The Gibeonites were a group of people who inhabited the city of Gibeon and its surrounding towns during the time of Joshua and the conquest of Canaan. They are primarily known for their cunning treaty with the Israelites, which allowed them to survive amidst the widespread destruction of the Canaanite cities by the Israelites.

Historical Background

Gibeon was a significant city located in the central hill country of Canaan, approximately six miles northwest of Jerusalem. The Gibeonites were Hivites, one of the Canaanite tribes mentioned in the Bible. The city of Gibeon was part of a confederation of four cities, including Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath-jearim (Joshua 9:17).

The Deceptive Treaty

The Gibeonites are most famously known for their deceptive treaty with the Israelites. As Joshua led the Israelites into Canaan, the Gibeonites feared for their survival due to the Israelites' victories over Jericho and Ai. To protect themselves, they resorted to deception. They disguised themselves as travelers from a distant land, wearing worn-out clothes and carrying moldy bread, and approached Joshua at the camp at Gilgal. They requested a peace treaty, claiming they had come from a far country (Joshua 9:3-6).

Joshua and the leaders of Israel, without seeking counsel from the LORD, made a covenant of peace with the Gibeonites, swearing an oath to let them live (Joshua 9:14-15). When the Israelites discovered the deception, they honored the treaty due to the oath made before God, but they condemned the Gibeonites to perpetual servitude as woodcutters and water carriers for the congregation and the altar of the LORD (Joshua 9:21-27).

Role in Israel

Despite their servitude, the Gibeonites played a significant role in Israel's history. Their city, Gibeon, became a Levitical city and a place of worship. The tabernacle was set up in Gibeon during the reign of King David, and it remained there until Solomon built the temple in Jerusalem (1 Chronicles 16:39; 21:29).

Conflict with Saul

The Gibeonites reappear in the narrative during the reign of King David. King Saul, in his zeal for Israel and Judah, had sought to annihilate the Gibeonites, violating the covenant made by Joshua. This act brought a famine upon Israel during David's reign. To atone for Saul's breach of the covenant, David sought the Gibeonites' terms for reconciliation. They requested the execution of seven of Saul's male descendants, which David granted, sparing Mephibosheth due to his covenant with Jonathan (2 Samuel 21:1-9).

Theological Significance

The account of the Gibeonites highlights several theological themes, including the importance of seeking God's guidance in decision-making, the binding nature of oaths made before God, and the consequences of breaking covenants. The Gibeonites' survival through deception and their subsequent integration into Israel's religious life demonstrate God's sovereignty and the complexity of His dealings with both Israel and the surrounding nations.

References in Scripture

· Joshua 9:3-27: The account of the Gibeonites' deception and the resulting treaty.
· 2 Samuel 21:1-9: The famine during David's reign and the resolution with the Gibeonites.
· 1 Chronicles 16:39; 21:29: References to Gibeon as a place of worship.

The Gibeonites, through their cunning and subsequent servitude, became an integral part of Israel's history, serving as a reminder of the importance of faithfulness to God's commands and the enduring nature of covenants.GIBEONITES

gib'-e-un-its. Inhabitants of GIBEON (which see).

1393. Giboni -- inhab. of Gibeon
... inhab. of Gibeon. Transliteration: Giboni Phonetic Spelling: (ghib-o-nee') Short
Definition: Gibeonites. ... of Gibeon NASB Word Usage Gibeonite (2), Gibeonites (6). ...
/hebrew/1393.htm - 6k

How the Hebrews were Delivered from a Famine when the Gibeonites ...
... How The Hebrews Were Delivered From A Famine When The Gibeonites Had Caused Punishment
To Be Inflicted For Those Of Them That Had Been Slain: As Also, What ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 12 how the hebrews.htm

We are Warned not Only in Civil Law, but Also in the Holy ...
... are warned not only in civil law, but also in the holy Scriptures, to avoid fraud
in every agreement, as is clear from the example of Joshua and the Gibeonites ...
/.../ambrose/works and letters of st ambrose/chapter x we are warned.htm

How Joshua, the Commander of the Hebrews, Made War with The
... 16. But the Gibeonites, who inhabited very near to Jerusalem, when they saw what
miseries had happened to the inhabitants of Jericho; and to those of Ai, and ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 1 how joshua the.htm

Joshua
... vii., and of the treachery and punishment of the Gibeonites, ix. l7-2l"an account
which may well have been fuller in the original form of the document. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/mcfadyen/introduction to the old testament/joshua.htm

The Stony Heart Removed
... Old shoes and clouted might be good enough for Gibeonites; but we are so thoroughly
outworn that we must be made new, or thrown upon the dunghill. ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 8 1863/the stony heart removed.htm

Of a Good Government in External Things, and of Having Recourse to ...
... For this cause we read that Joshua and the children of Israel were deceived by the
Gibeonites, that they asked not counsel at the mouth of the Lord,(1) but ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/kempis/imitation of christ/chapter xxxviii of a good.htm

The Thirty-Eighth Chapter: the Right Ordering of External Affairs ...
... For this reason, as we read, Joshua and the children of Israel were deceived by
the Gibeonites because they did not first seek counsel of the Lord, but trusted ...
/.../kempis/the imitation of christ/the thirty-eighth chapter the right.htm

When this Became Known to the Kings of the Neighboring Nations...
... But the Gibeonites, a powerful nation with a wealthy city, spontaneously yielded
to the Hebrews, promising to do what they were ordered, and were received ...
/.../life and writings of sulpitius severus /chapter xxiii when this became.htm

Hope for the Heathen
... In the midst of the land a numerous people"the Gibeonites "renounced their heathenism
and united with Israel, sharing in the blessings of the covenant. ...
/.../white/the story of prophets and kings/chapter 31 hope for the.htm

Courage in War was not Wanting in Our Forefathers...
... [298] Again, when he fought against the Gibeonites and feared that night might stop
him from gaining the victory, he called out with deep faith and high spirit ...
/.../ambrose/works and letters of st ambrose/chapter xl courage in war.htm

Gibeonites (7 Occurrences)
... Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia GIBEONITES. gib'-e-un-its. Inhabitants of GIBEON
(which see). Multi-Version Concordance Gibeonites (7 Occurrences). ...
/g/gibeonites.htm - 9k

Gib'eonites (5 Occurrences)
... Gibeonites, Gib'eonites. Giblite . ... And the LORD said: 'It is for Saul, and for
his bloody house, because he put to death the Gibeonites.' (See RSV). ...
/g/gib'eonites.htm - 8k

Gibeon (39 Occurrences)
... A deputation of the Gibeonites, with their allies from three other cities (Joshua
9;17), visited the camp at Gilgal, and by false representations induced ...
/g/gibeon.htm - 31k

Rizpah (4 Occurrences)
... This calamity was sent "for Saul and for his bloody house, because he slew the
Gibeonites." David inquired of the Gibeonites what satisfaction they demanded ...
/r/rizpah.htm - 10k

Nethinim (16 Occurrences)
... 20, etc.). The tradition is that the Gibeonites (Joshua 9:27) were the
original caste, afterwards called Nethinim. Their numbers ...
/n/nethinim.htm - 18k

Seeketh (60 Occurrences)
... after year, and David seeketh the face of Jehovah, and Jehovah saith, 'For Saul
and for the bloody house, because that he put to death the Gibeonites.' (YLT). ...
/s/seeketh.htm - 24k

Kiriath-jearim (17 Occurrences)
... ye`-arim, "city of thickets"; Septuagint he polis Iareim; the King James Version
Kirjathjearim): One of the four chief cities of the Gibeonites (Joshua 9:17 ...
/k/kiriath-jearim.htm - 19k

Kiriathjearim
... ye`-arim, "city of thickets"; Septuagint he polis Iareim; the King James Version
Kirjathjearim): One of the four chief cities of the Gibeonites (Joshua 9:17 ...
/k/kiriathjearim.htm - 13k

Remainder (33 Occurrences)
... 2 Samuel 21:2 And the king called the Gibeonites, and spoke to them. (Now
the Gibeonites were not of the children of Israel, but ...
/r/remainder.htm - 18k

Drawer (1 Occurrence)
... Easton's Bible Dictionary Drawer of water: (Deuteronomy 29:11; Joshua 9:21, 23),
a servile employment to which the Gibeonites were condemned. ...
/d/drawer.htm - 11k

Who were the Gibeonites? | GotQuestions.org

Was the killing of Saul's descendants a just response to Saul's killing of the Gibeonites? | GotQuestions.org

Who was Rizpah in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org

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