The Meaning of Joshua 9:7 Explained

Joshua 9:7

KJV: And the men of Israel said unto the Hivites, Peradventure ye dwell among us; and how shall we make a league with you?

YLT: and the men of Israel say unto the Hivite, 'It may be in our midst ye are dwelling, and how do we make with thee a covenant?'

Darby: And the men of Israel said to the Hivite, Perhaps thou dwellest in the midst of us, and how should I make a covenant with thee?

ASV: And the men of Israel said unto the Hivites, Peradventure ye dwell among us; and how shall we make a covenant with you?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And the men  of Israel  said  unto the Hivites,  Peradventure  ye dwell  among  us; and how shall we make  a league  with you? 

What does Joshua 9:7 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 9:7 mean?

- Then said the men of Israel to the Hivite Perhaps among us you dwell so how - can we make with you a covenant
[ויאמרו] (וַיֹּ֥אמֶר) אִֽישׁ־ יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל אֶל־ הַחִוִּ֑י אוּלַ֗י בְּקִרְבִּי֙ אַתָּ֣ה יוֹשֵׁ֔ב וְאֵ֖יךְ [אכרות־] (אֶֽכְרָת־) לְךָ֥ בְרִֽית

[ויאמרו]  - 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: אֲבַד  
Sense: to perish, vanish.
(וַיֹּ֥אמֶר)  Then  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
אִֽישׁ־  the  men 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל  of  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
הַחִוִּ֑י  the  Hivite 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: חִוִּי  
Sense: 6th generation of descendants of Canaan, the son of Ham, who were living in northern Canaan near Mount Hermon at the time of the conquest.
אוּלַ֗י  Perhaps 
Parse: Adverb
Root: אוּלַי  
Sense: perhaps, peradventure.
בְּקִרְבִּי֙  among  us 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: קֶרֶב  
Sense: midst, among, inner part, middle.
יוֹשֵׁ֔ב  dwell 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: יָשַׁב 
Sense: to dwell, remain, sit, abide.
וְאֵ֖יךְ  so  how 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Interjection
Root: אֵיךְ 
Sense: how? interj.
[אכרות־]  - 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, first person common singular
(אֶֽכְרָת־)  can  we  make 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, first person common singular
Root: כָּרַת  
Sense: to cut, cut off, cut down, cut off a body part, cut out, eliminate, kill, cut a covenant.
לְךָ֥  with  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine singular
Root: כָּרַת  
Sense: to cut, cut off, cut down, cut off a body part, cut out, eliminate, kill, cut a covenant.
בְרִֽית  a  covenant 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: בְּרִית  
Sense: covenant, alliance, pledge.