DAWN
Daily Arts Web Nucleus
Discover the Arts! Each day a different image from the Literary, Performing, or Visual Arts representing a portion of Scripture plus an explanation with links and a discussion forum 2014 April 25
Image 1: Landscape with Woodcutters and Two Horsemen (1720s)
Marco Ricci (1676-1730)
Italian Baroque Style
Gallerie dell'Accademia, Venice, Italy
Image Credit: Web Gallery of Art
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Image 2: Landscape with a Child Overturning Wine (1604-1605)
Domenichino (Domenico Zampieri) - (1581-1641)
Italian Baroque Style
Musee du Louvre, Paris, France
Image Credit: Web Gallery of Art
Explanation: The paintings above depict the fate of the Gibeonites -- to be cutters of wood and drawers of water for the House of the LORD, perpetually.
The focus of Joshua 9 is the Gibeonite trickery by which they avoided war with Israel. When the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, heard of the overthrow of Bethel and Ai they gathered against Israel (1-2). But one group of Hivites, the Gibeonites, came to Joshua pretending to be from far away and asking for an alliance. At first Joshua was suspicious that they might be living nearby, but they persuaded him otherwise; and he and the princes of Israel concluded a peace treaty with the Gibeonites (3-15). Three days later the Israelites heard that the Gibeonites were their neighbors. So the Israelites came to see their cities -- Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kirjathjearim. But, in spite of outrage about the deception within Israel, the treaty was binding. So the princes declared that they would make them hewers of wood and drawers of water for the congregation (16-21). Joshua then gathered the Gibeonites and remonstrated with them for their deception, pronouncing upon them a curse of being slaves to the Israelites to cut wood and draw water for the house of the LORD. The Gibeonites accepted these terms out of the fear of the LORD and of Joshua. They served in this capacity until the day this portion of the text was written [c. 1380 B.C.] -- see previous discussion (22-27). According to many scholars, the Gibeonites continued among the Israelites serving the temple even after the Babylonian Exile [which ended in 536 B.C.], being then part of a group of other Temple servants called the Nethinim. See 1 Chronicles 9:2; Ezra 2:43; and Ezra 8:20.
Joshua 9
1 And it came to pass, when all the kings which were on this side Jordan, in the hills, and in the valleys, and in all the coasts of the great sea over against Lebanon, the Hittite, and the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, heard thereof;
2 That they gathered themselves together, to fight with Joshua and with Israel, with one accord.
3 And when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done unto Jericho and to Ai,
4 They did work wilily, and went and made as if they had been ambassadors, and took old sacks upon their asses, and wine bottles, old, and rent, and bound up;
5 And old shoes and clouted upon their feet, and old garments upon them; and all the bread of their provision was dry and mouldy.
6 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.
7 And the men of Israel said unto the Hivites, Peradventure ye dwell among us; and how shall we make a league with you?
8 And they said unto Joshua, We are thy servants. And Joshua said unto them, Who are ye? and from whence come ye?
9 And they said unto him, From a very far country thy servants are come because of the name of the LORD thy God: for we have heard the fame of him, and all that he did in Egypt,
10 And all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites, that were beyond Jordan, to Sihon king of Heshbon, and to Og king of Bashan, which was at Ashtaroth.
11 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.
12 This our bread we took hot for our provision out of our houses on the day we came forth to go unto you; but now, behold, it is dry, and it is mouldy:
13 And these bottles of wine, which we filled, were new; and, behold, they be rent: and these our garments and our shoes are become old by reason of the very long journey.
14 And the men took of their victuals, and asked not counsel at the mouth of the LORD.
15 And Joshua made peace with them, and made a league with them, to let them live: and the princes of the congregation sware unto them.
16 And it came to pass at the end of three days after they had made a league with them, that they heard that they were their neighbours, and that they dwelt among them.
17 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 Kirjathjearim.
18 And the children of Israel smote them not, because the princes of the congregation had sworn unto them by the LORD God of Israel. And all the congregation murmured against the princes.
19 But all the princes said unto all the congregation, We have sworn unto them by the LORD God of Israel: now therefore we may not touch them.
20 This we will do to them; we will even let them live, lest wrath be upon us, because of the oath which we sware unto them.
21 And the princes said unto them, Let them live; but let them be hewers of wood and drawers of water unto all the congregation; as the princes had promised them.
22 And Joshua called for them, and he spake unto them, saying, Wherefore have ye beguiled us, saying, We are very far from you; when ye dwell among us?
23 Now therefore ye are cursed, and there shall none of you be freed from being bondmen, and hewers of wood and drawers of water for the house of my God.
24 And they answered Joshua, and said, Because it was certainly told thy servants, how that the LORD thy God commanded his servant Moses to give you all the land, and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land from before you, therefore we were sore afraid of our lives because of you, and have done this thing.
25 And now, behold, we are in thine hand: as it seemeth good and right unto thee to do unto us, do.
26 And so did he unto them, and delivered them out of the hand of the children of Israel, that they slew them not.
27 And Joshua made them that day hewers of wood and drawers of water for the congregation, and for the altar of the LORD, even unto this day, in the place which he should choose.
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