Contradictions and Paradoxes in Joshua 9:4

Check out Contradictions Catalog of Joshua 9:4 for the comprehensive list of verses that contradicts Joshua 9:4. Some key contradictions and paradoxes are described below.

According to the author of the book of Joshua, some people pretended to be travelers from far away by wearing old clothes and using worn-out things to trick Joshua and his friends. They wanted Joshua to think they came from a faraway place so he would make a promise to be friends with them.

Joshua 9:4: They did work wilily, and went and made as if they had been ambassadors, and took old sacks upon their asses, and wine bottles, old, and rent, and bound up;

Contradiction with Exodus 23:32

This verse contradicts Joshua 9:4 as it commands the Israelites not to make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, yet Joshua 9:4 describes them being deceived into doing so.

Exodus 23:32: Thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor with their gods.

Contradiction with Deuteronomy 7:2

This verse contradicts Joshua 9:4 because it explicitly instructs the Israelites to make no covenants with the inhabitants, whereas in Joshua 9:4, the Gibeonites deceive them into making a covenant.

Deuteronomy 7:2: And when the LORD thy God shall deliver them before thee; thou shalt smite them, [and] utterly destroy them; thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor shew mercy unto them:

Contradiction with Exodus 34:12

It warns against making treaties with the inhabitants of the land, which contradicts Joshua 9:4, where such a treaty is made through deception.

Exodus 34:12: Take heed to thyself, lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land whither thou goest, lest it be for a snare in the midst of thee:

Contradiction with Numbers 33:55

It states the consequences of letting inhabitants remain and trouble Israel, contradicting the treaty made in Joshua 9:4.

Numbers 33:55: But if ye will not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you; then it shall come to pass, that those which ye let remain of them [shall be] pricks in your eyes, and thorns in your sides, and shall vex you in the land wherein ye dwell.

Contradiction with Judges 2:2

This verse rebukes the Israelites for making covenants with the land's inhabitants, highlighting the contradiction with the events in Joshua 9:4.

Judges 2:2: And ye shall make no league with the inhabitants of this land; ye shall throw down their altars: but ye have not obeyed my voice: why have ye done this?

Paradox #1

The moral conflict in Joshua 9:4 could be about the use of deception. In this verse, a group of people uses trickery to make a peace treaty. This raises questions about whether it is ever acceptable to use lies to achieve a good outcome, like avoiding conflict. It challenges the idea of honesty versus achieving peace through deceit.

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