The Meaning of Joshua 9:6 Explained

Joshua 9:6

KJV: 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.

YLT: 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;'

Darby: And they went to Joshua unto the camp at Gilgal, and said to him, and to the men of Israel, From a far country are we come; and now make a covenant with us.

ASV: 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.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Joshua 9:6 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 9:6 mean?

And they went to Joshua the camp at Gilgal and said to him and to the men of Israel from a country far we have come and therefore make with us a covenant
וַיֵּלְכ֧וּ אֶל־ יְהוֹשֻׁ֛עַ הַֽמַּחֲנֶ֖ה הַגִּלְגָּ֑ל וַיֹּאמְר֨וּ אֵלָ֜יו וְאֶל־ אִ֣ישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל מֵאֶ֤רֶץ רְחוֹקָה֙ בָּ֔אנוּ וְעַתָּ֖ה כִּרְתוּ־ לָ֥נוּ בְרִֽית

וַיֵּלְכ֧וּ  And  they  went 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
יְהוֹשֻׁ֛עַ  Joshua 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יְהֹושֻׁעַ  
Sense: son of Nun of the tribe of Ephraim and successor to Moses as the leader of the children of Israel; led the conquest of Canaan.
הַֽמַּחֲנֶ֖ה  the  camp 
Parse: Article, Noun, common singular
Root: מַחֲנֶה  
Sense: encampment, camp.
הַגִּלְגָּ֑ל  at  Gilgal 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: גִּלְגָּל 
Sense: the first site of an Israelite camp west of the Jordan, east of Jericho, here Samuel was judge, and Saul was made king; later used for illicit worship.
וַיֹּאמְר֨וּ  and  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
אֵלָ֜יו  to  him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
וְאֶל־  and  to 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
אִ֣ישׁ  the  men 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל  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.
מֵאֶ֤רֶץ  from  a  country 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
רְחוֹקָה֙  far 
Parse: Adjective, feminine singular
Root: רָחֹוק  
Sense: remote, far, distant, distant lands, distant ones.
בָּ֔אנוּ  we  have  come 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common plural
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
וְעַתָּ֖ה  and  therefore 
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.