יהושע, פרק ט׳, פסוק ח׳

Facing deep suspicion from the Israelite public, the Gibeonites abruptly change their strategy. Realizing that the masses are not convinced by their story, they bypass the crowd and appeal directly to Joshua, submitting themselves entirely to him [ביאור שטיינזלץ, מלבי״ם]. This is a highly calculated political maneuver. They may have interpreted Joshua's silence up to this point as a quiet willingness to accept them. Alternatively, they might have sensed his anger that their initial offer of servitude was directed at the entire nation rather than him personally, prompting them to quickly declare themselves his exclusive servants [אלשיך]. Their goal is to make it clear that their business is solely with him [מצודת דוד], hoping to secure a direct political treaty between Joshua and their own king [מלבי״ם].

Joshua, however, is not easily deceived by their sudden display of submission. He counters with piercing questions about their exact identity and origins. The very offer to become slaves raises immediate suspicion. Naturally, people do not choose a life of slavery over freedom unless they are in desperate danger, strongly suggesting that these men are actually local inhabitants trying to save their own lives [אלשיך]. Furthermore, a military alliance between rulers only has value if the two nations are close enough to assist each other during a crisis [מלבי״ם]. If these men truly come from a distant land, offering such a treaty makes no logical sense [אלשיך].

By demanding precise details about their nation and their country, Joshua sets a clever trap. A group might be known either by the name of their people or the fame of their land, and he insists on knowing exactly who is entering this agreement [מצודת דוד, מלבי״ם]. This corners the Gibeonites completely. They cannot simply invent a fictional nation, because any treaty made under a false name would not protect their actual city and king [מלבי״ם]. Forced to navigate this trap and maintain the illusion of a long journey, they deflect the focus. They blame their city elders for sending them with dry, stale provisions and claim they made the journey solely because they heard of the greatness of God [אלשיך]. To further cement this deception, they carefully mention only older historical events, like the Exodus from Egypt and early battlefield victories. By entirely omitting recent events, such as the crossing of the Jordan River, they attempt to prove that they live so far away that the latest news has not yet reached them [רד״ק].