约书亚记 9:8

Chinese NCV (Simplified)

他們對約書亞說：“我們是你的僕人。”約書亞問他們：“你們是甚麼人？是從哪裡來的？”

Parallel Translations

Chinese Union (Simplified)
他 们 对 约 书 亚 说 ： 我 们 是 你 的 仆 人 。 约 书 亚 问 他 们 说 ： 你 们 是 甚 麽 人 ？ 是 从 那 里 来 的 ？

Contextual Overview

³ When the people of Gibeon heard how Joshua had defeated Jericho and Ai, ⁴ they decided to trick the Israelites. They gathered old sacks and old leather wine bags that were cracked and mended, and they put them on the backs of their donkeys. ⁵ They put old sandals on their feet and wore old clothes, and they took some dry, moldy bread. ⁶ Then they went to Joshua in the camp near Gilgal. The men said to Joshua and the Israelites, "We have traveled from a faraway country. Make a peace agreement with us." ⁷ The Israelites said to these Hivites, "Maybe you live near us. How can we make a peace agreement with you?" ⁸ The Hivites said to Joshua, "We are your servants." But Joshua asked, "Who are you? Where do you come from?" ⁹ The men answered, "We are your servants who have come from a far country, because we heard of the fame of the Lord your God. We heard about what he has done and everything he did in Egypt. ¹⁰ We heard that he defeated the two kings of the Amorites from the east side of the Jordan River—Sihon king of Heshbon and Og king of Bashan who ruled in Ashtaroth. ¹¹ So our elders and our people said to us, ‘Take food for your journey and go and meet the Israelites. Tell them, "We are your servants. Make a peace agreement with us."' ¹² "Look at our bread. On the day we left home to come to you it was warm and fresh, but now it is dry and moldy.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Joshua 9:11, Joshua 9:23, Joshua 9:25, Joshua 9:27, Genesis 9:25, Genesis 9:26, Deuteronomy 20:11, 1 Kings 9:20, 1 Kings 9:21, 2 Kings 10:5

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And they said unto Joshua, we [are] thy servants,.... Not that they meant to be subjects of his, and tributaries to him; but this they said in great humility and lowliness of mind, being willing to be or do anything he should enjoin them. Abarbinel observes, that this they proposed to Joshua singly, not to be servants to all the people, but to him only, and to have him for their head and governor:

and Joshua, said, who [are] ye? and from whence come ye? by what name are ye called? and from what country do ye come? suspecting, as it should seem, that they were the inhabitants of Canaan; or however he was cautious and upon his guard, lest they should be such, and yet was not enough upon his guard to prevent imposition.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Joshua 9:8. We are thy servants. — This appears to have been the only answer they gave to the question of the Israelitish elders, and this they gave to Joshua, not to them, as they saw that Joshua was commander-in-chief of the host.

Who are ye? and from whence come ye? — To these questions, from such an authority, they felt themselves obliged to give an explicit answer; and they do it very artfully by a mixture of truth, falsehood, and hypocrisy.