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Joshua 9:19
New International Version
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
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
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.

Berean Standard Bible
All the leaders answered, “We have sworn an oath to them by the LORD, the God of Israel, and now we cannot touch them.

King James Bible
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.

New King James Version
Then all the rulers said to all the congregation, “We have sworn to them by the LORD God of Israel; now therefore, we may not touch them.

New American Standard Bible
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.

NASB 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.

NASB 1977
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.

Legacy Standard Bible
Then all the leaders said to the whole congregation, “We have sworn to them by Yahweh, the God of Israel, so now we cannot touch them.

Amplified Bible
But all the leaders said to the whole congregation, “We have sworn to them by the LORD, the God of Israel, so now we cannot touch them.

Christian Standard Bible
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.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
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.

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.

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.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
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.

Good News Translation
but they answered, "We have made our solemn promise to them in the name of the LORD God of Israel. Now we cannot harm them.

International Standard Version
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.

Majority Standard Bible
All the leaders answered, ?We have sworn an oath to them by the LORD, the God of Israel, and now we cannot touch them.

NET Bible
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!

New Heart English Bible
But all the leaders said to all the congregation, "We have sworn to them by the LORD, the God of Israel; and 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.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And all the princes say to all the congregation, “We have sworn to them by YHWH, God of Israel; and now, we are not able to come against 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;

Smith's Literal Translation
And all the chiefs will say to all the assembly, We sware to them by Jehovah the God of Israel: and now we shall not be able to touch upon them.
Catholic Translations
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.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And they responded to them: “We have sworn to them in the name of the Lord, the God of Israel, and for that reason, we are not able to touch them.

New American Bible
these all remonstrated with the community, “We have sworn to them by the LORD, the God of Israel, and so we cannot harm them.

New Revised Standard Version
But all the leaders said to all the congregation, “We have sworn to them by the LORD, the God of Israel, and now we must not touch them.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
But the princes said to the congregation, We have sworn to them by the LORD God of Israel; now therefore we cannot harm them.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And the Princes of the assembly were saying : “We swore to them by LORD JEHOVAH the God of Israel, therefore we cannot harm them
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
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.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And the princes said to all the congregation: We have sworn to them by the Lord God of Israel, and now we shall not be able to touch them.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Deceit of the Gibeonites
18But the Israelites did not attack them, because the leaders of the congregation had sworn an oath to them by the LORD, the God of Israel. And the whole congregation grumbled against the leaders. 19All the leaders answered, “We have sworn an oath to them by the LORD, the God of Israel, and now we cannot touch them. 20This is how we will treat them: We will let them live, so that no wrath will fall on us because of the oath we swore to them.”…

Cross References
Numbers 30:2
If a man makes a vow to the LORD or swears an oath to obligate himself by a pledge, he must not break his word; he must do everything he has promised.

Deuteronomy 23:21-23
If you make a vow to the LORD your God, do not be slow to keep it, because He will surely require it of you, and you will be guilty of sin. / But if you refrain from making a vow, you will not be guilty of sin. / Be careful to follow through on what comes from your lips, because you have freely vowed to the LORD your God with your own mouth.

Ecclesiastes 5:4-5
When you make a vow to God, do not delay in fulfilling it, because He takes no pleasure in fools. Fulfill your vow. / It is better not to vow than to make a vow and not fulfill it.

Psalm 15:4
who despises the vile but honors those who fear the LORD, who does not revise a costly oath,

Judges 11:35
As soon as Jephthah saw her, he tore his clothes and said, “No! Not my daughter! You have brought me to my knees! You have brought great misery upon me, for I have given my word to the LORD and cannot take it back.”

2 Samuel 21:1-2
During the reign of David there was a famine for three successive years, and David sought the face of the LORD. And the LORD said, “It is because of the blood shed by Saul and his family, because he killed the Gibeonites.” / 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 Samuel 14:24-28
Now the men of Israel were in distress that day, for Saul had placed the troops under an oath, saying, “Cursed is the man who eats any food before evening, before I have taken vengeance on my enemies.” So none of the troops tasted any food. / Then all the troops entered the forest, and there was honey on the ground. / And when they entered the forest and saw the flowing honey, not one of them put his hand to his mouth, because they feared the oath. ...

2 Kings 12:15
No accounting was required from the men who received the money to pay the workmen, because they acted with integrity.

2 Chronicles 6:22-23
When a man sins against his neighbor and is required to take an oath, and he comes to take an oath before Your altar in this temple, / then may You hear from heaven and act. May You judge Your servants, condemning the wicked man by bringing down on his own head what he has done, and justifying the righteous man by rewarding him according to his righteousness.

Ezekiel 17:18-19
He despised the oath by breaking the covenant. Seeing that he gave his hand in pledge yet did all these things, he will not escape!’ / Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘As surely as I live, I will bring down upon his head My oath that he despised and My covenant that he broke.

Matthew 5:33-37
Again, you have heard that it was said to the ancients, ‘Do not break your oath, but fulfill your vows to the Lord.’ / But I tell you not to swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; / or by the earth, for it is His footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. ...

James 5:12
Above all, my brothers, do not swear, not by heaven or earth or by any other oath. Simply let your “Yes” be yes, and your “No,” no, so that you will not fall under judgment.

Romans 13:1-2
Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which is from God. The authorities that exist have been appointed by God. / Consequently, whoever resists authority is opposing what God has set in place, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.

Hebrews 6:16-18
Men swear by someone greater than themselves, and their oath serves as a confirmation to end all argument. / So when God wanted to make the unchanging nature of His purpose very clear to the heirs of the promise, He guaranteed it with an oath. / Thus by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be strongly encouraged.

Galatians 3:15
Brothers, let me put this in human terms. Even a human covenant, once it is ratified, cannot be canceled or amended.


Treasury of Scripture

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.

We have

Joshua 9:20
This we will do to them; we will even let them live, lest wrath be upon us, because of the oath which we sware unto them.

Ecclesiastes 8:2
I counsel thee to keep the king's commandment, and that in regard of the oath of God.

Ecclesiastes 9:2
All things come alike to all: there is one event to the righteous, and to the wicked; to the good and to the clean, and to the unclean; to him that sacrificeth, and to him that sacrificeth not: as is the good, so is the sinner; and he that sweareth, as he that feareth an oath.

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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














But all the leaders answered
This phrase indicates a collective response from the leaders of Israel. The Hebrew word for "leaders" here is "נְשִׂיאִים" (nasi'im), which refers to those in positions of authority and responsibility. In the context of ancient Israel, these leaders were expected to uphold the laws and commands of God, serving as representatives of the people's covenant relationship with Him. Their unified answer underscores the gravity of the situation and the importance of their decision-making process.

We have given them our oath
The concept of an "oath" in Hebrew is "שְׁבוּעָה" (shevu'ah), which is a solemn promise or vow made before God. In the ancient Near Eastern context, oaths were binding and sacred, often invoking divine witnesses to ensure their fulfillment. The leaders' acknowledgment of the oath highlights the seriousness with which they regarded their commitments, reflecting a deep understanding of the moral and spiritual implications of breaking such a vow.

by the LORD, the God of Israel
This phrase emphasizes the divine authority and sacredness of the oath. The use of "LORD" (YHWH) signifies the covenant name of God, reminding the Israelites of their unique relationship with Him. "The God of Israel" further reinforces this identity, as it denotes the God who chose Israel as His people and delivered them from Egypt. By invoking God's name, the leaders recognize that their oath is not merely a human agreement but a covenantal promise with divine accountability.

and now we cannot touch them
The phrase "cannot touch them" reflects the leaders' recognition of the inviolability of their oath. The Hebrew word for "touch" is "נָגַע" (naga'), which can imply harm or violation. In this context, it signifies the leaders' understanding that any action against the Gibeonites would constitute a breach of their solemn promise. This decision demonstrates their commitment to integrity and faithfulness, even when faced with the consequences of their earlier deception by the Gibeonites.

(19) We have sworn unto them . . . therefore we may not touch them.--Although the covenant was obtained from the Israelites by false pretences, yet, being made in the name of Jehovah, it could not be broken; it was His covenant. "He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not," is commended in Psalm 15:4. We should notice that the law of Jehovah had raised the tone of morality in this particular. There are many Christians who would not hesitate to repudiate an agreement concluded under false pretences.



Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
All
כָל־ (ḵāl)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

the leaders
הַנְּשִׂיאִים֙ (han·nə·śî·’îm)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 5387: An exalted one, a king, sheik, a rising mist

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

“We
אֲנַ֙חְנוּ֙ (’ă·naḥ·nū)
Pronoun - first person common plural
Strong's 587: We

have sworn an oath
נִשְׁבַּ֣עְנוּ (niš·ba‘·nū)
Verb - Nifal - Perfect - first person common plural
Strong's 7650: To seven oneself, swear

to them by the LORD,
בַּֽיהוָ֖ה (Yah·weh)
Preposition-b | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

the God
אֱלֹהֵ֣י (’ĕ·lō·hê)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative

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

and now
וְעַתָּ֕ה (wə·‘at·tāh)
Conjunctive waw | Adverb
Strong's 6258: At this time

we cannot
לֹ֥א (lō)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

touch
לִנְגֹּ֥עַ (lin·gō·a‘)
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 5060: To touch, lay the hand upon, to reach, violently, to strike

them.
בָּהֶֽם׃ (bā·hem)
Preposition | third person masculine plural
Strong's Hebrew


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OT History: Joshua 9:19 But all the princes said to all (Josh. Jos)
Joshua 9:18
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