Joshua 9:27

Jos 9:27 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.

Ver. 27. For the congregation.] To do those works belonging to God’s service, which otherwise the people should have done. Ut lignatores essent et lixae.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Jos 9:27. And for the altar of the Lord — By which it appears, that they were not only to do this service in God’s house, but upon all other occasions, as the congregation needed their help.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

That is, for the service of the Temple, as verse 23.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

hewers of wood and drawers of water--The menials who performed the lowest offices and drudgery in the sanctuary; whence they were called Nethinims (Ch1 9:2; Ezr 2:43; Ezr 8:20); that is, given, appropriated. Their chastisement thus brought them into the possession of great religious privileges (Psa 84:10).

Next: Joshua Chapter 10

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

27. made them that day] It is deserving of notice that the Gibeonites never appear to have betrayed their trust, or enticed Israel into idolatry.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And Joshua made them that day,.... Constituted and appointed them, ordered and settled them, in the post and office after mentioned; or "gave" them (u); hence some think they had the name Nethinim, persons given to the Levites for the service of the sanctuary: namely, to be

hewers of wood and drawers of water for the congregation, and for the altar of the Lord; some think they were employed both for the service of the congregation, when they wanted wood and water, and for the altar, and what belonged to it, that needed both. Abarbinel supposes that they served the congregation while they were engaged in war, and subduing the land, but after the division of the land they only served the sanctuary; See Gill on Jos 9:21,

even unto this day in the place which he should choose; to have the tabernacle pitched, and the altar set up therein, as it was in various places, before the temple built by Solomon at Jerusalem, which was the place the Lord chose; and this shows that the writer of this book lived before the building of the temple, or otherwise it, is highly probable he would have expressly mentioned it; whereas he uses only the phrase that Moses frequently expressed it by in his time; see Deu 12:5.

(u) "deditque eos", Montanus. Vatablus, Drusius.

Next: Joshua Chapter 10

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Chosen in the tabernacle and temple. (Menochius) --- In these Gabaonites, of the race of Chanaan, the prediction of Noe, that he should serve Sem, was fulfilled, Genesis ix. (Worthington)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

By which it appears that they were not only to do this service in God’s house, but upon all other occasions, as the congregation needed or required their help.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

27. [Joshua made them — Rather, as the margin, gave them; that is, appointed them to the service named. Jewish tradition and most commentators agree that these Gibeonites, thus given to perform the menial service of the sanctuary, were the original caste or order who in later times were known as the Nethinim, that is, the given ones. See 1Ch_9:2; Ezr_2:43; Ezr_8:20, notes.]

For the congregation, and for the altar — They were never to be required to render personal service, nor to be employed for private purposes.

In the place which he should choose — Here is strong incidental evidence that the sanctuary had not, at the time this history was written, been permanently established at Jerusalem.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And for the altar (see note on ver. 21). In the place which he should choose. This phrase, and especially the use of the imperfect tense, implies that Solomon"s temple was not yet built. The ark of God, and the tabernacle which contained it, had several resting places before its final deposition in the temple. (see note on Jos_24:1) And the grammatical construction just referred to also implies that there was more than one place. It is also clear, from the language of 2Sa_21:1-6, that this narrative was already in existence when that chapter was penned. It is equally clear that the author of this passage knew nothing of that (see Introduction).

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The altar of the Lord - By which appears, that they were not only to do this service in God's house, but upon all other occasions, as the congregation needed their help.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.