And when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and to Ai,
The kings of Canaan answer Israel's victories at Jericho and Ai by massing their armies together. Gibeon hears the same news and takes another road: craft instead of force. That trick succeeds where the armies of Canaan fail.
Gibeon was one of four Hivite cities. Its leaders decided to fight in a different way from their neighbours.
Among these combined peoples were the Hivites. They had four cities — Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kirjath-jearim. The heads of these cities took counsel together. Others of their nation reached for the sword, but these men used a trick to get what they wanted — "they acted cunningly."
Commentators see this split in the enemy camp as a picture of two kinds of attack a believer faces.
But the Gibeonites set to work in their own way. If most of the nations trusted to force, the Gibeonites turned to crafty scheming. There we may see pictured the schemes of the devil... The letter to the Ephesians gives us divine authority for this solemn fact: we need the whole armour of God to resist two things. One is the power of Satan. The other is the schemes of the devil.
The verse names the report that reached Gibeon: news of judgment already falling. That is not the report that reached Rahab.
The Gibeonites had heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai; that is, they heard of judgment in the land, after Israel had crossed the Jordan. Rahab had heard what the Lord had done at the Red Sea and in the wilderness (see Joshua 2:10; Joshua 9:3). But this makes a great difference. It is easy to be gracious when pain comes upon us: but such graciousness is not of faith, but of fear. It is natural, even necessary. The Gibeonites pretend that the same report which moved Rahab had moved them too (vv. 9, 10). But this was false, as verse 3 has already shown us. They sought Joshua for what they could get from him. They sought him for themselves, for the deliverance they now found they needed, since judgment had overtaken them.
When they stood in front of Joshua, they used God's name. But they never said what Rahab had said.
Notice that they did not speak like Rahab did, acknowledging the God of Israel as the true God... Then they brought in God's name, saying they had heard of His fame and of His victories in Egypt and over Sihon and Og.
Ai had already humbled Israel for fighting in their own strength. Here they fail a second time, in the same way.
Ai gave a sharp rebuke to Israel's vain confidence in their own might. At Gibeon their wisdom proved just as foolish, for there too they forgot to seek counsel from God. Trusting themselves, they let circumstances deceive them and make an alliance that is not according to the expressed will of God... How easily they fell into the trap! Even a little close questioning would have exposed the true character of the Gibeonites. If they really lived as far away as the mouldy bread and the torn wineskins pretended, they had no reason to fear Israel.
Deception is no excuse.
Do we think Israel was not to blame, since the Gibeonites deceived them? Think again. If they had taken the matter to God, would they have been fooled? No! If we are in proper communion with the Lord, we shall not be deceived, for the Lord is not deceived.
Israel's blunder is not the whole story. In the end the Gibeonites plead nothing and put themselves in Joshua's hands.
God overruled their folly. He used it to show mercy to those who trembled at His word, even though they belonged to the accursed race of Canaan. That is a most blessed truth... The Gibeonites also show the true position of a repentant soul, for they bow to the sentence of death... They do not plead the alliance. They surrender with no conditions: "Behold, we are in your hand; do to us as it seems good and right in your sight." ... On one side Israel curses the Gibeonite; on the other the Gibeonite submits, content to be whatever Joshua decides. Over both stands the picture of God's mercy to a self-judging sinner.
- Heard. Rahab heard of the Red Sea and the wilderness. Gibeon heard of judgment already falling in the land. Same God, very different news.
- Feared. The report produced dread, not faith. It is easy to be gracious when pain comes, but that is natural; it is not faith.
- Schemed. Other Canaanite kings gathered swords; Gibeon's four cities chose cunning. Christians need the whole armour of God against both — raw power and quiet scheming.
- Fell. Israel lost this round through neglect, not weakness. A little close questioning, or one turn to God for counsel, would have exposed the whole story.
- Spared. Even so, God turned the failure into mercy — toward people who bowed to the sentence of death and asked for no terms.
then they also acted with craft, and they went prepared as on a journey, and took old sacks upon their asses, and wine-flasks, old and rent and tied up;
The Canaanite kings had just joined forces to fight Israel head-on, but one group tried something else: worn-out sacks, torn wineskins, and a tale of a long journey. Here the war changes weapons, and it raises a hard question — why were God's people, fresh from victory, so easy to fool?
Gibeon was one of the Canaanite cities in that alliance. Its leaders chose a different road to the same goal.
Among these allied peoples were the Hivites. They had four cities: Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kirjath-jearim. The heads of these cities planned together. Others of their nation reached for the sword, but these men used a trick to get what they wanted — they "acted with cunning."
Commentators read this switch as a picture of how the enemy of God's people works on two fronts.
If most of the nations trusted to force, the Gibeonites turned to crafty planning. There we may see pictured the schemes of the devil. This represents at least some of them. The letter to the Ephesians gives us divine authority for a solemn fact. We need the whole armour of God to resist two things: the power of Satan on one side, and the schemes of the devil on the other.
One writer warns that the quiet attack does more damage than the open one.
But let Christians beware when the Enemy comes disguised as an angel of light. He speaks smooth and flattering words, and, as in our day, he argues religiously. Satan sows his weeds while men sleep. He has won more that way than by all the strength he lines up to crush God's people. When he fails to crush, he tries to corrupt: such are his tactics.
Everything the Gibeonites loaded onto their donkeys was chosen to say one thing: we have come a very long way.
The inhabitants of Gibeon clearly saw that they would not be able to defeat Israel, so they sent men posing as ambassadors from a far country, having old sacks on their donkeys, old wineskins torn and mended, old and patched sandals, wearing old garments, and with dry and mouldy food.
The pull of worn and ancient-looking things is not limited to Israel's elders.
These ambassadors made a good impression on the elders of Israel. They carried the outward signs of a long journey, and their credentials looked ancient. People who seem to come from a distance often hold a strange power over God's people. They get a hearing that others would deny them if they knew them better. Everyone knows the strange pull of things that look ancient, prized just for seeming old. Things seen as "old," things worn out, "torn and mended," win reverence or superstition from the mind. Far too often no one asks, "Are these things true?"
The same writer takes each worn item as a picture of something that has lost its freshness.
Let the saints beware of "dry and mouldy" bread, for stale food is not what God provides for His children. Torn wineskins have let the wine run out. They are like teaching and preaching that keeps only the memory of a glad past, with joy in the Holy Spirit gone. Patched-up garments only show that they have served their day and should be discarded. God's messengers have feet fitted with the readiness the gospel of peace gives. The longest journey never wears them out.
Their story was not all false, and that was the skill in it.
Satan has great skill in mixing lies with truth, and these Hivites were skilful men. They had heard of the fame of the Lord, and of the mighty kings Sihon and Og, whom Israel killed. That part was true. But their credentials, their mouldy bread, their torn and empty wineskins, and their old clothes — every one of them was a lie. Flattery defeats more saints than the sword does. Where fierce opposition wins over its tens, smooth words win over thousands.
The disguise was clever, but nobody tested it. Israel had already been humbled once at Ai for trusting their own strength.
Israel's confidence in their own might was sharply rebuked at Ai. In the matter of Gibeon their wisdom proved just as foolish, for, as at Ai, they forgot to seek counsel from God. How easily they were trapped! A little close questioning would have exposed who the Gibeonites really were. Their mouldy bread and torn wineskins claimed they lived in a far-off country. If that were true, they had no reason to fear Israel... Their eagerness to form an alliance would have given them away to the wise of the world. But Israel stood in a place where, without wisdom from God, they would sink beneath the world's wisdom.
- Cunning, not combat. The other Canaanites reached for the sword. Gibeon's leaders reached for a trick, and it won where the sword failed.
- Corruption after crushing. When the enemy fails to crush God's people, he tries to corrupt them. He comes with smooth words and religious talk, not armies.
- Old equals true? Worn sacks, torn skins and patched sandals won respect just by looking old. Nobody asked the one question that mattered: "Is it true?"
- Half-truths carry lies. Their report of God's fame was true; their props were fakes. Mixing the two is the enemy's signature.
- One question missing. A few questions would have broken the story. Israel failed for lack of God's wisdom, not for lack of brains.
and old and patched sandals upon their feet, and old garments upon them; and all the bread of their provision was dry [and] mouldy.
The men of Gibeon lived nearby. Yet they walked into Israel's camp dressed as travellers worn down by a long road. They staged every detail of the outfit. The question the verse raises is not how they worked the trick, but why Israel never thought to check.
Older translations describe the sandals as "clouted," which simply describes their condition:
The shoes of the Gibeonites were 'patched' to deceive Joshua. Joshua 9:5.
Israel was not facing an army here. The Gibeonites mixed real facts with manufactured evidence, and the evidence is where the lie lived:
Satan has consummate skill in mixing lies with truth, and these Hivites were skilful men. They had heard the fame of Jehovah, and of the mighty kings Sihon and Og, killed by Israel — that was true. But their credentials, their mouldy bread, their torn and empty wineskins, and their old garments, every one of them were lies.
The disguise worked because worn, old-looking things carry a strange authority:
These ambassadors looked respectable to the elders of Israel. They wore outward signs of having come from far away, and their credentials looked ancient... Everyone knows the strange pull of things that look old, just because they look old. Things seen as "old," things worn out, "torn and mended," win the respect or superstition of the mind. Too often no one asks, "Are these things true?"... Few think to ask, "Are they genuine in the light of God's word?" Fewer still ask what these respected old things were when they were new. Old and mouldy things were once new and fresh.
Older translations call the crumbly bread "mouldy." The same writer turns each item into a warning:
Let the saints beware of "dry and mouldy" bread, for stale food is not what God provides for His children. Torn wineskins, with the wine run out, are like teaching and preaching that keep only the memory of a glad past. The joy in the Holy Spirit is gone. Patched-up garments only show that they have served their day and should be discarded. God's messengers have feet shod with the readiness given by the gospel of peace. The longest journey never wears them out.
Gibeon used a different weapon from open war:
But the enemy comes disguised as an angel of light. He speaks smooth and flattering words, and, as in our day, he argues religiously. Let Christians beware. Satan has won more successes by sowing his weeds while men sleep than by all his strength lined up to crush God's people. When he fails to crush, he tries to corrupt: these are his devices.
A second trap follows the first:
Here again there is a snare. When you have resisted an alliance, you are tempted to form one yourself. This is in one sense the place the Gibeonites took here... It was a question of being an Israelite and nothing but an Israelite.
Israel shared the strangers' food, and that settled the matter:
The bait had worked, the damage was done, and its effects lasted long. The men of Israel, who were not without fears at the start, allowed themselves to be trapped. If Joshua led, we must not be surprised that the rest followed. They "took of their provisions" — the sign of fellowship in its measure — and "did not ask counsel from the LORD."
Deception was no excuse. One question to God would have ended it:
If we think Israel was not to blame because they were deceived, let us think again. Had they taken the matter to God, would they have been deceived? No! If we are in proper communion with the Lord, we shall not be deceived, for the Lord is not deceived.
Notice who suspected the trick first — not the leaders:
To my mind this is painfully instructive. It was not Joshua who suspected the trick, nor the elders or princes of the congregation, but the men of Israel. How often simplicity is right where the best wisdom fails: God makes us feel our need of Himself... Men used to leading and ruling rarely listen to those used to obeying and following. It does not even seem natural. But in divine things those who despise the least must pay the penalty.
- Disguise: The patched sandals, worn clothes and crumbling food were props. Parts of their story were true; the evidence was fake.
- Appeal: Things that look old and worn borrow authority. Israel asked, "Is it old?" — never, "Is it true?"
- Tactic: When force fails, the enemy switches to flattery and disguise. He corrupts what he cannot crush.
- Failure: Israel shared the strangers' food but did not ask counsel from the LORD. Being fooled is no defence when one question would have settled it.
- Correction: Ordinary men in the ranks doubted first, not the leaders. Those who despise the least pay the penalty.
And they went to Joshua unto the camp at Gilgal, and said to him, and to the men of Israel, From a far country are we come; and now make a covenant with us.
Envoys from Gibeon arrive at Israel's camp with a single claim and a single request: distance, and a treaty. Everything turns on whether Israel would test that claim. They never did — and the place where they failed matters too.
The verse names where the envoys came: the camp at Gilgal. That place carried a meaning for Israel's whole campaign.
Gilgal was the place of circumcision. This place was to be the starting point for the army of the LORD before a single victory had been won. It was also to be the gathering place after victory, and again the starting point for fresh conquests. The judgment of the flesh was permanent. The people were to apply it to themselves continually. Otherwise the flesh would work to regain what it had lost, and a first victory would never be followed by a second.
The offer arrives right after the kings of the land join forces for war. One writer sees a plan behind that order: fear first, then a convenient way out.
Notice how Satan succeeds in making them lose the sense of dependence. He frightens them with something designed to strike terror into their hearts. It is the hatred of the world: an alliance of kings gathered for war. He begins by fixing their attention on this powerful force, ready to crush them. Then, without losing a moment, he offers them his own remedy: the inhabitants of Gibeon come to the camp at Gilgal... "Make a covenant with us," said the Gibeonites. What a good opportunity for Israel! "The enemy is in front of you," whispered Satan; "this would be a splendid way to overcome him."
Israel knew the command about the nations of Canaan. The claim of distance was aimed exactly at that knowledge, so that obedience seemed not to apply.
This naturally threw the children of Israel and Joshua off their guard. They knew perfectly well that the Canaanites were a doomed nation. God had called His people to have no peace with them, and it is important to see how well understood that was.
What they said was matched by what they left out. Their history stopped short of anything recent or nearby.
They talked of old times, and spoke of work and warfare in years gone by. They were eloquent about the LORD's wonders in Egypt forty years earlier, and about victories a long way from their homes on the other side of Jordan. In this way they disarmed him of suspicion. But these men had not a syllable to say about the work of God right at their doors at Jericho and Ai. This they kept at a careful distance.
The request was not for mercy but for partnership, and it came dressed in shared conviction.
The character of the Gibeonites, and their religious convictions, stand out strongly. But they are Canaanites in disguise: the world under an outward form of piety — the religious world. Up to this point Israel had been kept from seeking human help. But it was hard to resist those who claimed to have the same object and the same longings. Is it not a legitimate thing to form an alliance? We own the LORD, as you do, and if need arose we could work with you as your servants.
Their story had a hole in it, and the claim of distance was the hole.
Even a few close questions would have exposed the true character of the Gibeonites. Their mouldy bread and torn wineskins pretended they lived in a far-off country. If that were true, they had no reason to fear Israel... If they were outside the borders, why fear, and hurry to call themselves servants to Israel? Their eagerness to form an alliance would have betrayed them to the wise of the world.
Someone in the camp did hesitate — and it was not the leadership.
To my mind this is painfully instructive. It was not Joshua who suspected the trick, nor the elders or princes of the congregation, but the men of Israel. How often simplicity is right where the best wisdom fails.
The oath they swore held Israel to the treaty, and the cost came long after the men who made it were gone.
They make an alliance with the power of the world. They did not ask the LORD; otherwise they would have been kept from such a false position... The result was that Israel had to leave Gibeon standing, because of their oath. Misery came upon Israel centuries afterwards.
- Place — The offer came to the camp at Gilgal, the place Israel was meant to march out from and return to after every victory.
- Pressure — First the kings joined forces for war. Then came the friendly offer, as the easy escape from that fear.
- Pretence — The claim of a distant country dodged the one command Israel knew. Their praise of God skipped everything near and recent.
- Prudence — One question would have collapsed the story. The plainest men in the camp sensed it, and no one listened.
- Price — The oath held, so Gibeon stayed, and Israel paid for it for centuries.
And the men of Israel said to the Hivite, Perhaps thou dwellest in the midst of us, and how should I make a covenant with thee?
A delegation arrives at Gilgal with mouldy bread and torn wineskins, asking for a treaty. The doubt that could have saved the day comes from the ordinary men of Israel — not from Joshua, not from the princes. Their question is the right one. But they put it to the men in front of them instead of to God, and so it is lost.
The verse is careful about who spoke, and it was not the leadership.
To my mind this is painfully instructive. It was not Joshua who suspected the trick, nor the elders or princes of the congregation, but the men of Israel. How often simplicity is right where the best wisdom fails: God makes us feel our need of Himself... when God rouses a suspicion in a simple-minded man, the wise would do well to heed what the Lord would use to bring everyone to a right conclusion. But it was not heeded at this time. Men used to guiding and ruling rarely listen to those who are used to obeying and following. It does not even seem natural.
The verse names the visitors as Hivites, even while Israel believes their story. They were one of the peoples already settled in the land.
One of the races found early in Palestine: they were descendants of Ham through Canaan... They also held Gibeon, and found means to deceive Joshua into making a league with them. Joshua 9:3, 7. They seemed to be more a commercial than a warlike people.
Israel asked whether these men lived nearby. Commentators differ on who put the question; this writer gives it to Joshua. Either way, the reply changed the subject, and the follow-up fared no better.
"Perhaps you live among us; then how can we make a covenant with you?" Joshua said to these ambassadors. "We are your servants," they softly replied. "Who are you? And where do you come from?" Joshua asked further. Then they talked of old times, and spoke of work and warfare in years gone by... But these men had nothing to say about the work of God right at their doors at Jericho and Ai. They kept that at a careful distance.
Their own story, pressed even a little, would have collapsed.
Even a little close questioning would have exposed the true character of the Gibeonites. Their mouldy bread and torn wineskins pretended they came from a very distant country. If that were true, they had no reason to fear Israel... If they were beyond the borders, why fear, and why hurry to call themselves servants to Israel? Their eagerness to form an alliance would have given them away to the wise of the world.
Israel never carried this doubt to the One who could answer it. The blame lies there, not with the trickery.
If we think Israel was not to blame because they were deceived, then let us think again: if they had taken the matter to God, would they have been deceived? No! If we are in proper communion with the Lord, we shall not be deceived, for the Lord is not deceived.
Israel weighed the visitors' appearance. God had already ruled on the matter, whoever the visitors turned out to be.
"You shall make no covenant with them." Could anything be plainer than this? Could tattered garments, old shoes and mouldy bread change the meaning of God's command? Could they remove the congregation's urgent need for strict obedience? Certainly not... Suppose there are difficulties in the way. Suppose puzzling circumstances come before us — things we are not prepared for and cannot form a judgement about. What are we to do? Reason? Jump to conclusions? Act on our own judgement, or anyone else's? Certainly not. What then? Wait on God.
Israel's own words — "perhaps you live among us" — name the exact danger. A treaty made in God's name could not later be undone.
Satan can talk religiously as well as anyone; but he only deceives when we take the management into our own hands instead of consulting the Lord. They needed communion with Him to see that these were people of the country, enemies who did not dare to be enemies. Making peace with such people robs you of a victory... Israel had brought in the name of the Lord, and that name obliges His people to keep a lasting snare among them.
- Question — The plainest people in the camp raised the right doubt, not the leaders.
- Ignored — Those used to leading did not stop for those used to following, and paid for it.
- Deflected — Asked twice where they came from, the visitors talked of old victories. They never mentioned Jericho or Ai.
- Unasked — Israel put the doubt to the Gibeonites, not to God. Deception only succeeds where we skip His counsel.
- Kept — Israel swore in the Lord's name, so the treaty stood and the enemy stayed as a lasting snare.
And they said unto Joshua, We are thy servants. And Joshua said to them, Who are ye? and from whence come ye?
The Gibeonites have come to Israel's camp with a story about a far-off homeland. Their opening words to Joshua are the shortest and most disarming part of their speech. Joshua asks the right question and gets no answer. The real issue is not how clever the lie was, but why nobody tested it.
The Gibeonites chose the words "We are your servants" for effect. One writer shows how their whole approach flattered Israel's standing before God:
These men came, with all sorts of good intentions, seeking an alliance with the people of God, and openly admitting that Israel stood above them morally and spiritually. "We are your servants," they said to Joshua — words carefully chosen to win him over to their side. Last of all, they announce the power and fame of Israel's God, and what He had done in Egypt and the wilderness, though it is true that they say nothing about Canaan.
Joshua asks who they are and where they come from. They answer neither question, and reach instead for the one name most likely to settle it:
No doubt they felt it was dangerous to say more on such a delicate subject. So they said, "We are your servants." This again sounded honest. But when Joshua asked, "Who are you? And where do you come from?" they said to him, "From a very far country your servants have come, because of the name of the Lord your God." Here the shameless deceit of the enemy comes out in full. It was extraordinary to hear a Canaanite confess the name of the Lord. They knew well that this would weigh most with a man like Joshua. The man who values the name of the Lord most would be the most ready to welcome it where he least expected it.
Earlier in the book, Rahab had spoken about Israel's God too. One writer marks the difference:
Notice that they did not speak like Rahab did, acknowledging the God of Israel as the true God, and when Joshua pressed them as to who they were and where they came from, they gave no direct answer, but said again that they were from a very far country. Then they brought in God's name, saying they had heard of His fame and of His victories in Egypt and over Sihon and Og. The reports had only stirred up fear in their hearts, not faith as in Rahab's case.
The first suspicion about the strangers does not come from Joshua or from Israel's leaders:
To my mind this teaches a painful lesson. It was not Joshua who suspected the trick, nor the elders or princes of the assembly, but the men of Israel. How often the simple are right where the best wisdom fails: God makes us feel our need of Himself... It is rare, and it does not come naturally, for men used to guiding and ruling to listen to those who are used to obeying and following.
Nobody took the matter to God. Religious talk is no test, since the enemy can use it too:
Satan can use religious language as well as anyone else. But he deceives only when we take charge ourselves instead of consulting the Lord. Communion with Him was needed to see that these were people of the land, enemies who did not dare to be enemies. To make peace with such people is to rob yourself of a victory.
Israel was fooled. But one writer asks whether they had to be:
If we think Israel was not to blame since they were deceived, then let us think again: if they had taken the matter to God, would they have been deceived? No! If we are in proper communion with the Lord, we will not be deceived, for the Lord is not deceived.
Commentators differ on how much credit the Gibeonites deserve. One reads their words as fear alone; another sees God turning the whole episode into a display of mercy:
God overruled their folly. He made it an occasion for showing how He would be merciful to those who trembled at His word, even though they belonged to the cursed people of Canaan. This is a blessed truth... The Gibeonites also show the true position of a soul that is truly repentant, for they bow to the sentence of death.
- Servants offered — "We are your servants" flattered Israel's standing as God's people. The compliment opened the door for the lie.
- Servants questioned — Joshua asked the right question, then accepted a non-answer. The name of the Lord in a stranger's mouth disarmed the man who valued it most.
- Servants untested — the enemy can use religious words. Only asking God would have exposed who these men were.
- Servants believed — the ordinary men of Israel sensed the trick; the leaders did not. Those who guide should listen to those who follow.
- Servants overruled — God still used the blunder to show mercy to people who trembled at His word.
And they said to him, From a very far country are thy servants come, because of the name of Jehovah thy God; for we have heard the fame of him, and all that he did in Egypt,
The men of Gibeon stand in Joshua's camp with mouldy bread and torn wineskins. Their first word is not about themselves but about God: they have come, they say, because of the name of the LORD. Everything here turns on one question. Is that faith speaking, or strategy?
Joshua had just asked them who they were and where they came from. Their answer played the strongest card they had.
Here the shameless deceit of the enemy comes out in full. It was astonishing to hear a Canaanite confess the name of Jehovah. They knew well that this would carry special weight with a man like Joshua. The man who values the name of Jehovah most would be the readiest to welcome it where he least expected it.
Read the exchange again. The men never say who they are. They repeat the claim about distance, then reach for God's name.
Notice that they did not speak as Rahab did. She owned the God of Israel as the true God. When Joshua pressed them about who they were and where they came from, they gave no direct answer. They only said again that they were from a very far country. Then they brought in God's name, saying they had heard of His fame and of His victories in Egypt and over Sihon and Og.
Their list of God's works is real history. What is missing from the list is just as telling as what is in it.
Finally, they proclaim the power and fame of Israel's God, and what He had done in Egypt and in the wilderness. Yet they say nothing at all about Canaan. Satan would give himself away if he happened to speak of heavenly places and the conflicts there.
The same writer sees a pattern here, not just one incident. The same pressure comes whenever God's people are asked to team up with those who talk their language.
The Gibeonites have a strongly marked character and strongly marked religious convictions. But they are Canaanites in disguise: the world wearing an outward form of godliness — the religious world. Until now Israel had been kept from seeking human help. But it was hard to refuse men who claimed the same goal and the same hopes.
Rahab, the woman of Jericho who hid Israel's spies, had said something like this long before them. One writer sets the two reports side by side.
The Gibeonites had heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai. Rahab had heard what the Lord had done at the Red Sea and in the wilderness. That makes a great difference. It is easy to be gracious when pain falls on us, but such graciousness comes from fear, not from faith. It is natural, and even necessary. The Gibeonites pretend that they were moved by the same report that had moved Rahab (vv. 9, 10), but this was false, as verse 3 has already shown us… They came to Joshua for what they could secure, or get, or gain through him.
The claim of distance and the plea for a treaty pull against each other. One follow-up question would have snapped the story in two.
If they lived in a country as distant as the mouldy bread and the torn wineskins pretended, they had no reason to fear Israel… If they lived beyond the borders, why be afraid, and why rush to call themselves servants of Israel? Their eagerness to make an alliance would have given them away to any shrewd man of the world.
The failure was not a lack of cleverness. One writer traces the whole loss to a question Israel never asked.
The failure was Israel's. They did not ask the Lord for counsel. If Joshua had gone into the Lord's presence, He would soon have exposed the deceptions of the Gibeonites… Satan, with his greater knowledge and his tricks, can never get an advantage over us, if we hold fast to the Word of God, the Sword of the Spirit, and if we ask the Lord's counsel through His Word and in prayer.
- Report heard. They really had heard what God did in Egypt. Hearing true things about God is not the same as trusting Him.
- Name borrowed. Naming the LORD is the strongest move an enemy can make. It works best on the person who honours that name most.
- Fear, not faith. Rahab spoke before judgment fell. These men spoke after Jericho and Ai, and their politeness was self-protection.
- Question dodged. Asked who they were, they answered where they came from. Their rush for a treaty broke their own story about distance.
- Counsel skipped. One trip into God's presence would have unmasked them. The failure was not their cunning but Israel's silence toward God.
and all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites that were beyond Jordan, to Sihon the king of Heshbon, and to Og the king of Bashan, who was at Ashtaroth.
The Gibeonites end their speech by naming Sihon and Og, the two Amorite kings east of the Jordan. Israel had destroyed them, and the messengers offer this as proof that they come from a far country, drawn by God's fame. Every fact they name is true — and that is what makes the moment so dangerous for Joshua.
The strength of their speech is that it cannot be contradicted. Israel really had destroyed Sihon and Og.
Satan has consummate skill in mixing lies with truth, and these Hivites were skilful men. They had heard the fame of Jehovah, and of the mighty kings Sihon and Og, killed by Israel — this was true. But their credentials were lies. The mouldy bread, the torn and empty wineskins, the old clothes — each and all of them were lies.
Notice what the verse contains and what it does not. Egypt was forty years back; Sihon and Og fell on the far side of the Jordan. Jericho and Ai — the two conquests that had actually just happened next door — never pass their lips.
Then they talked of old times, and spoke of work and warfare in years gone by. They were eloquent about Jehovah's wonders in Egypt forty years earlier. They spoke of victories a long way from their homes, on the other side of the Jordan. In this way they disarmed Joshua of suspicion. But these men said not one word about the work of God right at their own doors at Jericho and Ai. This they kept at a careful distance.
The same writer draws the line forward to the reader's own day.
Satan's ambassadors object to discussing God's victories of today, His work of this hour. Yet these are the things His people care about most, above all others, if they are walking in the Spirit. The facts of God's work in past days have become history, which the world is willing to talk about. But some home-truths must never come up. These are the effects of God's truth in our own days, its present victories, its demands for present obedience.
Rahab had said something very similar earlier in the book. The difference lies in what each of them had heard, and when.
The Gibeonites had heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai. That is, they heard of judgment in the land, after Israel had crossed the Jordan. Rahab had heard what the Lord had done at the Red Sea and in the wilderness (see Joshua 2:10; Joshua 9:3). But this makes a great difference. It is easy to be gracious when pain comes upon us; but such graciousness is not of faith, it is of fear. It is natural, indeed unavoidable. The Gibeonites pretend that they were moved by the same report that had moved Rahab (vv. 9, 10), but this was false. They were like the crowd who followed the Lord, not because they saw the miracles, but because they ate the loaves and were filled. They sought Joshua for what they could get out of him. They sought him for themselves, for the rescue they now found they needed, since judgment had overtaken them.
Their appeal rests on the name of Israel's God.
It was extraordinary to hear a Canaanite confess the name of Jehovah. They knew well that this would carry special weight with a man like Joshua. The man who values the name of Jehovah most would be the readiest to welcome it where he least expected it. So it weighed powerfully with him when they added what God had done in Egypt, and to the two kings of the Amorites beyond the Jordan.
The story collapses under one simple test — and the test was never applied.
Even a few close questions would have exposed the true character of the Gibeonites. Their mouldy bread and torn wineskins claimed a country far away. If they really lived that far off, they had no reason to fear Israel. They had heard what God did in Egypt, and to the kings of the Amorites beyond the Jordan. They had also heard that He would destroy the Canaanites and give the land to Israel. If they were outside those borders, why fear, and why hurry to call themselves servants to Israel? Their eagerness to form an alliance would have given them away to the wise of this world. This is recorded as a warning to us. The people of God are deceived more easily than others when they try to decide a matter without His counsel and guidance.
- True. Everything the Gibeonites say about Sihon and Og is true. The lie sits in the props, not the facts.
- Distant. They cite Egypt and the far side of the Jordan, and keep silent about God's work happening right at their own doors.
- Feared. Their words echo Rahab's. Hers came from faith. Theirs came from fear of judgment already falling.
- Flattered. The name of Jehovah on a Canaanite's lips carried most weight with the man who valued that name most.
- Unasked. One honest question — why fear us if you live so far away? — would have undone the whole story. God's people are deceived most easily when they decide without His counsel.
And our elders and all the inhabitants of our country spoke to us, saying, Take victuals in your hand for the way, and go to meet them, and say to them, We are your servants, and now make a covenant with us.
In this verse the messengers repeat what their own leaders told them: take food for the road, go to Israel, and say, "We are your servants." Every word aims at a treaty, and it works — though the men saying it are Canaanites in disguise.
One line in their script does the real work. They name the God of Israel.
Here the unscrupulous deceit of the enemy comes out fully. It was extraordinary to hear a Canaanite confess the name of Jehovah. They knew well that this would carry special weight with someone like Joshua. The man who values the name of Jehovah most would be the most ready to welcome it where he least expected it.
The words the elders gave them are not an offer between equals. They put Israel on top, and that is where their power lies.
These men came with every appearance of good intentions. They sought an alliance with the people of God, and they openly admitted that God's people stood above them, morally and spiritually. "We are your servants," they said to Joshua — words well calculated to turn him in their favour.
Not everything they said was false. What they had heard about God was true. The evidence they carried was fake.
Satan is a master at mixing lies with truth, and these Hivites were skilful men. They had heard the fame of Jehovah, and of the mighty kings Sihon and Og whom Israel had killed — that much was true. But their credentials, their mouldy bread, their torn and empty wineskins, and their old clothes were every one of them lies.
The covenant they ask for sounds like shared conviction rather than compromise. That is what makes it hard to refuse.
The Gibeonites have a marked character, and their religious convictions stand out. But they are Canaanites in disguise. They are the world wearing an outward form of piety — the religious world. Until now God had kept Israel from looking for human help. But it was hard to resist people who claimed to have the same aim and the same longings. Isn't an alliance a reasonable thing? We acknowledge Jehovah, as you do, and if you need us we could work alongside you as your servants. The treaty is made, and the world walks into the middle of the congregation of Israel. What a devilish trick! Satan suggests to the people that they bring the world into the camp as a way to conquer the enemy. So he offers himself as the means of overcoming himself.
Israel had one way to check the story that had nothing to do with bread and sandals. They did not use it.
What the Gibeonites said sounded plausible, and their reference to Israel's God may have been what decided Joshua. But he and Israel made the fatal mistake of accepting them on their own word without asking counsel from the Lord (v.14)... Someone may say Israel was not to blame, since they were deceived. Think again. If they had taken the matter to God, would they have been deceived? No! If we are in real communion with the Lord we shall not be deceived, for the Lord is not deceived.
The suspicion in this chapter comes from the ordinary people, not from the leaders.
To my mind this is painfully instructive. It was not Joshua who suspected the trick, nor the elders or princes of the congregation, but the men of Israel. How often simplicity is right where the best wisdom fails: God makes us feel our need of Himself. When a simple man has a suspicion raised in him by God, the wise would do well to listen to what the Lord is using to bring everyone to a right conclusion. But at this time no one listened. Men used to leading and ruling rarely listen to those used to obeying and following. It does not come naturally. But in divine things those who despise the least must pay the price.
The title they chose for themselves became their sentence.
The Gibeonites had said they were Israel's servants, so the rulers of Israel ruled that they should be woodcutters and water carriers for the congregation (v.21). Israel was to keep them in complete subjection. Joshua then gave them his message. They were spared, but they were under a curse for their deception. They would never be free from slavery.
- Scripted — the messengers only repeat what their elders and their whole country told them to say. The humble words and the worn supplies were planned, not spontaneous.
- Mixed — what they said about God's fame was true. The bread, the wineskins and the clothes were lies. Truth wrapped the lie.
- Skipped — the trick only worked because no one asked counsel of the Lord. Being deceived is no excuse. If they had gone to God, they would not have been fooled.
- Overruled — the ordinary men of Israel raised the suspicion. The leaders did not listen, and those who despise the least pay the price.
- Binding — they became the servants they claimed to be, but under a curse. Words chosen to win a treaty turned into a life sentence.
This our bread we took warm for our provision out of our houses on the day we came forth to go unto you; and now, behold, it is dry, and is become mouldy.
The men of Gibeon held up their bread in front of Joshua as proof of a long journey. The bread was real and the staleness was real, but the story attached to it was false — and that shows how God's people can be beaten by evidence they can see with their own eyes.
The bread worked because age carries its own authority. One writer shows how an old look stops the questions that matter:
Everyone knows the strange pull that things have when they merely look old. Things regarded as "old," things that are worn out, "torn and mended," win respect or even superstitious awe from the mind. Too often no one asks, "Are these things true?" These days many Christians are content to ask of religious curiosities, "Are they old?" If they are satisfied about their age, they are satisfied. Few think to ask, "Are they genuine in the light of God's word?" Fewer still ask what these honored old things were when they were new.
Their words and their evidence were not the same in kind. Part of what they said was true; only the proofs were fake:
Satan has great skill in mixing lies with truth, and these Hivites were skilful men. They had heard the fame of Jehovah, and of the mighty kings Sihon and Og, killed by Israel — this was true. But their proofs were lies, every one: the moldy bread, the torn and empty wineskins, the old clothes.
(Older translations read "dry and moldy" where the ESV has "dry and crumbly.")
The same writer turns the display around and warns God's people about their own supply:
Let God's people beware of "dry and moldy" bread. Stale food is not what God provides for His children. Torn wineskins with the wine run out are like teaching and preaching that keep only the memory of a glad past, with the joy of the Holy Spirit gone. Patched-up clothes only show that they have served their day and should be thrown away.
Israel's leaders examined the bread and drew the obvious conclusion. The problem was not their eyesight but what they trusted it to settle:
Why was Israel tricked by the cunning of the Gibeonites? Because they leaned on their own understanding. They judged by the sight of their eyes instead of waiting on God for guidance and counsel. He knew all about the Gibeonites. Their tattered rags and moldy bread did not deceive Him. They would not have deceived Israel either, if Israel had only looked to Him.
Israel did more than inspect the bread — they ate some of it. That small act carried more weight than anyone realised at the time:
The bait had worked, the damage was done, and its effects lasted a long time. The men of Israel, who were not without fears at the start, allowed themselves to be trapped. If Joshua led, we need not be surprised that the rest followed. They "took of their provisions" — the sign of fellowship in its measure — and "did not ask counsel at the mouth of Jehovah."
It is tempting to excuse Israel on the grounds that the trick was a good one. Commentators consistently refuse that excuse, and one puts the test as a question:
If we think Israel was not to blame since they were deceived, then let us think again: if they had taken the matter to God, would they have been deceived? No! If we are in proper communion with the Lord, we shall not be deceived, for the Lord is not deceived.
Someone in the camp did smell a problem. It was not the leadership:
To my mind this is painfully instructive. It was not Joshua who suspected the trick, nor the elders or princes of the congregation, but the men of Israel. How often simplicity is right where the best wisdom fails: God makes us feel our need of Himself... Men used to guiding and ruling rarely listen to those who are used to obeying and following. It does not seem natural to them. But in divine things those who despise the least must pay the penalty; and so it certainly was now.
The deeper danger was not the bread but who carried it. They were not distant strangers at all:
The Gibeonites have a very marked character and very strong religious convictions. But they are Canaanites in disguise — the world under an outward form of piety, the religious world. Up to this point Israel had been kept from seeking human help. But it was hard to resist those who claimed to have the same object and the same longings. Is it not a reasonable thing to form an alliance? We acknowledge Jehovah, as you do, and if need be we could work with you as your servants.
- Evidence. Real stale bread carried a false story. Truth and lies came bundled, and that is what made the display convincing.
- Eyes. Israel judged by the sight of their eyes. The rags and moldy loaves never fooled God, and they need not have fooled Israel.
- Silence. The one thing missing was a question put to God. Israel never asked.
- Meal. Tasting the provisions was the sign of fellowship. It bound Israel before anyone saw the trick.
- Neighbours. The covenant let in no far-off people. It let in the world in religious dress, claiming the same God and the same aims.
And these flasks of wine which we filled new, behold, they are rent; and these our garments and our sandals are become old by reason of the very long journey.
The Gibeonites lived a short walk from Israel's camp, yet their cracked wineskins and crumbling bread claim months on the road. The props convince, and this verse asks whether looks are how God's people should decide.
The wineskins here were not glass or clay but animal hides. Old hides stiffen and split, so their condition looked like a calendar.
Then, as now in the East, people used skins especially for larger vessels and for those to be carried about (Joshua 9:4, 13). They are made of goats' skins: the head, the legs and the tail are cut off, and the body drawn out.
Everything the Gibeonites said about God was true. Everything they showed was fake.
Satan has consummate skill in mixing lies with truth, and these Hivites were skilful men. They had heard the fame of Jehovah, and of the mighty kings Sihon and Og, killed by Israel — that was true. But their credentials — the mouldy bread, the torn and empty wineskins, the old garments — were lies, every one.
Their speech was edited too. They praised old, distant victories. They left out the works next door — Jericho, Ai, and Ebal, where Israel had just agreed to God's word.
They were eloquent about Jehovah's wonders in Egypt forty years earlier, and about victories a long way from their homes on the other side of the Jordan. So they disarmed him of suspicion. But these men had not a syllable to say about the work of God at their very doors at Jericho and Ai. This they kept at a careful distance. They had not a sentence to utter about Ebal and its agreement with the word of Jehovah; this they left out.
These same props also work as a picture. Dry bread and burst skins show what teaching looks like when it lives on the memory of better days.
Let the saints beware of "dry and mouldy" bread, for stale fare is not what God provides for His children. Torn wineskins, with the wine run out, are like teaching and preaching that keep only the memory of a glad past. Joy in the Holy Spirit is gone. Patched-up garments only show that they have served their day and should be thrown away. God's messengers have feet fitted with the readiness the gospel of peace gives. The longest journey never wears them out.
The story did not even hold together.
If they lived as far away as the mouldy bread and the torn wineskins pretended, they had no cause to fear Israel. They had heard what God did in Egypt, and to the kings of the Amorites beyond the Jordan. They had also heard that He would destroy the Canaanites and give the land to Israel. If they were outside those limits, why fear, and why hurry to call themselves servants of Israel? Their eagerness to form an alliance would have given them away to the worldly-wise.
Israel handled the bread. Eating with someone is already a step toward friendship.
The bait had taken, the mischief was done, and its effects lasted long. The men of Israel, who were not without fears at the beginning, let themselves be trapped. If Joshua led, we need not wonder that the rest followed. They "took of their provisions" — the sign of fellowship in its measure — and "did not ask counsel at the mouth of Jehovah."
Being fooled is no excuse here. One question to God would have ended the matter.
Do we think Israel was not to blame, since the Gibeonites deceived them? Then think again. If they had taken the matter to God, would they have been deceived? No! If we are in proper communion with the Lord, we shall not be deceived, for the Lord is not deceived.
Israel had sworn, so the treaty stood — even though lies had won it.
Could they cancel the covenant now because the Gibeonites had deceived them? Absolutely not! Why? Because, though others may act falsely, this never gives a Christian the right to act falsely in return. They had given their word. God would not allow them to go back on it, despite the problems that might follow.
- Evidence — the split goatskins and crumbled bread were staged proof. Every prop lied, while the words the visitors spoke about God were true.
- Editing — the visitors praised God's old, distant victories. They said nothing about Jericho, Ai and Ebal, the recent works that would have exposed them.
- Examination — a few plain questions would have broken the story. People from far away had no reason to fear Israel or to rush into a treaty.
- Eating — Israel tasted the food instead of asking God. Sharing a meal was already a measure of fellowship with the enemy.
- Endurance — the lies of others gave Israel no right to break its own sworn word. The alliance stood, consequences and all.
And the men took of their victuals, but they did not inquire at the mouth of Jehovah.
Canaanites arrive at Israel's camp in worn-out sandals, carrying dry, mouldy bread and claiming to come from a far country. Verse 14 records the quiet omission that decided everything: God's people settled the matter without asking Him.
The men handled the bread and drew their conclusion from it. Commentators note how small the act looks and how much it carried.
The bait had taken, the mischief was done, and its effects worked for a long time. The men of Israel, who were not without fears at the start, allowed themselves to be trapped. If Joshua led, we should not be surprised that the rest followed. They "took of their provisions" — the sign of fellowship in its measure — "they took of their provisions, and did not ask counsel at the mouth of the Lord."
Taking food together was not a casual gesture in that world. It was how agreements were sealed.
When the Gibeonites deceived Joshua and the heads of Israel, "the men took some of their provisions, but did not ask counsel from the LORD, and... swore to them." To this day in the East, a stranger who gets the head of a tribe to eat with him knows he is safe. The shared meal counts as a covenant.
This was not simple carelessness. They thought hard, examined the evidence, and reached a verdict. They used their own minds where God's mind was there for the asking.
But here they failed. They did not wait on God. He would have guided them. He would have told them who these crafty strangers were. He would have made everything clear for Israel, if only they had waited on Him, aware of their own ignorance and weakness. But no; they would think for themselves, judge for themselves, reason from what they saw, and draw their own conclusions. So the tattered garments of the Gibeonites achieved what the frowning walls of Jericho had failed to do.
The crowd did not fall first. The men trained to weigh matters did, and their training was the weak point.
The inhabitants of Gibeon pretended to have come from far away. The princes of Israel use their own wisdom instead of asking counsel of the Lord. This time it is confidence, not in the strength, but in the wisdom of man. The princes of the congregation are used to reflecting and guiding, so they are more likely to fall into this snare. The people are bad in their unbelief. Yet they are eager for the result, and they are often nearer the mind of God, to whom the result is certain. The princes had some misgivings, so they have no excuse.
The failure went deeper than one bad decision. They had let go of their dependence on God.
The awareness of our nothingness as instruments keeps us in constant dependence on the hand that uses us. This is the pathway of power... The Israelites' chief fault in Joshua 9 was that they "did not ask counsel from the LORD" (v. 14). At the close of the previous chapter we saw that the word of God had recovered its importance for them. But here they forget to go to God for communion with Him about His mind for them.
A natural defence is that Israel was lied to. Commentators refuse the plea, because the deception only worked in God's absence.
They made the fatal mistake of receiving them on their own word without asking counsel from the Lord (v. 14)... If we think Israel was not to blame since they were deceived, then let us think again: if they had taken the matter to God, would they have been deceived? No! If we are in proper communion with the Lord, we shall not be deceived, for the Lord is not deceived.
Israel had sworn in God's name. The treaty stood, and they never took the trouble back to Him.
They felt that they had been tricked. This was true. But they did not think that being deceived left them free to break the oath of the Lord. We too must be careful. When we have committed ourselves to something wrong, we must not treat that name carelessly. No; the thing was done: it could not be undone. They had made a double error. They entered into it without the Lord. And once it was done, we do not find that they laid the difficulty before Him.
The bill did not fall due that day. It fell on later generations.
Peace with Gibeon only robs us of victory. It brings other wars and troubles on us, for the presence of what is not of God always opens the door to Satan... In the days of David there was a famine for three years. It came because of Saul and his bloody house, because he had killed the Gibeonites. All this came from the little act of not taking counsel with God... The enemy is so cunning. Leaning on our own wisdom in the ways of God is almost as bad as leaning on our own strength for God's battles. Peace with Gibeon and war with Ai both end in defeat and shame.
- Counsel skipped. The whole disaster hangs on one clause: they tasted the bread and never asked the Lord.
- Counsel replaced. Human reasoning filled the gap. Ragged clothes and stale food won where Jericho's walls had failed.
- Counsel needed. The leaders were trained to weigh evidence. They walked into a snare the ordinary people half-sensed.
- Counsel protects. Being lied to is no defence. God is not deceived, and those in communion with Him are not deceived either.
- Counsel dropped. They never brought the ruined situation back to God. So the oath stood, and the trouble ran on to David's day.
And Joshua made peace with them, and made a covenant with them, to let them live; and the princes of the assembly swore unto them.
The men of Gibeon came with worn-out sacks, cracked wineskins and mouldy bread. They claimed to be travellers from a far country. Verse 15 is the result. It comes one verse after Israel "did not ask counsel from the LORD."
Being deceived was no excuse. The trick only worked because no one asked God.
What the Gibeonites said sounded plausible, and their reference to Israel's God may have had a deciding effect with Joshua. But he and Israel made the fatal mistake of receiving them on their own word, without asking counsel from the Lord (v.14). They made and confirmed a covenant with them by an oath (v.15). Do we think Israel was not to blame, since the Gibeonites deceived them? Then think again. If they had taken the matter to God, would the Gibeonites have fooled them? No! If we walk in true communion with the Lord, no one will fool us, for the Lord is not deceived.
Verse 15 names Joshua and the leaders of the congregation. That is what makes the failure so serious.
But here it was God who was not consulted. It is a more serious thing, beloved, when it is not only the men of Israel, but the elders, the princes, the chiefs of the congregation — yes, Joshua himself — who left Him out of a matter which He alone knew.
The story was thin. A few honest questions would have broken it open. But Israel had only their own judgement to test it with.
How easily they were ensnared! Even a little questioning would have exposed the true character of the Gibeonites. If they lived as far away as the mouldy bread and the torn wineskins pretended, they had no cause to fear Israel... Their eagerness to form an alliance would have betrayed them to the wise of the world. But Israel were then in a position where, if they had not wisdom from God, they must sink beneath the world's wisdom.
The same failure came down to a choice: trust the eye, or trust what God had already said.
If the authority of the word had governed them, it would have kept them from the grave error of making a treaty with people they ought to have destroyed completely. But they judged by the sight of their eyes, and had to reap the consequences.
The leaders "swore to them." The Gibeonites had tricked Israel into that oath, but the trick did not release them from it.
There they bound themselves by the name of the LORD. It is very striking for us to see that at that time no one trifled with the honour of that name. They felt that they had been deceived. This was true. But they did not therefore think they were free to break the oath of the LORD, just because they had been tricked into it... The thing was done: it could not be undone. They had made a double error. They entered into it without the Lord. And once the thing was done, we do not find that they spread the difficulty before Him.
The compromise left a permanent mark on Gibeon.
After the treaty it would have been fresh sin, a crime, to have put them to death. They had solemnly given the name of the Lord, and no one can ever treat that name lightly. But on the other hand, the Gibeonites were reduced to the lowest servant work for the sanctuary of the LORD. So it was plain that nothing protected them but His name.
Peace with Gibeon did not end the fighting. The cost surfaced again generations later.
Peace with Gibeon only robs us of victory and brings other wars and troubles upon us. Whatever is not of God always opens the door to Satan... In the days of David there was a famine for three years. It came because of Saul and his bloody house, because he had killed the Gibeonites. All this came from the little act of not taking counsel with God.
Israel's blunder did not defeat God. He turned it into an occasion for mercy.
God overruled their folly. He made it an occasion to show how merciful He would be to those who trembled at His word, even though they belonged to the cursed race of Canaan. That is most blessedly true... The Gibeonites also show the true position of a soul really penitent, for they bow to the sentence of death... They do not plead the alliance, they surrender themselves unconditionally: "Behold, we are in your hand; do to us as it seems good and right in your sight."
- Omission — The covenant in verse 15 grew out of one missing step in verse 14. The deception was the symptom, not the cause.
- Leaders — Not just the men of Israel, but the elders, the princes and Joshua himself left God out of it.
- Oath — Deception did not cancel the oath. Israel could not treat the name of the Lord lightly, even when they had given it wrongly.
- Consequences — The alliance brought new wars at once, and a famine long afterwards. A mistake is far easier to make than to undo.
- Mercy — God still overruled. He spared those who trembled at His word, and left a picture of the sinner who pleads nothing and surrenders everything.