Joshua made peace with them, and made a covenant with them, to let them live: and the princes of the congregation swore to them.
On the surface, granting the Gibeonites’ request seemed within the Mosaic Law. Consequently the Israelites took some of their food, possibly to inspect it at least (Joshua 9:14). If they ate it with them, this eating may have been part of a covenantal agreement. This custom was common in the ancient Near East (Joshua 9:15; cf. Genesis 31:54). [Note: Livingston, p. 157.] The Israelites sealed the treaty with a solemn promise to preserve the Gibeonites (Joshua 9:15). The writer clearly identified the reason the Gibeonites were successful in deceiving Israel. The Israelites "did not ask for the counsel of the Lord" (Joshua 9:14; Numbers 27:21; cf. James 4:2). Though they had learned that obedience was necessary for victory at Jericho and Ai, they had not yet learned that they needed divine guidance at every step (cf. John 15:5).