“But the Israelites did not attack them, because the leaders of the congregation had sworn an oath to them by the LORD, the God of Israel. And the whole congregation grumbled against the leaders.”
Joshua 9:18 (BSB)
Context Reading
16Three days after they had made the treaty with the Gibeonites, the Israelites learned that they were neighbors, living among them. 17So the Israelites set out and on the third day arrived at their cities — Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath-jearim. 18But the Israelites did not attack them, because the leaders of the congregation had sworn an oath to them by the LORD, the God of Israel. And the whole congregation grumbled against the leaders. 19All the leaders answered, “We have sworn an oath to them by the LORD, the God of Israel, and now we cannot touch them. 20This is how we will treat them: We will let them live, so that no wrath will fall on us because of the oath we swore to them.”