Joshua 9:19
◄  Joshua 9:19  ►
New International Version (©2011)
but all the leaders answered, "We have given them our oath by the LORD, the God of Israel, and we cannot touch them now.

New Living Translation (©2007)
But the leaders replied, "Since we have sworn an oath in the presence of the LORD, the God of Israel, we cannot touch them.

English Standard Version (©2001)
But all the leaders said to all the congregation, “We have sworn to them by the LORD, the God of Israel, and now we may not touch them.

New American Standard Bible (©1995)
But all the leaders said to the whole congregation, "We have sworn to them by the LORD, the God of Israel, and now we cannot touch them.

King James Bible (Cambridge Ed.)
But all the princes said unto all the congregation, We have sworn unto them by the LORD God of Israel: now therefore we may not touch them.

Holman Christian Standard Bible (©2009)
All the leaders answered them, "We have sworn an oath to them by the LORD, the God of Israel, and now we cannot touch them.

International Standard Version (©2012)
Then all of the leaders spoke to the entire congregation, "We have sworn to them in the name of the LORD, the God of Israel, and we cannot touch them.

NET Bible (©2006)
but all the leaders told the whole community, "We swore an oath to them in the name of the LORD God of Israel. So now we can't hurt them!

GOD'S WORD® Translation (©1995)
But all the leaders said to them, "We have sworn an oath about them to the LORD God of Israel, so we cannot touch them now.

King James 2000 Bible (©2003)
But all the leaders said unto all the congregation, We have sworn unto them by the LORD God of Israel: now therefore we may not touch them.

American King James Version
But all the princes said to all the congregation, We have sworn to them by the LORD God of Israel: now therefore we may not touch them.

American Standard Version
But all the princes said unto all the congregation, We have sworn unto them by Jehovah, the God of Israel: now therefore we may not touch them.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And they answered them: We have sworn to them in the name of the Lord the God of Israel, and therefore we may not touch them.

Darby Bible Translation
And all the princes said to all the assembly, We have sworn unto them by Jehovah the God of Israel, and now we may not touch them.

English Revised Version
But all the princes said unto all the congregation, We have sworn unto them by the LORD, the God of Israel: now therefore we may not touch them.

Webster's Bible Translation
But all the princes said to all the congregation, We have sworn to them by the LORD God of Israel: now therefore we may not touch them.

World English Bible
But all the princes said to all the congregation, "We have sworn to them by Yahweh, the God of Israel: now therefore we may not touch them.

Young's Literal Translation
And all the princes say unto all the company, 'We -- we have sworn to them by Jehovah, God of Israel; and now, we are not able to come against them;

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

9:14-21 The Israelites, having examined the provisions of the Gibeonites, hastily concluded that they confirmed their account. We make more haste than good speed, when we stay not to take God with us, and do not consult him by the word and prayer. The fraud was soon found out. A lying tongue is but for a moment. Had the oath been in itself unlawful, it would not have been binding; for no obligation can render it our duty to commit a sin. But it was not unlawful to spare the Canaanites who submitted, and left idolatry, desiring only that their lives might be spared. A citizen of Zion swears to his own hurt, and changes not, Ps 15:4. Joshua and the princes, when they found that they had been deceived, did not apply to Eleazar the high priest to be freed from their engagement, much less did they pretend that no faith is to be kept with those to whom they had sworn. Let this convince us how we ought to keep our promises, and make good our bargains; and what conscience we ought to make of our words.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

But all the princes said to all the congregation,.... That is, all the princes that went to Gibeon addressed all the Israelites that were there:

we have sworn unto them by the Lord God of Israel; by the Word of the Lord God, as the Targum; an oath is a solemn sacred thing, and not to be broken, and a good man will make conscience of it, and keep it, though he has sworn to his own hurt: and

now therefore we may not touch them; neither take away their lives nor their substance.

Joshua 9:19 Parallel Commentaries

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The Deceit of the Gibeonites
…18And the children of Israel smote them not, because the princes of the congregation had sworn to them by the LORD God of Israel. And all the congregation murmured against the princes. 19But all the princes said to all the congregation, We have sworn to them by the LORD God of Israel: now therefore we may not touch them. 20This we will do to them; we will even let them live, lest wrath be on us, because of the oath which we swore to them. …

Joshua 9:18 But the Israelites did not attack them, because the leaders of the assembly had sworn an oath to them by the LORD, the God of Israel. The whole assembly grumbled against the leaders,
Joshua 9:20 This is what we will do to them: We will let them live, so that God's wrath will not fall on us for breaking the oath we swore to them."