Joshua 9:15
“Joshua made peace with them, and made a covenant with them, to let them live. The princes of the congregation swore to them.”
What does Joshua 9:15 mean?
Joshua had just made a binding agreement with the Gibeonites, promising to spare their lives in exchange for their submission. The leaders of Israel publicly swore an oath before witnesses, making this covenant official and binding. What makes this moment significant is that Joshua and the princes didn't realize they'd been deceived, the Gibeonites had disguised themselves as distant foreigners to avoid being conquered. Once the oath was sworn, however, Israel felt bound by their word, and they honored that commitment even after discovering the deception.