They were careful to enumerate only the events in Egypt and beyond Jordan. Had they mentioned Jericho or Ai, their subterfuge would have been exposed, for anyone coming from a far country would not, presumably, have had time to hear of so recent an event.

Literally, “for the name,” or, “in respect to the name,” of Jehovah thy God. These words reveal a degree of reaching out after God on the part of the Gibeonites. They had received a measure of knowledge, and they acted upon this limited enlightenment. We find fault with their approach, but we should not find fault with the fact that they here made a beginning at serving the true God. They did not know all that was involved, but they did know that what Jehovah had done for Israel was greater than what any so-called god had done for his people. By this rule they measured the relative merit of the gods. God honored their limited faith, and would not permit Israel to cancel their pledge to them. God accepts men where they are, and then seeks to lead them on to more perfect service. Some begin their worship of God from entirely wrong motives, but God accepts the surrender of the soul and then works to more commendable motives. Thus it was with the Gibeonites. To them were opened the full covenant blessings, as far as spiritual privileges were concerned.