Joshua 9 · Verse 19

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.
Joshua 9:19, King James Version

Joshua 9:19 in other translations

BSBAll the leaders answered, “We have sworn an oath to them by the LORD, the God of Israel, and now we cannot touch them.
WEBBut all the princes said to all the congregation, “We have sworn to them by the LORD, the God of Israel. Now therefore we may not touch them.
ASVBut all the princes said unto all the congregation, We have sworn unto them by Jehovah, the God of Israel: now therefore we may not touch them.
YLTAnd all the princes say unto all the company, ‘We--we have sworn to them by Jehovah, God of Israel; and now, we are not able to come against them;
DARBYAnd all the princes said to all the assembly, We have sworn unto them by Jehovah the God of Israel, and now we may not touch them.
BBEBut all the chiefs said to the people, We have taken an oath to them by the Lord, the God of Israel, and so we may not put our hands on them.
WebsterBut all the princes said to all the congregation, We have sworn to them by the LORD God of Israel: now therefore we may not touch them.

What does Joshua 9:19 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…

Read the full comment on Joshua 9:18-27 →

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 19 We have sworn unto them - Although the Israelites were deceived in this business, and the covenant was made on a certain supposition which was afterwards proved to have had no foundation in truth, and consequently the whole engagement on the part of the deceived was hereby vitiated and rendered null and void; yet, because the elders had eaten with them, offered a covenant sacrifice, and sworn by Jehovah, they did not consider themselves at liberty to break the terms of the agreement, as far as the lives of the Gibeonites were concerned. That their conduct in this respect was highly pleasing to God is evident from this, that Joshua is nowhere reprehended for making this covenant, and sparing the Gibeonites; and that Saul, who four hundred years after this thought himself and the Israelites loosed from this obligation, and in consequence oppressed and destroyed the Gibeonites, was punished for the breach of this treaty, being considered as the violator of a most solemn oath and covenant engagement. See 2Sam 21:2-9, and Eze 17:18, Eze 17:19. All these circumstances laid together, prove that the command to destroy the Canaanites was not so absolute as is generally supposed: and should be understood as rather referring to the destruction of the political existence of the Canaanitish nations, than to the destruction of their lives. See the notes on Deu 20:10, Deu 20:17.

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 9:19 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.

וַיֹּאמְר֤וּvai.yo.me.Ruand they saidH559
כָל\־khol-allH3605
הַנְּשִׂיאִים֙ha.ne.si.'Imthe leadersH5387
אֶל\־'el-toH413
כָּל\־kol-allH3605
הָ֣עֵדָ֔הha.'e.Dahthe congregationH5712
אֲנַ֙חְנוּ֙'a.Nach.nuweH587
נִשְׁבַּ֣עְנוּnish.Ba'.nuwe have sworn an oathH7650
לָהֶ֔םla.Hemto <the> them
בַּֽיהוָ֖הba.Yah.wehby YahwehH3068
אֱלֹהֵ֣י'e.lo.Hei[the] God ofH430
יִשְׂרָאֵ֑לYis.ra.'ElIsraelH3478
וְעַתָּ֕הve.'a.Tahand thereforeH6258
לֹ֥אlo'notH3808
נוּכַ֖לnu.Khalwe are ableH3201
לִנְגֹּ֥עַlin.Go.a'to touchH5060
בָּהֶֽם\׃ba.Hem<in> <the> them

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

Cross references for Joshua 9:19

  • Ecclesiastes 8:2

    I counsel thee to keep the king’s commandment, and that in regard of the oath of God.

  • Jeremiah 4:2

    And thou shalt swear, The Lord liveth, in truth, in judgment, and in righteousness; and the nations shall bless themselves in him, and in him shall they glory.

  • Joshua 9:20

    This we will do to them; we will even let them live, lest wrath be upon us, because of the oath which we sware unto them.

  • 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.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
We have.
20; Ec 8:2; 9:2; Jer 4:2

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

Context

  • 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.

  • Joshua 9:20

    This we will do to them; we will even let them live, lest wrath be upon us, because of the oath which we sware unto them.

Read all of Joshua 9

Joshua 9:19 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Mas todos los príncipes respondieron á toda la congregación: Nosotros les hemos jurado por Jehová Dios de Israel; por tanto, ahora no les podemos tocar.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et tous les princes dirent à toute l’assemblée: Nous nous sommes obligés envers eux par serment au nom de l’ Éternel, le Dieu d’Israël; et maintenant, nous ne pouvons pas les toucher.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und alle Fürsten sprachen zu der ganzen Gemeinde: Wir haben ihnen bei Jehova, dem Gott Israels, geschworen, und nun können wir sie nicht antasten.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Qui responderunt eis: Juravimus illis in nomine Domini Dei Israël, et idcirco non possumus eos contingere.