Joshua 9:17

Gibeon, and Chephirah, and Beeroth, and Kirjath-jearim. — The first three of these were assigned to Benjamin (Joshua 18:25), the last to Judah (15:60), in the division of the land. The fact that the larger portion of the territory of the Gibeonites was in the tribe of Benjamin explains how Saul was tempted to confiscate their possessions for the purpose of supplying his followers with fields and vineyards (1 Samuel 22:7). He appears to have carried out his purpose in the case of Beeroth (2 Samuel 4:2), but not as regards all the Gibeonite towns. Gibeon became a city of the priests (Joshua 21:17), and also a principal place of worship and the seat of the tabernacle (as Kirjath-jearim was of the ark) in later times. (See 1 Samuel 6:21; 1 Samuel 7:1, &c.; 1 Chron. 20:29; and 2 Chronicles 1:3.) The fact that the Gibeonites were dedicated to the service of the sanctuary may partly account for this. In Gibeon, Solomon asked and received the wisdom which Joshua and Israel at this time did not ask.