22 Then Joshua called for them and spoke to them, saying , "Why have you deceived us, saying , 'We are very far from you,' when you are living within our land ? 23 "Now therefore, you are cursed , and you shall never cease being slaves , both hewers of wood and drawers of water for the house of my God ." 24 So they answered Joshua and said , " Because it was certainly told your servants that the Lord your God had commanded His servant Moses to give you all the land , and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land before e you; therefore we feared greatly for our lives because e of you, and have done this thing . 25 "Now behold , we are in your hands ; do as it seems good and right in your sight to do to us." 26 Thus he did to them, and delivered them from the hands of the sons of Israel , and they did not kill them. 27 But Joshua made them that day hewers of wood and drawers of water for the congregation and for the altar of the Lord , to this day , in the place which He would choose .
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Joshua 9:22-27
Commentary on Joshua 9:22-27
(Read Joshua 9:22-27)
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; one 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 becomes honourable, when it is done for the house of the Lord, and the offices 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, only save our souls; and we shall not repent it. If He appoints us to bear 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 dwelling 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 draw nigh, and are assured that him that cometh to Him, he will in nowise cast out. Even those things which sound harsh, and are humbling, and form sharp trials of our sincerity, will prove of real advantage.