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the Week of Proper 8 / Ordinary 13
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Easy-to-Read Version

Joshua 9:4

So they decided to try to trick the Israelites. This was their plan: They gathered together old wineskins that were cracked and broken. They put these old wineskins on the backs of their animals. They put old pieces of cloth on their animals to look as if they had traveled from far away.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Ambassadors;   Bottle;   Confidence;   Contracts;   Craftiness;   Deception;   Diplomacy;   Joshua;   Kirjath-Jearim;   Magnanimity;   Oath;   Treaty;   Wine;   Thompson Chain Reference - Ambassadors;   Craftiness;   Deception;   Duplicity;   Nation, the;   Simplicity-Duplicity;   Truth-Falsehood;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Amorites, the;   Gibeonites;   Travellers;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Bottle;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Animals;   Gibeon;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - All-Sufficiency of God;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Alliance;   Ambassador;   Bottle;   Gibeon;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Ambassador;   Bottle;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Ambassador;   Bag;   Goatskin;   Joshua, the Book of;   Transportation and Travel;   Vessels and Utensils;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Ambassador, Ambassage;   Bottle;   Gibeon;   House;   Israel;   Joshua;   Stranger;   Wine and Strong Drink;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Goat ;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Alliance;   Ambassador;   Bottle;   Gibeon ;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Bottle;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Gibeon;   Journeyings of israel from egypt to canaan;   Nethinim;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Ambassador,;   Gib'eon;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Conquest of Canaan;   Hebrew Monarchy, the;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Ambassador;   Bottle;   Make;   Tanner;   Tears;   Text of the Old Testament;   Wine;   Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia - Alliances;   Bottle;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Gibeon and Gibeonites;   Hivites;   Joshua, the Samaritan Book of;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
they acted deceptively. They gathered provisions and took worn-out sacks on their donkeys and old wineskins, cracked and mended.
Hebrew Names Version
they also resorted to a ruse, and went and made as if they had been ambassadors, and took old sacks on their donkeys, and wine-skins, old and torn and bound up,
King James Version
They did work wilily, and went and made as if they had been ambassadors, and took old sacks upon their asses, and wine bottles, old, and rent, and bound up;
Lexham English Bible
and they acted on their part with cunning: they went and prepared provisions, and took worn-out sacks for their donkeys and old wineskins that were torn and mended.
English Standard Version
they on their part acted with cunning and went and made ready provisions and took worn-out sacks for their donkeys, and wineskins, worn-out and torn and mended,
New Century Version
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.
New English Translation
they did something clever. They collected some provisions and put worn-out sacks on their donkeys, along with worn-out wineskins that were ripped and patched.
Amplified Bible
they too acted craftily and cunningly, and set out and took along provisions, but took worn-out sacks on their donkeys, and wineskins (leather bottles) that were worn out and split open and patched together,
New American Standard Bible
but they on their part acted craftily and went and took provisions for a journey, and took worn-out sacks on their donkeys, and wineskins that were worn out, split open, and patched,
Geneva Bible (1587)
And therefore they wrought craftily: for they went, and fayned themselues ambassadours, and tooke olde sackes vpon their asses, and olde bottels for wine, both rent and bound vp,
Legacy Standard Bible
So they also acted craftily and went and traveled as envoys and took worn-out sacks on their donkeys, and wineskins worn-out and torn and mended,
Contemporary English Version
So they decided that some of their men should pretend to be messengers to Israel from a faraway country. The men put worn-out bags on their donkeys and found some old wineskins that had cracked and had been sewn back together.
Complete Jewish Bible
they developed a clever deception: they made themselves look as if they had been on a long journey by putting old sacks on their donkeys and taking used wineskins that had burst and been mended back together.
Darby Translation
then they also acted with craft, and they went prepared as on a journey, and took old sacks upon their asses, and wine-flasks, old and rent and tied up;
George Lamsa Translation
They worked subtly, and prepared provisions, and laid old sacks upon their asses, and wine skins, old, torn, and patched;
Good News Translation
and they decided to deceive him. They went and got some food and loaded their donkeys with worn-out sacks and patched-up wineskins.
Literal Translation
And they acted slyly, and they went and acted like envoys, and took old sacks for their asses, and old wineskins, even torn and bound up;
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
they dealte craftely, wete on their waie, and made a message, and toke olde sackes vpon their asses, and olde rente wyne botels,
American Standard Version
they also did work wilily, and went and made as if they had been ambassadors, and took old sacks upon their asses, and wine-skins, old and rent and bound up,
Bible in Basic English
Acting with deceit, got food together as if for a long journey; and took old food-bags for their asses, and old and cracked wine-skins kept together with cord;
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And they dyd worke wylylye, & went and made them selues embassadours, and toke olde sackes vpon their asses, & wine bottels old, both rent & boude vp:
JPS Old Testament (1917)
they also did work wilily, and went and made as if they had been ambassadors, and took old sacks upon their asses, and wine skins, worn and rent and patched up;
King James Version (1611)
They did worke wilily, and went and made as if they had beene embassadours, and tooke old sackes vpon their asses, and wine-bottels, old, and rent, and bound vp,
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And they also wrought craftily, and they went and made provision and prepared themselves; and having taken old sacks on their shoulders, and old and rent and patched bottles of wine,
English Revised Version
they also did work wilily, and went and made as if they had been ambassadors, and took old sacks upon their asses, and wineskins, old and rent and bound up;
Berean Standard Bible
acted deceptively and set out as envoys, carrying on their donkeys worn-out sacks and old wineskins, cracked and mended.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
and token to hem silf metis, and puttyden elde sackis on assis, and wyn botels brokun and sewid, and ful elde schoon,
Young's Literal Translation
and they work, even they, with subtilty, and go, and feign to be ambassadors, and take old sacks for their asses, and wine-bottles, old, and rent, and bound up,
Update Bible Version
they also worked craftily, and went and made as if they had been ambassadors, and took old sacks on their donkeys, and wine-skins, old and rent and bound up,
Webster's Bible Translation
They did work craftily, and went and made as if they had been embassadors, and took old sacks upon their asses, and wine-bottles, old, and rent, and bound up;
World English Bible
they also resorted to a ruse, and went and made as if they had been ambassadors, and took old sacks on their donkeys, and wine-skins, old and torn and bound up,
New King James Version
they worked craftily, and went and pretended to be ambassadors. And they took old sacks on their donkeys, old wineskins torn and mended,
New Living Translation
they resorted to deception to save themselves. They sent ambassadors to Joshua, loading their donkeys with weathered saddlebags and old, patched wineskins.
New Life Bible
So they went out to fool him, as men from another land. They took old bags on their donkeys, and skin bags of wine that were old and torn and mended.
New Revised Standard
they on their part acted with cunning: they went and prepared provisions, and took worn-out sacks for their donkeys, and wineskins, worn-out and torn and mended,
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
they, however, acted craftily, and went and started, - and took old sacks for their asses, and leathern wine bottles, old, and rent, and bound up;
Douay-Rheims Bible
Cunningly devising took for themselves provisions, laying old sacks upon their asses, and wine bottles rent and sewed up again,
Revised Standard Version
they on their part acted with cunning, and went and made ready provisions, and took worn-out sacks upon their asses, and wineskins, worn-out and torn and mended,
New American Standard Bible (1995)
they also acted craftily and set out as envoys, and took worn-out sacks on their donkeys, and wineskins worn-out and torn and mended,

Contextual Overview

3 The people from the city of Gibeon heard about the way Joshua had defeated Jericho and Ai. 4 So they decided to try to trick the Israelites. This was their plan: They gathered together old wineskins that were cracked and broken. They put these old wineskins on the backs of their animals. They put old pieces of cloth on their animals to look as if they had traveled from far away. 5 The men put old sandals on their feet and wore old clothes. They found some old bread that was dry and moldy. 6 Then they went to the camp of the Israelites. This camp was near Gilgal. The men went to Joshua and said to him, "We have traveled from a faraway country. We want to make a peace agreement with you." 7 The men of Israel said to these Hivite men, "Maybe you are trying to trick us. Maybe you live near us. We cannot make a peace agreement with you until we know where you are from." 8 The Hivite men 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. We have come from a faraway country. We came because we heard of the great power of the Lord your God. We heard about what he has done and about everything he did in Egypt. 10 And we heard that he defeated the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan River. This was King Sihon of Heshbon and King Og of Bashan in the land of Ashtaroth. 11 So our elders and our people said to us, ‘Take enough food for your journey. Go and meet with the Israelites.' Tell them, ‘We are your servants. Make a peace agreement with us.' 12 "Look at our bread. When we left home, it was warm and fresh. But now you can see that it is dry and old.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

work wilily: Genesis 34:13, 1 Kings 20:31-33, Matthew 10:16, Luke 16:8

ambassadors: The word tzir, an ambassador, properly denotes a hinge; because an ambassador is a person upon whom the business turns as upon a hinge. So the Latin Cardinalis, from cardo, a hinge, was the title of the prime minister of the emperor Theodosius, though now applied only to the Pope's electors and counsellors.

wine bottles: These bottles being made of skin, were consequently liable to be rent, and capable of being mended; which is done, according to Chardin, by putting in a piece, or by gathering up the wounded piece in the manner of a purse; and sometimes by inserting a flat piece of wood. Psalms 119:83, Matthew 9:17, Mark 2:22, Luke 5:37, Luke 5:38

Reciprocal: Joshua 9:12 - our bread

Cross-References

Genesis 9:10
I make my promise to all the birds, and to all the cattle, and to all the animals that came out of the boat with you. I make my promise to every living thing on earth.
Genesis 9:14
When I bring clouds over the earth, you will see the rainbow in the clouds.
Leviticus 3:17
This rule will continue forever through all your generations. Wherever you live, you must never eat fat or blood."
Leviticus 7:26
"No matter where you live, you must never eat blood from any bird or any animal.
Leviticus 19:26
"You must not eat any meat with blood still in it. "You must not try to use different kinds of magic to tell the future.
Deuteronomy 12:16
But you must not eat the blood. You must pour the blood on the ground like water.
Deuteronomy 12:23
But be especially careful not to eat the blood, because the life is in the blood. You must not eat meat that still has its life in it.
Deuteronomy 14:21
"Don't eat any animal that has died by itself. You may give the dead animal to the foreigner in your town, and he can eat it. Or you may sell the dead animal to a foreigner. But you yourselves must not eat the dead animal, because you belong to the Lord your God. You are his special people. "Don't cook a baby goat in its mother's milk.
Deuteronomy 15:23
But you must not eat the blood from the animal. You must pour the blood out on the ground like water.
Acts 15:20
Instead, we should send a letter telling them only the things they should not do: Don't eat food that has been given to idols. This makes the food unclean. Don't be involved in sexual sin. Don't eat meat from animals that have been strangled or any meat that still has the blood in it.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And they did work wilily,.... Acted craftily, dealt in much cunning and subtlety; our version leaves out a very emphatic word, "also"; they also, as well as other nations, acted a cunning part, but in a different way; they did not enter into consultations and alliances with others, how to defend themselves, but made use of a stratagem to make peace, and enter into a league with Israel; or also as the Israelites had done, either as Simeon and Levi had dealt craftily with the Shechemites, who were Hivites, Genesis 34:2; so now the Gibeonites, who also were Hivites, Joshua 9:7; wrought in a wily and crafty manner with them, so Jarchi; or as the Israelites had lately done in the affair of Ai:

and went and made as if they had been ambassadors: from some states in a foreign country, sent on an embassy to the people of Israel, to compliment them on their successes, and to enter into alliance with them, which they thought would be pleasing and acceptable to them; the Targum is,

"they prepared food,''

which they took with them for their journey; and so the Septuagint, Vulgate Latin, Syriac, and Arabic versions:

and took old sacks upon their asses: in which they put, their provisions:

and wine bottles, old, and rent, and bound up: not made of glass, as ours usually are, but of the skins of beasts, as the bottles in the eastern countries commonly were; which in time grew old, and were rent and burst, and they were obliged to mend them, and bind them up, that they might hold together, and retain the liquor put into them, see Matthew 9:17.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

They did work wilily - literally, “they also,” or “they too, did work, etc.” The “also” serves, apparently, to connect the stratagem of the Gibeonites with that employed by the Israelites before Ai. It hints that the Gibeonites resolved to meet craft with craft.

Rent and bound up - i. e. the wine skins were torn and roughly repaired by tying up the edges of the tear. The more thorough and careful way, hardly feasible in a hasty journey, would have been to insert a patch.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Joshua 9:4. They did work wilily — Finesse of this kind is allowed by the conduct of all nations; and stratagems in war are all considered as legal. Nine tenths of the victories gained are attributable to stratagem; all sides practise them, and therefore none can condemn them. Much time and labour have been lost in the inquiry, "Did not the Gibeonites tell lies?" Certainly they did, and what is that to us? Does the word of God commend them for it? It does not. Are they held up to us as examples! Surely no. They did what any other nation would have done in their circumstances, and we have nothing to do with their example. Had they come to the Israelites, and simply submitted themselves without opposition and without fraud, they had certainly fared much better. Lying and hypocrisy always defeat their own purpose, and at best can succeed only for a short season. Truth and honesty never wear out.

Old sacks-and wine bottles, old, &c. — They pretended to have come from a very distant country, and that their sacks and the goat-skins that served them for carrying their wine and water in, were worn out by the length of the journey.


 
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