The Gibeonites were a group of people who inhabited the city of Gibeon and its surrounding towns in the land of Canaan. They are most notably recognized for their interaction with the Israelites during the conquest of Canaan under Joshua's leadership. The Gibeonites were Hivites, one of the Canaanite tribes, and their account is primarily recorded in the Book of Joshua.

Deception and Covenant with Israel

The Gibeonites are first introduced in Joshua 9, where they employ a cunning strategy to secure a peace treaty with the Israelites. Aware of the Israelites' victories over Jericho and Ai, and fearing for their own survival, the Gibeonites resorted to deception. They disguised themselves as travelers from a distant land, wearing worn-out clothes and carrying moldy bread, to give the impression that they had come from far away. They approached Joshua and the leaders of Israel, seeking to make a covenant of peace.

Joshua 9:14-15 states, "Then the men of Israel sampled their provisions, but did not seek the counsel of the LORD. And Joshua made a treaty of peace with them to let them live, and the leaders of the congregation swore an oath to them." This passage highlights a critical moment where the Israelites, without consulting God, entered into a binding agreement with the Gibeonites.

Servitude and Protection

When the deception was uncovered, the Israelites honored their oath due to the sacredness of their promise before God, despite the Gibeonites' deceit. As a result, the Gibeonites were spared but were assigned to perpetual servitude. Joshua 9:27 records, "On that day he made them woodcutters and water carriers for the congregation and for the altar of the LORD at the place He would choose, and they remain to this day."

The Gibeonites' servitude involved serving the needs of the tabernacle, which later became the temple, indicating their integration into the religious life of Israel. This servitude was both a punishment for their deception and a means of protection, as they were now under the covenantal protection of Israel.

The Gibeonite War

The Gibeonites' treaty with Israel provoked hostility from other Canaanite kings. In Joshua 10, five Amorite kings formed an alliance to attack Gibeon. The Gibeonites appealed to Joshua for help, and the Israelites came to their aid. This led to the miraculous event where God intervened by causing the sun to stand still, allowing Israel to achieve a decisive victory. Joshua 10:13 states, "So the sun stood still and the moon stopped until the nation took vengeance upon its enemies."

Saul's Breach and David's Atonement

The Gibeonites reappear in 2 Samuel 21 during the reign of King David. King Saul, in his zeal for Israel, had violated the covenant by attempting to annihilate the Gibeonites. This breach of the oath brought a famine upon Israel as divine retribution. David sought to rectify this by asking the Gibeonites how he might make atonement. The Gibeonites requested the execution of seven of Saul's descendants, which David granted, thus ending the famine.

Significance

The account of the Gibeonites underscores the importance of oaths and covenants in biblical theology, illustrating the consequences of both deception and the failure to seek divine guidance. It also highlights God's justice and mercy, as the Gibeonites, despite their initial deceit, were integrated into the community of Israel and served a role in its religious practices. The narrative serves as a reminder of the sanctity of promises made before God and the importance of seeking His counsel in all decisions.The Gibeonites

the people of Gibeon, and perhaps also of the three cities associated with Gibeon, (Joshua 9:17) --Hivites; and who, on the discover of the stratagem by which they had obtained the protection of the Israelites, were condemned to be perpetual bondmen, hewers of wood and drawers of water for the congregation and for the house of God and altar of Jehovah. (Joshua 9:23,27) Saul appears to have broken this covenant, and in a fit of enthusiasm or patriotism to have killed some and devised a general massacre of the rest. (2 Samuel 21:1,2,5) This was expiated many years after by giving up seven men of Saul's descendants to the Gibeonites, who hung them or crucified them "before Jehovah" --as a kind of sacrifice-- in Gibeah, Saul's own town. ch. (2 Samuel 21:4,6,9)

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

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