The princes swear an oath — Joshua made peace with them and swore to them that he would let them live (וַיִּשְׁמְרוּ לָהֶם אֶת־הַנַּפְשׁ). The princes of the congregation swear an oath ('alah, אָלָה) to them. Once sworn before Israel's leadership, the covenant becomes irrevocable—not merely a pragmatic agreement but a sacred obligation. In ancient Near Eastern law and in Israel's covenantal theology, an oath invokes divine judgment and cannot be lightly dissolved.

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