But all the princes said unto all the congregation, We have sworn unto them by the Lord God of Israel: now therefore we may not touch them.
This we will do to them; we will even let them live, lest wrath be upon us, because of the oath which we sware unto them.— Josh. 9:19-20
The Hivites were one of the inhabitants of Canaan. They were also one of the seven groups that God has commanded to be wiped out when conquering the promised land (Deut. 7:1-2).
During Joshua’s conquest of Canaan, a group of Hivites deceived him into creating a covenant with them. This meant that Israel was unable to kill them as they were commanded. Instead, they decided to turn them into slaves, as woodcutters and water carriers.