| abstract | - When the kings in the land of Canaan heard about the destruction of Jericho and Ai, they came together to wage war against the Israelites. However, the people of the important city of Gibeon resorted to a ruse instead of an attack. They prepared some provisions ad loaded their donkeys with worn out sacks and old wineskins that were cracked and mended. They wore worn and patched sandals and old clothes. They brought with them dry and moldy bread among their food supply. Looking like and claiming that they came from a far away land (although they were very close to the Israelites), they went to Israel's leader Joshua in the Israelite camp and requested to make a treaty with them. The Israelites questioned them and were fooled by their ruse, and they did not inquire of the LORD to see if these men were telling the truth. Thus Joshua made a peace treaty with them so that they may live, and the treaty was ratified by the leaders of the assembly by oath. Three days later, the Israelites discovered the truth — the Gibeonites were actually nearby neighbors. So the Israelites set out and came to their cities but did not attack them because the leaders of the assembly had sworn an oath to the Gibeonites by the LORD. Because of this, the Israelites grumbled against the leaders, who answered by reaffirming to the Israelites the oath they had made and that they could not harm them. Yet they decided to make them be the woodcutters and water carriers in the service of the whole assembly, thus keeping their promise not to harm them. Joshua questioned the Gibeonites about their deception and said they were under a curse because of it, telling them what the leaders had decided to do with them. The Gibeonites replied by saying they had deceived them because they had heard of the victories of the Israelites and that they feared for their lives. They submitted themselves to the Israelites and allowed them to do whatever seemed good and right to to them. Thus, the Gibeonites became the woodcutters and water carriers for the Israelites and to provide for the needs of the LORD's altar; and they still did this when the book of Joshua was put into writing.
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