Yehoshua and the Gibeonites: A Pact Forged

Yehoshua and the Gibeonites

All the kings in Israel, all of what Hashem did for Bnei Yisrael.

Seven Nations: Hitti, Emori, Canaani, Perizi, and Gergashi. The Gergashi moved to North Africa.

The nations had a choice. Yehoshua sent a letter stating that they could either leave, stay and fight, or make peace. The Gergashi left; everyone else fought.

All nations united to fight against Bnei Yisrael.

The Hivi (Gibeonites) heard all of what Yehoshua did to Yericho and Ai. They were scared.

Be'arma (with trickery), the Gibeonites dressed up as foreigners. Their shoes were torn and ripped, their bread was dry and moldy, and their clothing was patchy. Vayashu Gam Hema.

The Gibeonite people came to Yehoshua, dressed up, and Yehoshua asked them to make a treaty with him.

The Gibeonites ignored his question of where they came from. Yehoshua again asked, "Who are you and where are you from?"

Finally, the Gibeonites said they came from a far land, but didn't say who they really were.

The Gibeonites said, "We heard what your God did for you in Mitzrayim." They didn't mention what happened to Yericho and Ai because that would ruin the "Eretz Rechoka" (far land) claim. They also mentioned Sihon and Og.

They said that our Zekenim (elders) told us to come to you and make a treaty; then they would be servants to Bnei Yisrael.

In "Shechem Ben Hamor," Dina, the daughter of Yaakov, was taken, raped, and married without consent. Levi and (another) tricked the Hivim and killed the entire city.

Achartem Oti - "You lied to me."

So now when it says in the passuk (verse) "Gam Hena," Bnei Yisrael are being tricked by the Hivim.

The Hivim told Yehoshua about their bread and how it became rotten because they came from a far place.

They continued to talk about how everything they brought got old.

And the old people are from the bread of the Hivim and didn't ask Hashem. This shows that Bnei Yisrael believed the Hivim, and they made a peace treaty with them forever.

At the end of the third day after Bnei Yisrael made the treaty, Bnei Yisrael heard that the Hivim weren't who they said they were.

Bnei Yisrael was furious. They came to Gibeon on the third day.

Bnei Yisrael came to the city, but the Zekenim told Bnei Yisrael that they had made a peace treaty, so Bnei Yisrael could not kill anyone.

"We are going to let them live, or Hashem will be mad at us."

When it says "Nishmaru P'lihem HaNesi'im," they had to open their mouths again because Bnei Yisrael were complaining.

Punishment for the Gibeonites: Bnei Yisrael are going to give them the lowest jobs (wood-cutters, water-drawers, etc.).

Yehoshua called over the elders of the Gibeonites and asked, "Why did you lie to us?"

Yehoshua told the Gibeonites that they were going to be like servants to Bnei Yisrael; whenever Bnei Yisrael moved, they had to move with them.

Gibeonites: "We heard that Hashem is going to inherit the land and destroy all the people living in the land, so we did this because we were scared."

Gibeonites: "So do what you need to do to us."

Yehoshua told them that they were going to be slaves, and Yehoshua saved them.

Everywhere the Ohel Moed is, the Gibeonites need to be there.

The Canaani king wants to conquer the Gibeonite land:

• Strategic war location.
• Gibeonites were traders.

Adoni-Zedek, a king of Yerushalayim, heard what Yehoshua did in the city of Ai (destroyed it) and that the Gibeonites made peace with Bnei Yisrael.

The king was scared because Gibeon was a big, strong city, bigger than Ai.

The king called out to his friends and said, "Please come up with me and help fight the Gibeonites because they made peace with Bnei Yisrael."

Five Canaani kings gathered together to fight Gibeon.

The people of Gibeon came to the camp of Gilgal and asked Bnei Yisrael if they could help fight and save them.

Yehoshua went up and helped fight with Gibeon against the other kings.

Hashem told Yehoshua not to be scared (we see that Yehoshua asked Hashem if he should go).

Yehoshua came to the camps of the other kings (the other kings didn't expect Yehoshua).