Joshua 9:17
“The children of Israel traveled and came to their cities on the third day. Now their cities were Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath Jearim.”
What does Joshua 9:17 mean?
After discovering they'd been tricked into a peace treaty with the Gibeonites, the Israelites traveled to see for themselves where these cities actually were. Finding them so close by, just a short journey away, made the deception sting even more. The Gibeonites had successfully hidden their true identity and location, and now Israel had to live with the consequences of their hasty agreement. It's a humbling reminder of how easy it is to make commitments without doing our homework first, and how hard it can be to undo them once we realize our mistake.