Joshua 9:24 is the Gibeonites’ explanation for why they tricked Israel into making a peace treaty. They admit they disguised themselves as travelers from a distant land because they heard how the LORD had given Israel the land and commanded them to destroy its inhabitants, and they were terrified of what would happen to them. The words are spoken by the Gibeonite envoys to Joshua, the leader of Israel, after he discovers their deception.
They answered Joshua, and said, “Because your servants were certainly told how the LORD your God commanded his servant Moses to give you all the land, and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land from before you. Therefore we were very afraid for our lives because of you, and have done this thing.
Joshua 9:24 (WEB)
What Joshua 9:24 Means
The verse begins with the Gibeonites saying they had “certainly been told” about the LORD’s command through Moses. Their knowledge was not secret. Word had spread through the region about what Israel’s God had done in Egypt and in the wilderness, and about the promise of the land. They were not claiming ignorance of Israel’s God. They were confessing that they understood the danger they faced.
The phrase “therefore we were very afraid for our lives” reveals their motive. Fear, not a sudden change of faith, drove the scheme. They wanted to survive, and they judged that appearing to come from far away offered the best chance. The verse explains their reasoning, but it does not present their actions as admirable. It shows how fear can push people toward deceit.
What the verse does not do is excuse the Gibeonites’ lie or promise that a deception will be rewarded. It also does not say that God approved of their method. It simply records their own account of why they acted as they did. Readers should be careful not to turn a description of fear into a rule for living.
The Context of Joshua 9:24
The book of Joshua is traditionally attributed to Joshua himself, though most scholars think it was compiled and edited later, perhaps drawing on earlier records. It narrates Israel’s entry into Canaan after the wilderness years and the conquest and settlement of the land. Its first audience would have been an Israelite community looking back on those events and trying to understand their relationship with God and with the people already living in the land.
The verse sits in the middle of a short episode. Just before it, Joshua has confronted the Gibeonites and cursed them to serve as woodcutters and water carriers. Just after, Joshua spares them and makes them servants for the congregation and the altar. Read in this setting, the verse is the hinge of the story: the Gibeonites explain themselves, and their explanation is what leads Joshua to honor the oath he had sworn, even though it was made under false pretenses.
Key Phrases in Joshua 9:24
Joshua 9:26
He did so to them, and delivered them out of the hand of the children of Israel, so that they didn’t kill them.
(WEB)
This verse continues the same episode and shows Joshua’s response to the Gibeonites. Reading it next lets you see how the consequences of their deception and their request for mercy played out, which helps clarify the meaning of their explanation.
Proverbs 28:13
He who conceals his sins doesn’t prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy.
(WEB)
This proverb speaks directly to concealing wrongdoing and confessing it. Set beside the Gibeonites’ honest admission in Joshua 9:24, it reminds readers that the Bible consistently values candor over concealment, even when the truth is uncomfortable.
A Short Prayer From Joshua 9:24
Lord, you see the fears that push me toward hiding things and bending the truth. When I feel threatened, help me name my fear honestly before you instead of reaching for an easy disguise. Give me courage to speak plainly to the people I love and to face the consequences of what I have done. Teach me to trust your character more than my own schemes for safety. Shape my words so they carry the truth, and let my fear be turned toward you rather than away from you. Amen.
