פירוש על יהושע 9:7

Maybe you really live in our midst. Perhaps you are of those who dwell in the land.⁹The Torah explicitly states that the inhabitants of the land of Canaan were to be totally destroyed. It was forbidden to make any sort of treaty with them, as it is said “Do not make a treaty with them or with their gods.” (Shemos 23:32). The men of Givon therefore attempted to portray themselves as people who were not of Canaan and therefore not included in the destruction that was to befall all those who were inhabitants of the land. The verse states וַיאמְרוּ אִישׁ, and they said, but it is read וַיאמַר אִישׁ “the man of Yisroel said.” They all spoke together as a single person who had doubts about the truth of their presentation.