Joshua 9 continues the conquest narrative. Up to this point, the Israelites have attacked and taken individual cities. Now, they will come up against coalitions of cities and people groups. Six kings form an alliance in order to protect themselves against the Israelites (Joshua 9:1–2). The Gibeonites choose instead to protect themselves by tricking the Israelites into making a covenant of peace (Joshua 9:3–15). The final part of the chapter deals with the consequences (for Israel) of having made a treaty (Joshua 9:16–27). As with previous chapters, Joshua 9 also contains lots of dialogue (speeches) and historical narrative (written accounts of what the people did).
1 As soon as all the kings who were beyond the Jordan in the hill country and in the lowland all along the coast of the Great Sea toward Lebanon, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, heard of this,