Joshua 9:22
And Joshua called for them, and he spake unto them, saying, Wherefore have ye beguiled us, saying, We are very far from you; when ye dwell among us? And Joshua called for them, and he spake unto them, saying, Wherefore have ye beguiled us, saying, We are very far from you; when ye dwell among us?
The words are Joshua's confrontation once the fraud was uncovered, pressing the Gibeonites with why they claimed to have come from very far away when they in fact dwelt among Israel. Those Gibeonites were a numerous people living in the midst of the land. Knowledge of the mighty workings of the God of the Hebrews had gone before the advancing hosts of Israel, and some among the heathen were learning that He alone was the true God. They renounced their heathenism and united with Israel, sharing in the blessings of the covenant, and their conversion was not an isolated case of God's mercy toward idolaters who acknowledge His divine authority.
Their dishonest course brought disgrace and lasting servitude, whereas dealing honestly and submitting to Jehovah would have allowed them to share the covenant's blessings and privileges as strangers among Israel. After deceiving Joshua about where they lived they were therefore assigned to be hewers of wood and drawers of water. That lowly, lasting service shows that different kinds of work are needed and can be acceptable, and that each worker has a distinct place.