Bible Strands
Joshua 9:17
So the Israelites set out and on the third day arrived at their cities—Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath-jearim.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Joshua 9:17 records the Israelite army's movement toward the Gibeonite towns immediately after discovering their true identity as Canaanite neighbors. The narrative shifts from the treaty negotiation to the physical transit of the camp.
The words — The Hebrew verbs וַיִּסְעוּ (va.yisū) and וַיָּבֹאוּ (va.yāḇōʾū) mark the sequential departure and arrival. The phrase בְּנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל (bənê-yiśrāʾēl) explicitly identifies the traveling party as the people of Israel.
The thread — These four cities reappear in Joshua 18:25 as part of Benjamin’s territorial allotment and in Ezra 2:25 as homes of returning exiles. Joshua 10:2 also cites Gibeon as a fortified center that provoked the southern coalition's alarm.
Why it lands — The verse documents the logistical fulfillment of the journey before the oath restricts military action. It presents the reader with the immediate tension between a sworn covenant and the practical reality of sharing territory with former adversaries.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
And the children of Israel journeyed, and came unto their cities on the third day. Now their cities were Gibeon, and Chephirah, and Beeroth, and Kirjath–jearim.
Cross-references
- Joshua 18:25 Gibeon, Ramah, Beeroth,
- Ezra 2:25 the men of Kiriath-jearim, Chephirah, and Beeroth, 743;
- Joshua 10:2 So Adoni-zedek and his people were greatly alarmed, because Gibeon was a great city, like one of the royal cities; it was larger than Ai, and all its men were mighty.
- Joshua 15:9 From the hilltop the border curved to the spring of the Waters of Nephtoah, proceeded to the cities of Mount Ephron, and then bent around toward Baalah (that is, Kiriath-jearim).
- Joshua 15:60 Kiriath-baal (that is, Kiriath-jearim), and Rabbah—two cities, along with their villages.
- Joshua 18:14 On the west side the border curved southward from the hill facing Beth-horon on the south and came out at Kiriath-baal (that is, Kiriath-jearim), a city of the sons of Judah. This was the western side.
- 1 Samuel 7:1 Then the men of Kiriath-jearim came for the ark of the LORD and took it into Abinadab’s house on the hill. And they consecrated his son Eleazar to guard the ark of the LORD.
- 1 Chronicles 13:5 So David assembled all Israel, from the River Shihor in Egypt to Lebo-hamath, to bring the ark of God from Kiriath-jearim.
- 1 Chronicles 21:29 For the tabernacle of the LORD that Moses had made in the wilderness and the altar of burnt offering were presently at the high place in Gibeon,
- 2 Chronicles 1:3 And Solomon and the whole assembly went to the high place at Gibeon because it was the location of God’s Tent of Meeting, which Moses the servant of the LORD had made in the wilderness.