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.
5 They put worn and patched sandals on their feet and wore old clothes. All the bread of their food supply was dry and moldy.
5 with worn-out, patched sandals on their feet, and worn-out clothes. And all their provisions were dry and crumbly.
5 threadbare sandals on their feet, tattered clothes on their bodies, nothing but dry crusts and crumbs for food.
5 old and patched sandals on their feet, and old garments on themselves; and all the bread of their provision was dry and moldy.
5 They put on worn-out, patched sandals and ragged clothes. And the bread they took with them was dry and moldy.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Joshua 9:5
Commentary on Joshua 9:3-13
(Read Joshua 9:3-13)
Other people heard these tidings, and were driven thereby to make war upon Israel; but the Gibeonites were led to make peace with them. Thus the discovery of the glory and the grace of God in the gospel, is to some a savour of life unto life, but to others a savour of death unto death, 2 Corinthians 2:16. The same sun softens wax and hardens clay. The falsehood of the Gibeonites cannot be justified. We must not do evil that good may themselves to the God of Israel, we have reason to think Joshua would have been directed by the oracle of God to spare their lives. But when they had once said, "We are come from a far country," they were led to say it made of skins, and their clothes: one lie brings on another, and that a third, and so on. The way of that sin is especially down-hill. Yet their faith and prudence are to be commended. In submitting to Israel they submitted to the God of Israel, which implied forsaking their idolatries. And how can we do better than cast ourselves upon the mercy of a God of all goodness? The way to avoid judgment is to meet it by repentance. Let us do like these Gibeonites, seek peace with God in the rags of abasement, and godly sorrow; so our sin shall not be our ruin. Let us be servants to Jesus, our blessed Joshua, and we shall live.