Joshua 9 · Verse 18

Joshua 9:18

And the children of Israel smote them not, because the princes of the congregation had sworn unto them by the Lord God of Israel. And all the congregation murmured against the princes.
Joshua 9:18, King James Version

Joshua 9:18 in other translations

BSBBut the Israelites did not attack them, because the leaders of the congregation had sworn an oath to them by the LORD, the God of Israel. And the whole congregation grumbled against the leaders.
WEBThe children of Israel didn’t strike them, because the princes of the congregation had sworn to them by the LORD, the God of Israel. All the congregation murmured against the princes.
ASVAnd the children of Israel smote them not, because the princes of the congregation had sworn unto them by Jehovah, the God of Israel. And all the congregation murmured against the princes.
YLTand the sons of Israel have not smitten them, for sworn to them have the princes of the company by Jehovah God of Israel, and all the company murmur against the princes.
DARBYAnd the children of Israel did not smite them, because the princes of the assembly had sworn unto them by Jehovah the God of Israel. Then all the assembly murmured against the princes.
BBEAnd the children of Israel did not put them to death, because the chiefs of the people had taken an oath to them by the Lord, the God of Israel. And all the people made an outcry against the chiefs.
WebsterAnd the children of Israel smote them not, because the princes of the congregation had sworn to them by the LORD God of Israel. And all the congregation murmured against the princes.

What does Joshua 9:18 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Joshua 9:18-27
18-27. the children of Israel smote them not--The moral character of the Gibeonites' stratagem was bad. The princes of the congregation did not vindicate either the expediency or the lawfulness of the connection they had formed; but they felt the solemn obligations of their oath; and, although the popular clamor was loud against them, caused either by disappointment at losing the spoils of Gibeon, or by displeasure at the apparent breach of the divine commandment, they determined to adhere to their pledge, "because they had sworn by the Lord God of Israel." The Israelitish princes acted conscientiously; they felt themselves bound by their solemn promise; but to prevent the disastrous consequences of their imprudent haste, they resolved to degrade the Gibeonites to a servile condition as a means of preventing their people from being ensnared into idolatry, and thus acted up, as they thought, to the true spirit and end of the law.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 18 All the congregation murmured - Merely because they were deprived of the spoils of the Gibeonites. They had now got under the full influence of a predatory spirit; God saw their proneness to this, and therefore, at particular times, totally interdicted the spoils of conquered cities, as in the case of Jericho.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Joshua 9:14-21

The Israelites, having examined the provisions of the Gibeonites, hastily concluded that they confirmed their account. We make more haste than good speed, when we stay not to take God with us, and do not consult him by the word and prayer. The fraud was soon found out. A lying tongue is but for a moment. Had the oath been in itself unlawful, it would not have been binding; for no obligation can render it our duty to…

Read the full comment on Joshua 9:14-21 →

Joshua 9:18 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וְלֹ֤אve.Lo'and notH3808
הִכּוּם֙hi.Kumthey attacked themH5221
בְּנֵ֣יbe.Nei[the] people ofH1121
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔לYis.ra.'ElIsraelH3478
כִּֽי\־ki-forH3588
נִשְׁבְּע֤וּnish.be.'Uthey had sworn an oathH7650
לָהֶם֙la.Hemto <the> them
נְשִׂיאֵ֣יne.si.'Ei[the] leaders ofH5387
הָֽעֵדָ֔הha.'e.Dahthe congregationH5712
בַּֽיהוָ֖הba.Yah.wehby YahwehH3068
אֱלֹהֵ֣י'e.lo.Hei[the] God ofH430
יִשְׂרָאֵ֑לYis.ra.'ElIsraelH3478
וַיִּלֹּ֥נוּvai.yi.Lo.nuand they grumbledH3885
כָל\־khol-allH3605
הָעֵדָ֖הha.'e.Dahthe congregationH5712
עַל\־'al-onH5921
הַנְּשִׂיאִֽים\׃ha.ne.si.'Imthe leadersH5387

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Joshua 9:18

  • Psalms 15:4

    In whose eyes a vile person is contemned; but he honoureth them that fear the Lord. He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not.

  • Ecclesiastes 5:6

    Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou before the angel, that it was an error: wherefore should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thine hands?

  • Ecclesiastes 9:2

    All things come alike to all: there is one event to the righteous, and to the wicked; to the good and to the clean, and to the unclean; to him that sacrificeth, and to him that sacrificeth not: as is the good, so is the sinner; and he that sweareth, as he that feareth an oath.

  • Ecclesiastes 5:2

    Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few.

  • 2 Samuel 21:7

    But the king spared Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan the son of Saul, because of the Lord’s oath that was between them, between David and Jonathan the son of Saul.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
had sworn.
2Sa 21:7; Ps 15:4; Ec 5:2,6; 9:2

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Joshua 9:17

    And the children of Israel journeyed, and came unto their cities on the third day. Now their cities were Gibeon, and Chephirah, and Beeroth, and Kirjath–jearim.

  • Joshua 9:18

    And the children of Israel smote them not, because the princes of the congregation had sworn unto them by the Lord God of Israel. And all the congregation murmured against the princes.

  • Joshua 9:19

    But all the princes said unto all the congregation, We have sworn unto them by the Lord God of Israel: now therefore we may not touch them.

Read all of Joshua 9

Joshua 9:18 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y no los hirieron los hijos de Israel, por cuanto los príncipes de la congregación les habían jurado por Jehová el Dios de Israel. Y toda la congregación murmuraba contra los príncipes.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et les fils d’Israël ne les frappèrent point, car les princes de l’assemblée s’étaient obligés envers eux par serment au nom de l’ Éternel, le Dieu d’Israël; et toute l’assemblée murmura contre les princes.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und die Kinder Israel schlugen sie nicht, weil die Fürsten der Gemeinde ihnen bei Jehova, dem Gott Israels, geschworen hatten. Da murrte die ganze Gemeinde wider die Fürsten.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Et non percusserunt eos, eo quod jurassent eis principes multitudinis in nomine Domini Dei Israël. Murmuravit itaque omne vulgus contra principes.