יהושע, פרק ט׳, פסוק כ״ג

The Gibeonites' deception successfully secured their survival, but it led the Israelites into an improper situation. To resolve this, Joshua imposes a severe punishment of permanent servitude. Because a cursed nation cannot forge a genuine covenant with a blessed nation, the oath sworn by the Israelite leaders is limited in scope. It guarantees the Gibeonites' lives but leaves Joshua free to demand heavy conditions of taxation and slavery [מלבי״ם, ביאור שטיינזלץ].

Consequently, they are permanently assigned to be laborers, woodchoppers, and water drawers. These are menial, undignified jobs that require no special skills, needed primarily to fulfill basic public requirements [ביאור שטיינזלץ].

Commentators explore how these labor assignments are divided. One approach suggests a distinction based on the type of work. In this view, general slavery is a broad condition, while chopping wood and drawing water represent a specific tax. The Israelite leaders originally intended for the Gibeonites to perform these physical chores for the entire nation. Joshua, however, separates the duties: general servitude applies to the broader public, but the specific tax of gathering wood and water is dedicated exclusively to the House of God [מלבי״ם]. Another perspective views the division through the lens of time and purpose. During the immediate wartime period, the Gibeonites are required to serve the entire community. However, their permanent and eternal role, which will never cease, is exclusively to serve the House of God [מצודת דוד].