Joshua 9 · Verse 8

Joshua 9:8

And they said unto Joshua, We are thy servants. And Joshua said unto them, Who are ye? and from whence come ye?
Joshua 9:8, King James Version

Joshua 9:8 in other translations

BSB“We are your servants,” they said to Joshua. Then Joshua asked them, “Who are you and where have you come from?”
WEBThey said to Joshua, “We are your servants.” Joshua said to them, “Who are you? Where do you come from?”
ASVAnd they said unto Joshua, We are thy servants. And Joshua said unto them, Who are ye? and from whence come ye?
YLTand they say unto Joshua, ‘Thy servants we are.' And Joshua saith unto them, ‘Who are ye? and whence come ye?'
DARBYAnd they said unto Joshua, We are thy servants. And Joshua said to them, Who are ye? and from whence come ye?
BBEAnd they said to Joshua, We are your servants. Then Joshua said to them, Who are you and where do you come from?
WebsterAnd they said to Joshua, we are thy servants. And Joshua said to them, Who are ye? and whence come ye?

What does Joshua 9:8 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Joshua 9:3-15

Jos 9:3-15. The Gibeonites Obtain a League by Craft. 3-15. when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard--This town, as its name imports, was situated on a rocky eminence, about six miles northwest from Jerusalem, where the modern village of El Jib now stands. It was the capital of the Hivites, and a large important city (Jos 10:2). It seems to have formed, in union with a few other towns in the neighborhood, a free…

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Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 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.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Joshua 9:3-13

Other people heard these tidings, and were driven thereby to make war upon Israel; but the Gibeonites were led to make peace with them. Thus the discovery of the glory and the grace of God in the gospel, is to some a savour of life unto life, but to others a savour of death unto death, 2Co 2:16. The same sun softens wax and hardens clay. The falsehood of the Gibeonites cannot be justified. We must not do evil that…

Read the full comment on Joshua 9:3-13 →

Joshua 9:8 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.

וַיֹּאמְר֥וּvai.yo.me.Ruand they saidH559
אֶל\־'el-toH413
יְהוֹשֻׁ֖עַye.ho.Shu.a'JoshuaH3091
עֲבָדֶ֣יךָ'a.va.Dei.kha[are] servants yourH5650
אֲנָ֑חְנוּ'a.Na.che.nuweH587
וַיֹּ֨אמֶרvai.Yo.merand he saidH559
אֲלֵהֶ֧ם'a.le.Hemto themH413
יְהוֹשֻׁ֛עַye.ho.Shu.a'JoshuaH3091
מִ֥יmiwho?H4310
אַתֶּ֖ם'a.Tem[are] youH859
וּמֵאַ֥יִןu.me.'A.yinand from where?H370
תָּבֹֽאוּ\׃ta.Vo.'udo you comeH935

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

Cross references for Joshua 9:8

  • 2 Kings 10:5

    And he that was over the house, and he that was over the city, the elders also, and the bringers up of the children, sent to Jehu, saying, We are thy servants, and will do all that thou shalt bid us; we will not make any king: do thou that which is good in thine eyes.

  • Deuteronomy 20:11

    And it shall be, if it make thee answer of peace, and open unto thee, then it shall be, that all the people that is found therein shall be tributaries unto thee, and they shall serve thee.

  • Joshua 9:11

    Wherefore our elders and all the inhabitants of our country spake to us, saying, Take victuals with you for the journey, and go to meet them, and say unto them, We are your servants: therefore now make ye a league with us.

  • Joshua 9:23

    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.

  • Genesis 9:25-26

    And he said, Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren. And he said, Blessed be the Lord God of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant.

  • Joshua 9:27

    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.

  • 1 Kings 9:20-21

    And all the people that were left of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, which were not of the children of Israel, Their children that were left after them in the land, whom the children of Israel also were not able utterly to destroy, upon those did Solomon levy a tribute of bondservice unto this day.

  • Joshua 9:25

    And now, behold, we are in thine hand: as it seemeth good and right unto thee to do unto us, do.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
11,23,25,27; Ge 9:25,26; De 20:11; 1Ki 9:20,21; 2Ki 10:5

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

Context

  • Joshua 9:7

    And the men of Israel said unto the Hivites, Peradventure ye dwell among us; and how shall we make a league with you?

  • Joshua 9:8

    And they said unto Joshua, We are thy servants. And Joshua said unto them, Who are ye? and from whence come ye?

  • Joshua 9:9

    And they said unto him, From a very far country thy servants are come because of the name of the Lord thy God: for we have heard the fame of him, and all that he did in Egypt,

Read all of Joshua 9

Joshua 9:8 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y ellos respondieron á Josué: Nosotros somos tus siervos. Y Josué les dijo: ¿Quién sois vosotros y de dónde venís?
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et ils dirent à Josué: Nous sommes tes serviteurs. Et Josué leur dit: Qui êtes-vous? et d’où venez-vous?
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und sie sprachen zu Josua: Wir sind deine Knechte. Und Josua sprach zu ihnen: Wer seid ihr, und woher kommet ihr?
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		At illi ad Josue: Servi, inquiunt, tui sumus. Quibus Josue ait: Quinam estis vos? et unde venistis?