What about the Gibeonites?

Abstract

This article considers the story of the Gibeonites in Joshua 9–10 in the context of modern theological questions about the conquest of Canaan. It looks at the portrayal and perspectives of the four main groups in the story (kings, Gibeonites, Israel, and YHWH) and argues that reading Joshua 9 and 10 together shows that the Gibeonites were exempted from hòerem (destruction) because of their response to YHWH and Israel. Combined with the story of Rahab, this story suggests that the Canaanites as a whole are not doomed to destruction, but that their response to YHWH makes a difference.