have been made with all possible honesty and fairness? If the fraud of others will not justify or excuse our falsehood, certainly the honesty of others in dealing with us, will aggravate and condemn our dishonesty in dealing with them.
2. Though they spared their lives, yet they seized their liberties, and sentenced them to be hewers of wood, and drawers of water, to the congregation, v. 21. By this proposal the discontented congregation was pacified; for (1.) They who were angry that the Gibeonites lived, might be content when they saw them condemned to that which, in the general apprehension, is worse than death, perpetual servitude. (2.) They who were angry that they were not spoiled, might be content when their service of the congregation would be more to the public advantage, than their best effects could be; and, in short, the Israelites would be no losers either in honour or profit by this peace with the Gibeonites; convince them of this, and they will be satisfied.
22. And Joshua called for them, and he spake unto them, saying, Wherefore have ye beguiled us, saying, We are very far from you; when ye dwell among us? 23 Now therefore ye are cursed; and there shall none of you be freed from being bondmen, and hewers of wood and drawers of water for the house of my God. 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. 25. And now, behold, we are in thine hand: as it seemeth good and right unto thee to do unto us, do. 26. And so did he unto them, and delivered them out of the hand of the children of Israel, that they slew them not. 27. And Joshua made them that day hewers of wood and drawers of water, for the congregation and for the altar of the Lord, even unto this day, in the place which he should choose.
The matter is here settled between Joshua and the Gibeonites, and an explanation of the league agreed upon; we may suppose that now, not the messengers who were first sent, but the elders of Gibeon, and of the cities that were dependent upon it, were themselves present, and treated with, that the matter might be fully compromised.
I. Joshua reproves them for their fraud, v. 22. And they excuse it as well as they can, v. 24. 1. Joshua gives the reproof very mildly; Wherefore have ye beguiled us? He does not load them with any ill names, does not give them any harsh provoking language, does not call them, as they deserved to be called, base liars, but only asks them, Why have ye beguiled us? Under the greatest provocations, it is our wisdom and duty to keep our temper, and to bridle our passion; a just cause needs not anger to defend it, and a bad one is made never the better by it. 2. They make the best excuse for themselves that the thing would bear, v. 24. They found by the word of God, that sentence of death was passed upon them, (the command was to destroy all the inhabitants of the land, without exception,) and they found by the works of God already wrought, that there was no opposing the execution of this sentence; they considered that God's sovereignty is incontestable, his justice inflexible, his power irresistible, and therefore resolved to try what his mercy was, and found it was not in vain to cast themselves upon it. They do not go about to justify their lie, but in effect beg pardon for it, pleading it was purely to save their lives that they did it, which every man that finds in himself the force of the law of self-pre servation, will therefore make great allowances for; especially in such a case as this, where the fear was not merely of the power of man, (if that were all, one might flee from that to the divine protection,) but of the power of God himself, which they saw engaged against them.
II. Joshua condemns them to servitude, as a punishment of their fraud, v. 23. and they submit to the sentence, v. 25. and for aught that appears, both sides are pleased.
1. Joshua pronounces them perpetual bondmen. They had purchased their lives with a lie, but that being no good consideration, he obliges them to hold their lives under the rent and reservation of their continual labours, in hewing wood and drawing water, the meanest and most toilsome employments. Thus their lie was punished; had they dealt fairly and plainly with Israel, perhaps they had had more honourable conditions granted them, but now, since they gain their lives with ragged clothes and clouted shoes, the badges of servitude, they are condemned for ever to wear such, so must their doom be. And thus the ransom of their lives is paid; dominion is acquired by the preservation of a life that lies at mercy (Servus dicitur a servanda—A servant is so called from the act of saving,) they owe their service to them to whom they owe their lives. Observe how the judgment is given against them. (1.) Their servitude is made a curse to them. "Now ye are cursed with the ancient curse of Canaan," from whom these Hivites descended, a servant of servants shalt thou be, Gen. 9. 25. What shall be done to the false tongue but this? Cursed shall it be. (2.) Yet this curse is turned into a blessing; they must be servants, but it shall be for the house of my God. The princes would have them slaves unto all the congregation, v. 21. at least, they chose to express themselves so, for the pacifying of the people that were discontented, but Joshua mitigates the sentence, both in honour to God and in favour to the Gibeonites: it would be too hard upon them to make them every man's drudge; if they must be hewers of wood and drawers of water, than which there cannot be a greater disparagement, especially to them who are citizens of a royal city, and all mighty men, ch. 10. 2. yet they shall be so to the house of my God, than which there cannot be a greater preferment: David himself could have wished to be a door-keeper there. Even servile work becomes honourable when it is done for the house of my God, and the offices thereof.
[1.] They were hereby excluded from the liberties and privileges of true-born Israelites, and a remaining mark of distinction put upon their posterity throughout all their generations. [2.] They were hereby employed in such services as required their personal attendance upon the altar of God, in the place which he should choose, v. 27. which would bring them to the knowledge of the law of God, keep them tight to that holy religion to which they were proselyted, and prevent their revolt to the idolatries of their fathers. [3.] This would be a great advantage to the priests and Levites to have so many, and those mighty men, constant attend-
