SEV Biblia, Chapter 9:22
¶ Y llamándolos Josué, les habló diciendo: ¿Por qué nos habéis engañado, diciendo, Habitamos muy lejos de vosotros; una vez que moráis en medio de nosotros?
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 22. And Joshua called for them , etc.] The Gibeonites, who came as ambassadors for their people, who were detained at Gilgal until the children of Israel returned from Gibeon; and upon their return, and having made their report to Joshua that they found it to be true that they were near neighbours, Joshua ordered them to be brought before him: and he spake unto them, saying, wherefore have ye beguiled us ? what is your reason and motive for so doing? what has induced you to act such a deceitful part, to tell such lies and falsehoods, and impose upon us after this manner? saying, we [are] very far from you, when ye dwell among us : pretending to come from a very far country, when they were inhabitants of the land Israel were come to possess.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 22-27 - The Gibeonites do not justify their lie, but plead that they did it to save their lives. And the fear was not merely of the power of man; on might flee from that to the Divine protection; but of the power of God himself, which they saw engaged against them. Joshua sentences them to perpetual bondage. They must be servants, but any work become honourable, when it is done for the house of the Lord, and the office thereof. Let us, in like manner, submit to our Lord Jesus, saying, We are in thy hand, do unto us as seemeth good and right unto thee, onl save our souls; and we shall not repent it. If He appoints us to bea his cross, and serve him, that shall be neither shame nor grief to us while the meanest office in God's service will entitle us to a dwellin in the house of the Lord all the days of our life. And in coming to the Saviour, we do not proceed upon a peradventure. We are invited to dra nigh, and are assured that him that cometh to Him, he will in nowis cast out. Even those things which sound harsh, and are humbling, an form sharp trials of our sincerity, will prove of real advantage __________________________________________________________________
Original Hebrew
ויקרא 7121 להם יהושׁע 3091 וידבר 1696 אליהם 413 לאמר 559 למה 4100 רמיתם 7411 אתנו 853 לאמר 559 רחוקים 7350 אנחנו 587 מכם 4480 מאד 3966 ואתם 859 בקרבנו 7130 ישׁבים׃ 3427
