Joshua 9:23

Joshua 9:23 Meaning and Explanation

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.

King James Version (KJV)

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Joshua pronounces their lasting role as servants for the house of God.

What Does Joshua 9:23 Mean?

Joshua pronounces the consequence of the deception: the Gibeonites will remain bondmen, serving as hewers of wood and drawers of water for the house of my God. Their place is fixed, yet it is bound to the worship of the Lord.

There is a striking grace hidden within this judgment. The very people who lied their way into Israel are now drawn into the service of God's sanctuary, given an enduring place near His house. The verse hints at a larger pattern in Scripture, where those once outside are brought near, and even a consequence becomes a path into the presence of God.

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What does Joshua 9:23 mean?

Joshua pronounces their lasting role as servants for the house of God.

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