.

Isaiah 60:9
Surely the islands will wait for Me, with the ships of Tarshish in the lead, to bring your children from afar, with their silver and gold, to the honor of the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, for He has glorified you.

Jeremiah 12:16
And if they will diligently learn the ways of My people and swear by My name, saying, ‘As surely as the LORD lives’—just as they once taught My people to swear by Baal—then they will be established among My people.

Matthew 2:1-2
After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, / asking, “Where is the One who has been born King of the Jews? We saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.”

Matthew 8:10-12
When Jesus heard this, He marveled and said to those following Him, “Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith. / I say to you that many will come from the east and the west to share the banquet with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. / But the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

Treasury of Scripture

And they said to him, From a very far country your servants are come because of the name of the LORD your God: for we have heard the fame of him, and all that he did in Egypt,

From a

Deuteronomy 20:15
Thus shalt thou do unto all the cities which are very far off from thee, which are not of the cities of these nations.

because

1 Kings 8:41
Moreover concerning a stranger, that is not of thy people Israel, but cometh out of a far country for thy name's sake;

2 Chronicles 6:32,33
Moreover concerning the stranger, which is not of thy people Israel, but is come from a far country for thy great name's sake, and thy mighty hand, and thy stretched out arm; if they come and pray in this house; …

Nehemiah 9:5
Then the Levites, Jeshua, and Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabniah, Sherebiah, Hodijah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah, said, Stand up and bless the LORD your God for ever and ever: and blessed be thy glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise.

we have

Joshua 9:24
And they answered Joshua, and said, Because it was certainly told thy servants, how that the LORD thy God commanded his servant Moses to give you all the land, and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land from before you, therefore we were sore afraid of our lives because of you, and have done this thing.

Joshua 2:9,10
And she said unto the men, I know that the LORD hath given you the land, and that your terror is fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you…

Exodus 9:16
And in very deed for this cause have I raised thee up, for to shew in thee my power; and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth.

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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

They said to him
This phrase introduces the response of the Gibeonites to Joshua. The Gibeonites, aware of the Israelites' conquests, approach with a strategy of deception. The Hebrew root for "said" (אָמַר, 'amar) often implies a declaration or proclamation, indicating the seriousness and intent behind their words. This sets the stage for their cunning plan, highlighting the importance of communication and the power of words in biblical narratives.

Your servants
By referring to themselves as "servants," the Gibeonites adopt a posture of humility and submission. The Hebrew word for "servants" (עֲבָדִים, 'avadim) is often used to denote subservience or allegiance. This choice of words is strategic, as it aims to disarm Joshua and the Israelites, presenting the Gibeonites as non-threatening and willing to serve, which is a common diplomatic tactic in ancient Near Eastern cultures.

have come from a very distant land
The claim of coming from a "very distant land" is central to the Gibeonites' deception. The Hebrew word for "distant" (רָחוֹק, rachoq) suggests remoteness, both geographically and relationally. This assertion is designed to prevent the Israelites from suspecting any immediate threat or obligation to destroy them, as they were commanded to do with the inhabitants of Canaan. It reflects the Gibeonites' understanding of Israelite law and their cunning in exploiting it.

because of the fame of the LORD your God
Here, the Gibeonites acknowledge the "fame" (שֵׁם, shem) of the LORD, which in Hebrew culture is synonymous with reputation and renown. This acknowledgment serves a dual purpose: it flatters the Israelites and aligns the Gibeonites with the power and authority of the God of Israel. It reflects the widespread impact of God's miraculous acts, which were known even among distant nations, emphasizing the universal recognition of God's sovereignty.

For we have heard the reports of Him
The phrase "we have heard" (שָׁמַע, shama) indicates that the Gibeonites were attentive to the events surrounding Israel. The "reports" (שֵׁמַע, shema) they refer to are the testimonies of God's mighty works. This highlights the oral tradition of the time, where news and accounts were spread by word of mouth, and underscores the far-reaching influence of God's actions, which transcended geographical boundaries.

and all that He did in Egypt
The mention of "all that He did in Egypt" refers to the miraculous events of the Exodus, including the plagues and the parting of the Red Sea. These acts were foundational to Israel's identity and served as a testament to God's power and faithfulness. The Gibeonites' knowledge of these events suggests that God's deeds were not only significant for Israel but also served as a witness to the surrounding nations, fulfilling the promise that through Israel, all nations would come to know the LORD.

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(9, 10) All that he did in Egypt, and . . . to the two kings of the Amorites.--The Gibeonites carefully abstain from referring to more recent exploits, as the passage of Jordan, the taking of Jericho and Ai; they mention only those which might have had time to reach them in the "far country" from which they asserted that they came.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 9. - And they said unto him. "I commend their wisdom in seeking peace; I do not commend their falsehood in the manner of seeking it. Who can looke for any better in pagans?" (Bp. Hall.) It is worthy of the craft of the Gibeonites that they evade the first question, and as it is of vital importance to the success of their mission, they throw their whole force upon the second. The course of conduct enjoined on Joshua had reached the ears of the Canaanitish peoples, as we learn from ver. 24. They also take good care to say nothing of the more recent successes of the Israelites. With consummate astuteness they confine themselves to the successes "beyond Jordan." No wonder such mastery of the arts of deceit should have imposed on the Israelites. But inasmuch as the historian lacked the stimulus of that "necessity" which is proverbially "the mother of invention," we must recognise here a sign of the genuineness of the narrative.

Parallel Commentaries ...

Hebrew

“Your servants
עֲבָדֶ֔יךָ (‘ă·ḇā·ḏe·ḵā)
Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 5650: Slave, servant

have come
בָּ֣אוּ (bā·’ū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 935: To come in, come, go in, go

from a very
מְאֹד֙ (mə·’ōḏ)
Adverb
Strong's 3966: Vehemence, vehemently, wholly, speedily

distant
רְחוֹקָ֤ה (rə·ḥō·w·qāh)
Adjective - feminine singular
Strong's 7350: Remote, of place, time, precious

land,”
מֵאֶ֨רֶץ (mê·’e·reṣ)
Preposition-m | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 776: Earth, land

they replied,
וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ (way·yō·mə·rū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 559: To utter, say

“because of the fame
לְשֵׁ֖ם (lə·šêm)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 8034: A name

of the LORD
יְהוָ֣ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

your God.
אֱלֹהֶ֑יךָ (’ĕ·lō·he·ḵā)
Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative

For
כִּֽי־ (kî-)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

we have heard
שָׁמַ֣עְנוּ (šā·ma‘·nū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common plural
Strong's 8085: To hear intelligently

the reports of Him
שָׁמְע֔וֹ (šā·mə·‘ōw)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 8089: A report

and
וְאֵ֛ת (wə·’êṯ)
Conjunctive waw | Direct object marker
Strong's 853: Untranslatable mark of the accusative case

all
כָּל־ (kāl-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

that
אֲשֶׁ֥ר (’ă·šer)
Pronoun - relative
Strong's 834: Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that

He did
עָשָׂ֖ה (‘ā·śāh)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 6213: To do, make

in Egypt,
בְּמִצְרָֽיִם׃ (bə·miṣ·rā·yim)
Preposition-b | Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 4714: Egypt -- a son of Ham, also his descendants and their country in Northwest Africa

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OT History: Joshua 9:9 They said to him Your servants have (Josh. Jos)