Joshua 9:6 They went to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal and said to him and the men of Israel, "We have come from a distant land; please make a treaty with us."

◄ Joshua 9:6 ►

New International Version
Then they went to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal and said to him and the Israelites, “We have come from a distant country; make a treaty with us.”

New Living Translation
When they arrived at the camp of Israel at Gilgal, they told Joshua and the men of Israel, “We have come from a distant land to ask you to make a peace treaty with us.”

English Standard Version
And they went to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal and said to him and to the men of Israel, “We have come from a distant country, so now make a covenant with us.”

Berean Standard Bible
They went to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal and said to him and the men of Israel, “We have come from a distant land; please make a treaty with us.”

King James Bible
And they went to Joshua unto the camp at Gilgal, and said unto him, and to the men of Israel, We be come from a far country: now therefore make ye a league with us.

New King James Version
And they went to Joshua, to the camp at Gilgal, and said to him and to the men of Israel, “We have come from a far country; now therefore, make a covenant with us.”

New American Standard Bible
And they went to Joshua at the camp at Gilgal and said to him and to the men of Israel, “We have come from a far country; now then, make a covenant with us.”

NASB 1995
They went to Joshua to the camp at Gilgal and said to him and to the men of Israel, “We have come from a far country; now therefore, make a covenant with us.”

NASB 1977
And they went to Joshua to the camp at Gilgal, and said to him and to the men of Israel, “We have come from a far country; now therefore, make a covenant with us.”

Legacy Standard Bible
And they went to Joshua to the camp at Gilgal and said to him and to the men of Israel, “We have come from a far country; so now, cut a covenant with us.”

Amplified Bible
They went to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal and said to him and the men of Israel, “We have come from a far country; so now, make a covenant (treaty) with us.”

Christian Standard Bible
They went to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal and said to him and the men of Israel, “We have come from a distant land. Please make a treaty with us.”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
They went to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal and said to him and the men of Israel, “We have come from a distant land. Please make a treaty with us.”

American Standard Version
And they went to Joshua unto the camp at Gilgal, and said unto him, and to the men of Israel, We are come from a far country: now therefore make ye a covenant with us.

Contemporary English Version
Then they went to the Israelite camp at Gilgal, where they said to Joshua and the men of Israel, "We have come from a country that is far from here. Please make a peace treaty with us."

English Revised Version
And they went to Joshua unto the camp at Gilgal, and said unto him, and to the men of Israel, We are come from a far country: now therefore make ye a covenant with us.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
They came to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal. They told Joshua and the men of Israel, "We have come from a distant country. Make a treaty with us right now."

Good News Translation
Then they went to the camp at Gilgal and said to Joshua and the Israelites, "We have come from a distant land. We want you to make a treaty with us."

International Standard Version
Then they approached Joshua in the camp at Gilgal and addressed him and the Israelis, "We've arrived from a distant country, so please make a treaty with us right now."

Majority Standard Bible
They went to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal and said to him and the men of Israel, “We have come from a distant land; please make a treaty with us.”

NET Bible
They came to Joshua at the camp in Gilgal and said to him and the men of Israel, "We have come from a distant land. Make a treaty with us."

New Heart English Bible
They went to Joshua to the camp at Gilgal, and said to him, and to the men of Israel, "We have come from a far country. Now therefore make a covenant with us."

Webster's Bible Translation
And they went to Joshua to the camp at Gilgal, and said to him, and to the men of Israel, We have come from a far country: now therefore make ye a league with us.

World English Bible
They went to Joshua at the camp at Gilgal, and said to him and to the men of Israel, “We have come from a far country. Now therefore make a covenant with us.”

Literal Translations

Literal Standard Version
And they go to Joshua, to the camp at Gilgal, and say to him, and to the men of Israel, “We have come from a far-off land, and now, make a covenant with us”;

Young's Literal Translation
And they go unto Joshua, unto the camp at Gilgal, and say unto him, and unto the men of Israel, 'From a land far off we have come, and now, make with us a covenant;'

Smith's Literal Translation
And they will come to Joshua to the camp at Gilgal, and will say to him and to the men of Israel, From a land far off we came: and now cut out to us a covenant.

Catholic Translations

Douay-Rheims Bible
And they went to Josue, who then abode in the camp at Galgal, and said to him, and to all Israel with him: We are come from a far country, desiring to make peace with you. And the children of Israel answered them, and said:

Catholic Public Domain Version
And they traveled to Joshua, who at that time was staying in the camp at Gilgal. And they said to him, and to all of Israel with him, “We have come from a far away land, desiring to make peace with you.” And the sons of Israel responded to them, and said,

New American Bible
Thus they journeyed to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal, where they said to him and to the Israelites, “We have come from a far-off land; now, make a covenant with us.”

New Revised Standard Version
They went to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal, and said to him and to the Israelites, “We have come from a far country; so now make a treaty with us.”

Translations from Aramaic

Lamsa Bible
And they went to Joshua to the camp at Gilgal, and said to him and to the men of Israel, We have come from a far country; now therefore make a treaty with us.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And they came to Yeshua to the encampment at Galgala and they said to him and to those of the house of Israel:”We are coming from a distant place; now give to us the right hand”

OT Translations

JPS Tanakh 1917
And they went to Joshua unto the camp at Gilgal, and said unto him, and to the men of Israel: 'We are come from a far country; now therefore make ye a covenant with us.'

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And they came to Joshua into the camp of Israel to Galgala, and said to Joshua and Israel, We are come from a far land: now then make a covenant with us.

Additional Translations ...

Audio Bible

Context

The Deceit of the Gibeonites
…5They put worn, patched sandals on their feet and threadbare clothing on their bodies, and their whole supply of bread was dry and moldy. 6They went to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal and said to him and the men of Israel, “We have come from a distant land; please make a treaty with us.” 7But the men of Israel said to the Hivites, “Perhaps you dwell near us. How can we make a treaty with you?”…

Berean Standard Bible · Download

Cross References

Deuteronomy 20:10-11
When you approach a city to fight against it, you are to make an offer of peace. / If they accept your offer of peace and open their gates, all the people there will become forced laborers to serve you.

Exodus 23:32
You shall make no covenant with them or with their gods.

Deuteronomy 7:2
and when the LORD your God has delivered them over to you to defeat them, then you must devote them to complete destruction. Make no treaty with them and show them no mercy.

2 Samuel 21:2
At this, David summoned the Gibeonites and spoke to them. (Now the Gibeonites were not Israelites, but a remnant of the Amorites. The Israelites had taken an oath concerning them, but in his zeal for Israel and Judah, Saul had sought to kill them.)

1 Kings 9:20-21
As for all the people who remained of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites (the people who were not Israelites)— / their descendants who remained in the land, those whom the Israelites were unable to devote to destruction—Solomon conscripted these people to be forced laborers, as they are to this day.

Judges 2:2
and you are not to make a covenant with the people of this land, but you shall tear down their altars.’ Yet you have not obeyed My voice. What is this you have done?

2 Chronicles 8:7-8
As for all the people who remained of the Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites (these people were not Israelites)— / their descendants who remained in the land, those whom the Israelites had not destroyed—Solomon conscripted these people to be forced laborers, as they are to this day.

Nehemiah 9:24-25
So their descendants went in and possessed the land; You subdued before them the Canaanites dwelling in the land. You delivered into their hands the kings and peoples of the land, to do with them as they wished. / They captured fortified cities and fertile land and took houses full of all goods, wells already dug, vineyards, olive groves, and fruit trees in abundance. So they ate and were filled; they grew fat and delighted in Your great goodness.

Psalm 106:34-36
They did not destroy the peoples as the LORD had commanded them, / but they mingled with the nations and adopted their customs. / They worshiped their idols, which became a snare to them.

Isaiah 2:6
For You have abandoned Your people, the house of Jacob, because they are filled with influences from the east; they are soothsayers like the Philistines; they strike hands with the children of foreigners.

Ezekiel 16:3
and tell her that this is what the Lord GOD says to Jerusalem: Your origin and your birth were in the land of the Canaanites. Your father was an Amorite and your mother a Hittite.

Matthew 5:37
Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ Anything more comes from the evil one.

Matthew 10:16
Behold, I am sending you out like sheep among wolves; therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.

Luke 16:8
The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the sons of this age are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the sons of light.

John 8:44
You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out his desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, refusing to uphold the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, because he is a liar and the father of lies.

Treasury of Scripture

And they went to Joshua to the camp at Gilgal, and said to him, and to the men of Israel, We be come from a far country: now therefore make you a league with us.

the camp

Joshua 5:10
And the children of Israel encamped in Gilgal, and kept the passover on the fourteenth day of the month at even in the plains of Jericho.

Joshua 10:43
And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, unto the camp to Gilgal.

We be

Joshua 9:9
And they said unto him, From a very far country thy servants are come because of the name of the LORD thy God: for we have heard the fame of him, and all that he did in Egypt,

Deuteronomy 20:11-15
And it shall be, if it make thee answer of peace, and open unto thee, then it shall be, that all the people that is found therein shall be tributaries unto thee, and they shall serve thee…

1 Kings 8:41
Moreover concerning a stranger, that is not of thy people Israel, but cometh out of a far country for thy name's sake;

make ye.

Deuteronomy 29:12
That thou shouldest enter into covenant with the LORD thy God, and into his oath, which the LORD thy God maketh with thee this day:

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Joshua 9

1. The kings combine against Israel
3. The Gibeonites by craft obtain a league
22. They are condemned to perpetual bondage

Berean Study Bible

They went to Joshua
The phrase "They went to Joshua" indicates a deliberate action by the Gibeonites, who sought out the leader of Israel. Joshua, whose name in Hebrew, Yehoshua, means "The LORD is salvation," is a central figure in the conquest of Canaan. His leadership is divinely appointed, and the Gibeonites' approach to him signifies their recognition of his authority. This action reflects the ancient Near Eastern practice of seeking peace through diplomacy, especially with a recognized leader.

in the camp at Gilgal
Gilgal holds significant historical and spiritual importance for Israel. It was the first encampment of the Israelites after crossing the Jordan River, a place of renewal and covenant (Joshua 4:19-24). The mention of Gilgal here underscores the setting as a place where Israel's identity and mission are reaffirmed. Archaeologically, Gilgal is associated with a circle of stones, symbolizing the Israelites' commitment to God.

and said to him and the men of Israel
The Gibeonites address not only Joshua but also "the men of Israel," indicating their understanding that any treaty would require the consent of the community. This reflects the communal nature of decision-making in ancient Israel, where leaders and elders played crucial roles. The phrase emphasizes the collective responsibility and unity of the Israelites in their covenantal journey.

We have come from a distant land
This claim by the Gibeonites is a strategic deception. In the ancient world, distance often implied neutrality or non-threat, as distant lands were less likely to be involved in local conflicts. The Gibeonites' statement is designed to evoke a sense of safety and to persuade the Israelites to enter into a treaty. This highlights the theme of discernment and the need for divine guidance in decision-making.

now make a treaty with us
The request for a treaty, or "covenant," is significant in biblical terms. In Hebrew, the word for covenant is "berit," which denotes a solemn and binding agreement. The Gibeonites' plea for a treaty reflects their desire for protection and peace, recognizing the power and favor of Israel under God's guidance. This request challenges the Israelites to consider their covenantal obligations and the importance of seeking God's will in their alliances.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 6. - To the camp at Gilgal. Many commentators, among whom we may number Vandevelde and the recent Palestine Exploration Expedition, suppose that the Gilgal mentioned here is another Gilgal, and certainly the supposition derives great force from the fact that there is a place the modern name of which is Jiljilia, situated near the oaks of Moreh, whose situation would be far more central, and would fall in better with the rest of the history (see notes on Joshua 8:30), than the original Gilgal. That such a second Gilgal is known to Jewish history would appear from Deuteronomy 11:30, where its situation is clearly pointed out as that of the modern Jiljilia, near the oaks of Moreh, and near theArabah (champaign, Authorised Version), which runs in that direction. Jiljulieh, in the plain of Sharon, is supposed by Vandevelde and the Palestine explorers (see 'Quarterly Statement,' Jan., 1879) to be a third Gilgal, and Jerome, in his 'Onomasticon,' has identified it (see note on Joshua 12:23). The Gilgal in 1 Samuel 13:4-12 seems to require a central position like that of Jiljilia, rather than a place near the fords of Jordan. As Ewald reminds us, the earlier Gilgal lay out of the road from Jericho to Bethel (see also 2 Kings 2:1-6). The only argument against such a second Gilgal is the improbability of a removal of the camp without any mention of such removal by the historian (see Hengstenberg, 'Geschichte des Reiches Gottes,' p. 207), and the improbability of there having been a second Gilgal as the place of encampment of the Israelites. It is possible, however, that the second great place of encampment received the memorable name of the first, from the keen sense that the Israelitish encampment was the abode of a people from which the "reproach of Egypt" was forever rolled away. Another explanation is suggested by a comparison of Joshua 15:7 with Joshua 18:17 (see note on the former passage). The second Gilgal, if it really existed, was well suited for its purpose. "It was in the centre of the country, situated upon a steep hill, with a good table land at the top, and commanded a most extensive prospect of the large plain in the west, and also towards the north and east" (Keil) - precisely the place which an able general would be likely to select. Though "in a high position" (Vandevelde), it was "lower than Gibeon," and was "an hour west of Sinjil on the Jerusalem Shechem road." Its situation enabled Joshua to strike a decisive blow without delay (Joshua 10:7, 9). It is clear that this suggestion entirely obviates the difficulty of the concluding verses of ch. 8. And as the name implies a circular form as well as motion, and early camps were usually circular, it may have been the ordinary name for an encampment among the Hebrews.

Parallel Commentaries ...

Hebrew

They went
וַיֵּלְכ֧וּ (way·yê·lə·ḵū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 1980: To go, come, walk

to
אֶל־ (’el-)
Preposition
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

Joshua
יְהוֹשֻׁ֛עַ (yə·hō·wō·šu·a‘)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3091: Joshua -- 'the LORD is salvation', Moses' successor, also the name of a number of Israelites

in
אֶל־ (’el-)
Preposition
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

the camp
הַֽמַּחֲנֶ֖ה (ham·ma·ḥă·neh)
Article | Noun - common singular
Strong's 4264: An encampment, an army

at Gilgal
הַגִּלְגָּ֑ל (hag·gil·gāl)
Article | Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 1537: Gilgal -- 'circle (of stones)', the name of several places in Palestine

and said
וַיֹּאמְר֨וּ (way·yō·mə·rū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 559: To utter, say

to him
אֵלָ֜יו (’ê·lāw)
Preposition | third person masculine singular
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

and
וְאֶל־ (wə·’el-)
Conjunctive waw | Preposition
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

the men
אִ֣ישׁ (’îš)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 376: A man as an individual, a male person

of Israel,
יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל (yiś·rā·’êl)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3478: Israel -- 'God strives', another name of Jacob and his desc

“We have come
בָּ֔אנוּ (bā·nū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common plural
Strong's 935: To come in, come, go in, go

from a distant
רְחוֹקָה֙ (rə·ḥō·w·qāh)
Adjective - feminine singular
Strong's 7350: Remote, of place, time, precious

land;
מֵאֶ֤רֶץ (mê·’e·reṣ)
Preposition-m | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 776: Earth, land

please make
כִּרְתוּ־ (kir·ṯū-)
Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural
Strong's 3772: To cut, to destroy, consume, to covenant

a treaty with us.”
בְרִֽית׃ (ḇə·rîṯ)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 1285: A covenant

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OT History: Joshua 9:6 They went to Joshua to the camp (Josh. Jos)