וַעֲבַד לְהוֹן יְהוֹשֻׁעַ שְׁלָם וּגְזַר לְהוֹן קְיָם לְקַיָמוּתְהוֹן וְקַיְימוּ לְהוֹ רַבְרְבֵי כְּנִשְׁתָּא:
And Yehoshua made peace with them and established a covenant with them to let them live, and the leaders of the congregation ratified it with him.
Narrative Exposition: The Grammar Behind the Treaty
The Gibeonite deception led to more than a clever ruse—it led to a legal covenant, articulated in the judicial and covenantal syntax of Targum Jonathan. This verse captures how Yehoshua and the Israelite elders respond not merely with action but with verbal formulae, encoded in Peʿal verbs, abstract nouns, and construct chains. The result: a binding oath formed through grammatical ratification.
1. וַעֲבַד לְהוֹן יְהוֹשֻׁעַ שְׁלָם — “And Yehoshua made peace with them”
– וַעֲבַד — Peʿal perfect 3ms of עבד, “he made.”
– לְהוֹן — Preposition + 3mp suffix, “with them.”
– שְׁלָם — “Peace,” used here as an object noun meaning “a covenant of peace” or “treaty.”
Syntax Note
Here עבד + שְׁלָם is a collocation meaning “to establish peace,” commonly used in legal or covenant contexts.
2. וּגְזַר לְהוֹן קְיָם — “And he made with them an oath”
– גְזַר — Peʿal perfect 3ms of גזר, “he decreed / enacted / imposed.”
– קְיָם — “A standing (oath),” legal term meaning a firm or binding commitment.
3. לְקַיָמוּתְהוֹן — “To let them live”
– קַיָמוּת — Abstract noun meaning “preservation / survival.”
– -הוֹן — third mp suffix, “their.”
– Entire phrase means: “for their survival” or “to preserve their lives.”
4. וְקַיְימוּ לְהוֹ רַבְרְבֵי כְּנִשְׁתָּא — “And the leaders of the congregation confirmed it with him”
– קַיְימוּ — Peʿal perfect 3mp of קום, “they established / ratified.”
– רַבְרְבֵי כְּנִשְׁתָּא — “The leaders of the congregation,” a construct chain:
– רַבְרְבֵי = “leaders / elders”
– כְּנִשְׁתָּא = “the assembly / congregation”
Legal Terms Table
| Phrase | Translation | Grammatical Notes |
|---|---|---|
| עבד לְהוֹן שְׁלָם | made peace with them | Peʿal perfect + noun object with pronominal preposition |
| גְזַר קְיָם | enacted an oath | Legal phrase with Peʿal verb + abstract noun |
| לְקַיָמוּתְהוֹן | to preserve their lives | Infinitive-like abstract noun + 3mp suffix |
| קַיְימוּ לְהוֹ | they ratified with him | Peʿal perfect plural + prepositional suffix |
From Roots to Reverence
In this quiet verse, grammar enforces law. The Targum’s use of עבד ,גזר, and קַיְימוּ forms a trio of legal authority, while the recurring suffixes root the covenant in community and clarity. What begins as trickery ends in treaty—and Targum Jonathan binds it all with verbs of permanence.
Grammar, here, does not only speak peace.
It legally enacts it.
