Joshua

Joshua 9:16–21

¹⁶Three days after they had made the treaty with the Gibeonites, the Israelites learned that they were neighbors, living among them. ¹⁷So the Israelites set out and on the third day arrived at their cities — Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath-jearim. ¹⁸But 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.

¹⁹All the leaders answered, “We have sworn an oath to them by the LORD, the God of Israel, and now we cannot touch them. ²⁰This is how we will treat them: We will let them live, so that no wrath will fall on us because of the oath we swore to them.” ²¹They continued, “Let them live, but let them be woodcutters and water carriers for the whole congregation.” So the leaders kept their promise.

Read all of Joshua 9

Word by word

Each English word or phrase beside the Hebrew it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.

Joshua 9:16

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Three	שְׁלֹ֣שֶׁת	šə·lō·šeṯ	Number - masculine singular construct	H7969 a three, triad
days	יָמִ֔ים	yā·mîm	Noun - masculine plural	H3117 day
after	אַחֲרֵ֕י	’a·ḥă·rê	Preposition	H310 behind
they had made	כָּרְת֥וּ	kā·rə·ṯū	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural	H3772 cut off, cut down
the treaty	בְּרִ֑ית	bə·rîṯ	Noun - feminine singular	H1285 covenant
with	לָהֶ֖ם	lā·hem	Preposition; third person masculine plural
learned	וַֽיִּשְׁמְע֗וּ	way·yiš·mə·‘ū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural	H8085 hear
that	כִּי־	kî-	Conjunction	H3588 burning, branding
they	הֵם֙	hêm	Pronoun - third person masculine plural	H1992 they, them
neighbors	קְרֹבִ֥ים	qə·rō·ḇîm	Adjective - masculine plural	H7138 near
living	יֹשְׁבִֽים׃	yō·šə·ḇîm	Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural	H3427 sit, remain, dwell
among them	וּבְקִרְבּ֖וֹ	ū·ḇə·qir·bōw	Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b; Noun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H7130 inward part, midst

Joshua 9:17

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
So the Israelites	בְנֵֽי־	ḇə·nê-	Noun - masculine plural construct	H1121 son
set out	וַיִּסְע֣וּ	way·yis·‘ū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural	H5265 pull out or up, set out, journey
and on the third	הַשְּׁלִישִׁ֑י	haš·šə·lî·šî	Article; Number - ordinal masculine singular	H7992 third
day	בַּיּ֣וֹם	bay·yō·wm	Preposition-b, Article; Noun - masculine singular	H3117 day
arrived	וַיָּבֹ֛אוּ	way·yā·ḇō·’ū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural	H935 come in, come, go in, go
at their cities	עָרֵיהֶ֖ם	‘ā·rê·hem	Noun - feminine plural construct; third person masculine plural	H5892 excitement
Gibeon	גִּבְע֣וֹן	giḇ·‘ō·wn	Noun - proper - feminine singular	H1391 Gibon
Chephirah	וְהַכְּפִירָ֔ה	wə·hak·kə·p̄î·rāh	Conjunctive waw, Article; Noun - proper - feminine singular	H3716 Kephirah
Beeroth	וּבְאֵר֖וֹת	ū·ḇə·’ê·rō·wṯ	Conjunctive waw; Noun - proper - feminine singular	H881 Beeroth
and Kiriath-jearim	יְעָרִֽים׃	yə·‘ā·rîm	Conjunctive waw; Noun - proper - feminine singular	H7157 Kirjath-Jearim, Kirjath-Arim

Joshua 9:18

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
But the Israelites	בְּנֵ֣י	bə·nê	Noun - masculine plural construct	H1121 son
did not	וְלֹ֤א	wə·lō	Conjunctive waw; Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
attack them	הִכּוּם֙	hik·kūm	Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person common plural; third person masculine plural	H5221 smite
because	כִּֽי־	kî-	Conjunction	H3588 burning, branding
the leaders	נְשִׂיאֵ֣י	nə·śî·’ê	Noun - masculine plural construct	H5387 one lifted up
of the congregation	הָֽעֵדָ֔ה	hā·‘ê·ḏāh	Article; Noun - feminine singular	H5712 congregation
had sworn an oath	נִשְׁבְּע֤וּ	niš·bə·‘ū	Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person common plural	H7650 swear
to them	לָהֶם֙	lā·hem	Preposition; third person masculine plural
by the LORD	בַּֽיהוָ֖ה	Yah·weh	Preposition-b; Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3068 Yahweh
the God	אֱלֹהֵ֣י	’ĕ·lō·hê	Noun - masculine plural construct	H430 God
of Israel	יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל	yiś·rā·’êl	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3478 Israel
And the whole	כָל־	ḵāl	Noun - masculine singular construct	H3605 the whole, all
congregation	הָעֵדָ֖ה	hā·‘ê·ḏāh	Article; Noun - feminine singular	H5712 congregation
grumbled	וַיִּלֹּ֥נוּ	way·yil·lō·nū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Nifal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural	H3885 lodge, pass the night
against	עַל־	‘al-	Preposition	H5921 height
the leaders	הַנְּשִׂיאִֽים׃	han·nə·śî·’îm	Article; Noun - masculine plural	H5387 one lifted up

Joshua 9:19

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
All	כָל־	ḵāl	Noun - masculine singular construct	H3605 the whole, all
the leaders	הַנְּשִׂיאִים֙	han·nə·śî·’îm	Article; Noun - masculine plural	H5387 one lifted up
answered	וַיֹּאמְר֤וּ	way·yō·mə·rū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural	H559 utter, say
We	אֲנַ֙חְנוּ֙	’ă·naḥ·nū	Pronoun - first person common plural	H587 we
have sworn an oath	נִשְׁבַּ֣עְנוּ	niš·ba‘·nū	Verb - Nifal - Perfect - first person common plural	H7650 swear
to them	לָהֶ֔ם	lā·hem	Preposition; third person masculine plural
by the LORD	בַּֽיהוָ֖ה	Yah·weh	Preposition-b; Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3068 Yahweh
the God	אֱלֹהֵ֣י	’ĕ·lō·hê	Noun - masculine plural construct	H430 God
of Israel	יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל	yiś·rā·’êl	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3478 Israel
and now	וְעַתָּ֕ה	wə·‘at·tāh	Conjunctive waw; Adverb	H6258 now
we cannot	לֹ֥א	lō	Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
touch	לִנְגֹּ֥עַ	lin·gō·a‘	Preposition-l; Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct	H5060 touch, reach, strike
them	בָּהֶֽם׃	bā·hem	Preposition; third person masculine plural

Joshua 9:20

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
This	זֹ֛את	zōṯ	Pronoun - feminine singular	H2063 this
is how we will treat	נַעֲשֶׂ֥ה	na·‘ă·śeh	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common plural	H6213 do, make
them	לָהֶ֖ם	lā·hem	Preposition; third person masculine plural
We will let them live	וְהַחֲיֵ֣ה	wə·ha·ḥă·yêh	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Hifil - Infinitive absolute	H2421 live
so that no	וְלֹֽא־	wə·lō-	Conjunctive waw; Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
wrath	קֶ֔צֶף	qe·ṣep̄	Noun - masculine singular	H7110 wrath
will fall	יִֽהְיֶ֤ה	yih·yeh	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular	H1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be
on us	עָלֵ֙ינוּ֙	‘ā·lê·nū	Preposition; first person common plural	H5921 height
because of	עַל־	‘al-	Preposition	H5921 height
the oath	הַשְּׁבוּעָ֖ה	haš·šə·ḇū·‘āh	Article; Noun - feminine singular	H7621 oath, curse
we swore	נִשְׁבַּ֥עְנוּ	niš·ba‘·nū	Verb - Nifal - Perfect - first person common plural	H7650 swear
to them	לָהֶֽם׃	lā·hem	Preposition; third person masculine plural

Joshua 9:21

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
They	הַנְּשִׂיאִ֖ים	han·nə·śî·’îm	Article; Noun - masculine plural	H5387 one lifted up
continued	וַיֹּאמְר֧וּ	way·yō·mə·rū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural	H559 utter, say
Let them live	יִֽחְי֑וּ	yiḥ·yū	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural	H2421 live
but let them be	וַ֠יִּֽהְיוּ	way·yih·yū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural	H1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be
woodcutters	חֹטְבֵ֨י	ḥō·ṭə·ḇê	Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct	H2404 cut or gather wood
and water	מַ֙יִם֙	ma·yim	Noun - masculine plural	H4325 water, juice, urine
carriers	וְשֹֽׁאֲבֵי־	wə·šō·’ă·ḇê-	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct	H7579 draw
for the whole	לְכָל־	lə·ḵāl	Preposition-l; Noun - masculine singular construct	H3605 the whole, all
congregation	הָ֣עֵדָ֔ה	hā·‘ê·ḏāh	Article; Noun - feminine singular	H5712 congregation
So	כַּאֲשֶׁ֛ר	ka·’ă·šer	Preposition-k; Pronoun - relative	H834 particle of relation
the leaders	הַנְּשִׂיאִֽים׃	han·nə·śî·’îm	Article; Noun - masculine plural	H5387 one lifted up
kept their promise	דִּבְּר֥וּ	dib·bə·rū	Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person common plural	H1696 speak