And the men of Israel said unto the Hivites, Peradventure ye dwell among us; and how shall we make a league with you?
Peradventure ye dwell among us. The answer of the Israelites implied that they had no discretion, that their orders were imperative, and that if the strangers belonged to any of the native tribes, the idea of an alliance with them was unlawful, since God had forbidden it (Exodus 23:32; Exodus 34:12; Deuteronomy 7:2).