Joshua 9:5
And old shoes and clouted upon their feet, and old garments upon them; and all the bread of their provision was dry and mouldy.
Original Language Analysis
Historical Context
The items mentioned—shoes, garments, bread—were standard traveler necessities in ancient times. Shoes wore out with travel (Deuteronomy 29:5 records miraculously that Israel's shoes didn't wear out during forty wilderness years). Garments frayed and faded. Bread, baked before journey, dried and molded over time. Gibeon's proximity to Israel (about twenty-five miles from Gilgal) meant fresh supplies were available—but they deliberately used old items to create false impression. Ancient Near Eastern hospitality customs meant arriving ambassadors would be evaluated partially by their appearance and possessions. Worn items suggested long, difficult journey, evoking sympathy and lending credibility to claims of distant origin. The deception's success shows Israel's failure in due diligence. Deuteronomy 20:10-15 distinguished treatment of near versus far cities; Gibeon exploited this by falsely claiming distance. The passage warns that spiritual discernment requires more than surface evaluation.
Questions for Reflection
- What 'old shoes and moldy bread' (convincing surface evidence) have you seen in false teaching or deceptive appearances?
- How can believers develop discernment that goes beyond appearances to test genuineness?
- When has paying attention to details revealed deception or confirmed authenticity?
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Analysis & Commentary
The Gibeonites' props: 'old shoes and clouted upon their feet, and old garments upon them; and all the bread of their provision was dry and mouldy.' Every detail designed to suggest long travel from distant lands. The Hebrew נָקוּד (naqud—moldy, crumbled) describes bread's deteriorated state. The comprehensive nature (shoes, garments, bread) shows thoroughness in deception—no detail overlooked. The specific mention of bread is significant: it would naturally age and become moldy over extended travel, providing 'evidence' of journey length. Their attention to detail in the deception contrasts with Israel's lack of diligence in verification. The text implicitly criticizes Israel's gullibility—the evidence was staged, not genuine. This teaches that appearances, however convincing, require verification through prayer and divine guidance. Paul warns: 'Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light' (2 Corinthians 11:14). Elaborate, convincing appearances don't guarantee truth.