Cross Reference JOSHUA 9:23 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

{Joshua 9:23} Now x6258 therefore ye x859 [are] cursed, 779 z8803 and there shall none x3808 of x4480 you be freed 3772 z8735 from being bondmen, 5650 and hewers 2404 z8802 of wood 6086 and drawers 7579 z8802 of water 4325 for the house 1004 of my God. 430

"And he said,ª ° Cursedª ° [be] Canaan;ª a servantª of servantsª shall he be¹ unto his brethren.ª ... And he said,ª ° Blessedª ° [be] the LORDª Godª of Shem;ª and Canaanª shall beª ° his servant.ª" {Gen 9:25-26} + "Notwithstanding¹ no¹ ¹ devoted thing,ª that¹ a manª shall devoteª ° unto the LORDª of all¹ ¹ that¹ he hath, [both] of manª ¹ and beast,ª and of the fieldª ¹ of his possession,ª shall be soldª ° or redeemed:ª ° every¹ devoted thingª [is] most² holyª unto the LORD.ª ... None¹ ¹ devoted,ª which¹ shall be² devotedª ° of¹ men,ª shall be redeemed;ª ° [but] shall surely² ° be put to death.ª °" {Lev 27:28-29}

cursed:
This may refer to the original curse pronounced against the descendants of Canaan. Both of them seem to have implied nothing else than perpetual slavery. The Gibeonites were brought, no doubt, under tribute; performed the meanest offices for the Israelites; being in the same condition as the servile class of Hindoos, called the Chetrees; had their national importance annihilated, and yet were never permitted to incorporate themselves with the Israelites.

none of you be freed:
Heb. not be cut off from you

hewers:
In the East, collecting wood for fuel, and carrying water, are the peculiar employment of females. The Arab women of Barbary, and the daughters of the Turcomans, are thus employed. Hence Mr. Harmer concludes, that the bitterness of the doom of the Gibeonites does not seem to have consisted in the labouriousness of the service enjoined them, but its disgracing them from the characteristic employment of men, that of bearing arms, and condemning them and their posterity for ever to the employment of females. "And the princesª saidª ° unto¹ them, Let them live;ª ° but let them be¹ hewersª ° of woodª and drawersª ° of waterª unto all¹ the congregation;ª as¹ the princesª had promisedª ° them." {Jsh 9:21} + "And Joshuaª madeª ° them that¹ dayª hewersª ° of woodª and drawersª ° of waterª for the congregation,ª and for the altarª of the LORD,ª even unto¹ this¹ day,ª in¹ the placeª which¹ he should choose.ª °" {Jsh 9:27}

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