SEV Biblia, Chapter 9:24
Y ellos respondieron a Josué, y dijeron: Como fue dado a entender a tus siervos, que el SEÑOR tu Dios había mandado a Moisés su siervo que os había de dar la tierra, y que había de destruir todos los moradores de la tierra delante de vosotros, por esto temimos en gran manera de vosotros por nuestras vidas, e hicimos esto.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Joshua 9:24
Verse 24. We were sore afraid of our lives] Self- preservation, which is the most powerful law of nature, dictated to them those measures which they adopted; and they plead this as the motive of their conduct.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 24. And they answered Joshua, and said, because it was certainly told thy servants , etc.] Or “it was told”, told f153 ; not only certainly, told, but frequently told them, they had often heard of it by one means or another: how that the Lord thy God commanded his servant Moses to give you all the land ; all the land of Canaan, no part excepted; they had heard much of the Lord God of Israel, and of Moses, what character he bore, and of the commands of the Lord to him; they seem to have knowledge of God, and faith in him as to his promises and threatenings, believing they would be fulfilled: and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land from before you ; as the gift of the land of Canaan to Israel was often spoken of by the Lord to Moses, and frequently mentioned by him; so there were instructions given him from the Lord, and which lie delivered to Israel, utterly to destroy the inhabitants of Canaan, so, that these people had accurate intelligence and information of this matter; (see Deuteronomy 7:1,2): therefore we were sore afraid of our lives because of you, and have done this thing ; they answer to Joshua’s question, “wherefore have ye beguiled us?” ( Joshua 9:22), that it was fear of losing their lives, than which nothing is dearer to a man, and the principle of self-preservation that put them upon framing and using this device.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 22-27 - The Gibeonites do not justify their lie, but plead that they did it to save their lives. And the fear was not merely of the power of man; on might flee from that to the Divine protection; but of the power of God himself, which they saw engaged against them. Joshua sentences them to perpetual bondage. They must be servants, but any work become honourable, when it is done for the house of the Lord, and the office thereof. Let us, in like manner, submit to our Lord Jesus, saying, We are in thy hand, do unto us as seemeth good and right unto thee, onl save our souls; and we shall not repent it. If He appoints us to bea his cross, and serve him, that shall be neither shame nor grief to us while the meanest office in God's service will entitle us to a dwellin in the house of the Lord all the days of our life. And in coming to the Saviour, we do not proceed upon a peradventure. We are invited to dra nigh, and are assured that him that cometh to Him, he will in nowis cast out. Even those things which sound harsh, and are humbling, an form sharp trials of our sincerity, will prove of real advantage __________________________________________________________________
Original Hebrew
ויענו 6030 את 853 יהושׁע 3091 ויאמרו 559 כי 3588 הגד 5046 הגד 5046 לעבדיך 5650 את 853 אשׁר 834 צוה 6680 יהוה 3068 אלהיך 430 את 853 משׁה 4872 עבדו 5650 לתת 5414 לכם את 853 כל 3605 הארץ 776 ולהשׁמיד 8045 את 853 כל 3605 ישׁבי 3427 הארץ 776 מפניכם 6440 ונירא 3372 מאד 3966 לנפשׁתינו 5315 מפניכם 6440 ונעשׂה 6213 את 853 הדבר 1697 הזה׃ 2088
