Josh. ix. 3, 4, &seq. In the year of the World 2553, before J. C. 1447, before the Vulgar Æra 1451.GIBEON, the capital City of the Gibeonites, who took the advantage of Joshua’s oath and of that which the Elders of Israel likewise swore to them, upon an artificial representation which they made of their belonging to a very remote country, and their desire of making an alliance with the Hebrews. Joshua and the Elders had not the precaution to consult God upon this affair; and too inconsiderately entred into a league with these people: but they soon discovered their mistake; and sending for the Gibeonites, reproached them with their fraud; and without revoking the promise which they had made to them, of giving them their Lives, they condemned them to carry wood and water to the Tabernacle of the Lord, as slaves and captives taken in war; in which state of servitude they remained till the ruin and intire dispersion of the Jewish nation.
Josh. x. 3. &c.Three days after, the Kings of the Canaanties being informed, that the Gibeonites had surrendred to the Hebrews, came and besieged the City of Gibeon. The Gibeonites perceiving that they were not strong enough to resist five Kings, who at once attacked them; for Adoni-zedek King of Jerusalem, Hoham King of Hebron, Piram King of Jarmuth, Japhia King of Lachish, and Debir King of Eglon, were before their City with their armies: they came to Joshua, and desired speedy help from him against these five Princes. Joshua marched all night with the choice of all the troops of Israel, attacked the five Kings early in the morning, put them to flight, and pursued them as far as the descent to Bethoron. At that time God caused a shower of stones to fall upon them, which destroyed great numbers of them; and Joshua, fearing lest the night might deprive him of part of those advantages which might follow from this victory, begged of God to retard the course of the Sun and Moon, saying, Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon, and thou Moon in the valley of Ajalon. God heard the voice of Joshua, the Sun and Moon stop’d, and so long a day was never seen. Joshua therefore, and the people of Israel had full leisure to pursue and kill their enemies.
The five Kings were taken, and shut up in a cave, till Joshua, and the people returned from pursuing their enemies. After which they were executed, and hung upon five Gibbets, upon which they remained till the Evening. We do not here enlarge upon this miracle wrought by Joshua, so as to satisfy all the questions, which may be formed concerning it. They, who please, may consult our Dissertation on this Subject prefixed to our Comment upon Joshua.
The Gibeonites were descended from the Hivites, the old inhabitants of that Country, and possessed four cities, whereof Gibeon was the Capital. The Cities were Chephirah, Beeroth, Kirjath-jearim, and Gibeon, which were afterwards given to the Tribe of Benjamin, excepting Kirjath-jearim, which fell to the lot of the Tribe of Judah. The Gibeonites continued ever after subject to those burthens, which Joshua had imposed upon them, and were very faithful to the Israelites. Nevertheless, Saul, through what mistaken zeal we cannot tell, destroyed a very great number of 2 Sam. xxi. 1,2,3, &c.them; imagining perhaps, that it was his duty to extirpate all Remains of the Canaanites out of the land; but God as a punishment of this cruelty, in the reign of David sent a great famine, which made all the country desolate, and lasted three years. David touched with the misfortunes In the year of the World 2983, before J. C. 1017, before the Vulgar Æra 1021.of his people, addressed himself to God; and the Prophets told him, that this calamity would continue as long as that cruelty remained unrevenged, which Saul had exercised against the Gibeonites, to the prejudice of that treaty which Joshua and the Princes of the people had made with them, and confirm’d by oath. Whereupon David asked the Gibeonites, what satisfaction they desired? They answered, Let us have seven of Saul’s sons, whom we will put to death, in order to revenge the blood of our brethren. David therefore delivered up to them, the two sons of Saul by Rizpah, and five sons of Merab the daughter of Saul and Adriel. The Gibeonites crucified them before the Lord. This execution happened in the beginning of spring, when in Palestine they set about the cutting of their barley. Rizpah, the concubine of Saul, continued near the dead bodies, and lay down by them, guarding them from the birds of the air, and all voracious animals, from the beginning of the harvest; till God being appeased by this sacrifice, sent rain upon the earth, and restored it to its fertility.
From this time there is no more mention of the Gibeonites, as composing a sort of separate people. But we are of opinion that they were to be understood by the 1 Chr. ix. 2.word Nethinims, or given, who were publick slaves appointed for the service of the Temple. Afterwards those of the Canaanites, who were subdued, and had their Lives spared, were added to the Ezra viii. 20. Ib. ii. 58. 1 Kings ix. 20, 21.Gibeonites. We see from Scripture, that David, Solomon, and the Princes of Judah gave a good number of them to the Lord, that these Nethinims being carried into captivity with the Tribe of Judah, and the Levites, many of them returned with Ezra, Zorobabel, and Nehemiah, and that after the Captivity they continued as before in the service of the Temple, under the orders of the Priests and Levites1.
Gibeon was seated on an eminence, as is evidenced by its name. It was forty furlongs from Jerusalem, according2to Josephus; that is to say, about two leagues from this city, northward. It is called Gabaa, 2 Sam. v. 25. compared with 1 Chr. xiv. 16. 2 Sam. ii. 13. Joseph. l. 2. de Bello, c. 24.Gabaa and Gibeon have the same literal signification. In some parts of the Scripture there is mention made of the fountain and pool of Gibeon. We neither know when, nor by whom, nor upon what occasion the Tabernacle and Altar of Burnt-sacrifices, which were made by Moses in the wilderness, were removed 1 Chr. xxi. 29, 30.to Gibeon; but this we certainly know, that towards the end of David’s reign, and in the beginning of Solomon’s, they were there. David having seen the Angel of the Lord at Araunah’s threshing-floor, was so terrified, that he had not strength to go so far as Gibeon, there to offer his sacrifice. But Solomon being seated on the throne of David, went to sacrifice at Gibeon; because this was the most considerable of all the high places in the country, where sacrifices were then tolerated, because the Temple was not as yet built.
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