Bible Strands
Joshua 10:16
Now the five kings had fled and hidden in the cave at Makkedah.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The narrator states that the five defeated kings fled and concealed themselves in a cave at Makkedah immediately after Joshua and the Israelite army return to their camp at Gilgal. This report sets the stage for the next verse where Joshua receives intelligence about their location.
The words — The Hebrew וַ/יָּנֻ֕סוּ (va/i.ya.Nu.su) literally means "and they fled," while וַ/יֵּחָבְא֥וּ (va/i.ye.cha.ve.'U) means "and they hid themselves." These consecutive verbs track the kings' rapid, panicked retreat from the pursuing Israelite forces.
The thread — The pattern of leaders and armies fleeing to caves for survival appears in Judges 6:2 and 1 Samuel 13:6, where threatened groups similarly seek subterranean refuge from advancing enemies.
Why it lands — The text requires the reader to acknowledge that military defeat forces even the highest-ranking opponents into desperate concealment, leaving no escape from the established outcome.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
But these five kings fled, and hid themselves in a cave at Makkedah.
Cross-references
- Judges 6:2 and the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel. Because of the Midianites, the Israelites prepared shelters for themselves in the mountains, caves, and strongholds.
- 1 Samuel 13:6 Seeing that they were in danger because their troops were hard-pressed, the men of Israel hid in caves and thickets, among the rocks, and in cellars and cisterns.
- 1 Samuel 24:3 Soon Saul came to the sheepfolds along the road, where there was a cave, and he went in to relieve himself. And David and his men were hiding in the recesses of the cave.
- 1 Samuel 24:8 After that, David got up, went out of the cave, and called out to Saul, “My lord the king!” When Saul looked behind him, David bowed facedown in reverence
- Psalms 48:4 For behold, the kings assembled; they all advanced together.
- Psalms 139:7 Where can I go to escape Your Spirit? Where can I flee from Your presence?
- Isaiah 2:10 Go into the rocks and hide in the dust from the terror of the LORD and the splendor of His majesty.
- Isaiah 2:19 Men will flee to caves in the rocks and holes in the ground, away from the terror of the LORD and from the splendor of His majesty, when He rises to shake the earth.
- Isaiah 24:21 In that day the LORD will punish the host of heaven above and the kings of the earth below.
- Amos 9:2 Though they dig down to Sheol, from there My hand will take them; and though they climb up to heaven, from there I will pull them down.