The Meaning of Joshua 9:11 Explained

Joshua 9:11

KJV: Wherefore our elders and all the inhabitants of our country spake to us, saying, Take victuals with you for the journey, and go to meet them, and say unto them, We are your servants: therefore now make ye a league with us.

YLT: And our elders, and all the inhabitants of our land speak unto us, saying, Take in your hand provision for the way, and go to meet them, and ye have said unto them, Your servants we are, and now, make with us a covenant;

Darby: And our elders and all the inhabitants of our country spoke to us, saying, Take victuals in your hand for the way, and go to meet them, and say to them, We are your servants, and now make a covenant with us.

ASV: And our elders and all the inhabitants of our country spake to us, saying, Take provision in your hand for the journey, and go to meet them, and say unto them, We are your servants: and now make ye a covenant with us.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Wherefore our elders  and all the inhabitants  of our country  spake  to us, saying,  Take  victuals  with you  for the journey,  and go  to meet  them, and say  unto them, We [are] your servants:  therefore now make  ye a league  with us. 

What does Joshua 9:11 Mean?

Context Summary

Joshua 9:1-15 - Deceived By The Gibeonites
The presence of common peril forced the nations of Canaan to combine for self-preservation. Would that the various sections of the visible Church might see their way to a similar policy in view of the evil in the world!
Gibeon lay five miles north of Jerusalem. The name means "built on a hill." The Church has suffered more from the wiles of the devil than from his attacks. The deceitfulness of sin is most to be dreaded. Better to meet Caiaphas than Judas, and a black devil than a white one.
How often we act without asking the counsel of God! Yet when once an oath is taken which does not absolutely conflict with morality, God holds us to it, 2 Samuel 21:1. By this impressive instance we are taught to wait on God before making our decisions, which are apt to become irrevocable, Psalms 127:2. [source]

Chapter Summary: Joshua 9

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

What do the individual words in Joshua 9:11 mean?

Therefore spoke to us our elders and all the inhabitants of our country saying take with you provisions for the journey and go to meet them and say to them your servants we [are] therefore now make with us a covenant
וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ אֵלֵ֡ינוּ זְֽקֵינֵינוּ֩ וְכָל־ יֹשְׁבֵ֨י אַרְצֵ֜נוּ לֵאמֹ֗ר קְח֨וּ בְיֶדְכֶ֤ם צֵידָה֙ לַדֶּ֔רֶךְ וּלְכ֖וּ לִקְרָאתָ֑ם וַאֲמַרְתֶּ֤ם אֲלֵיהֶם֙ עַבְדֵיכֶ֣ם אֲנַ֔חְנוּ וְעַתָּ֖ה כִּרְתוּ־ לָ֥נוּ בְרִֽית

וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ  Therefore  spoke 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
אֵלֵ֡ינוּ  to  us 
Parse: Preposition, first person common plural
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
זְֽקֵינֵינוּ֩  our  elders 
Parse: Adjective, masculine plural construct, first person common plural
Root: זָקֵן  
Sense: old.
וְכָל־  and  all 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
יֹשְׁבֵ֨י  the  inhabitants 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural construct
Root: יָשַׁב 
Sense: to dwell, remain, sit, abide.
אַרְצֵ֜נוּ  of  our  country 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, first person common plural
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
לֵאמֹ֗ר  saying 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
קְח֨וּ  take 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: יָקַח 
Sense: to take, get, fetch, lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire, buy, bring, marry, take a wife, snatch, take away.
בְיֶדְכֶ֤ם  with  you 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct, second person masculine plural
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
צֵידָה֙  provisions 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: צֵידָה  
Sense: provision, food.
לַדֶּ֔רֶךְ  for  the  journey 
Parse: Preposition-l, Article, Noun, common singular
Root: דֶּרֶךְ  
Sense: way, road, distance, journey, manner.
וּלְכ֖וּ  and  go 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
לִקְרָאתָ֑ם  to  meet  them 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct, third person masculine plural
Root: קָרָא  
Sense: to encounter, befall, meet.
וַאֲמַרְתֶּ֤ם  and  say 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine plural
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
אֲלֵיהֶם֙  to  them 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine plural
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
עַבְדֵיכֶ֣ם  your  servants 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine plural
Root: עֶבֶד  
Sense: slave, servant.
אֲנַ֔חְנוּ  we  [are] 
Parse: Pronoun, first person common plural
Root: אֲנַחְנוּ  
Sense: we (first pers.
וְעַתָּ֖ה  therefore  now 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb
Root: עַתָּה  
Sense: now.
כִּרְתוּ־  make 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: כָּרַת  
Sense: to cut, cut off, cut down, cut off a body part, cut out, eliminate, kill, cut a covenant.
לָ֥נוּ  with  us 
Parse: Preposition, first person common plural
בְרִֽית  a  covenant 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: בְּרִית  
Sense: covenant, alliance, pledge.