Joshua 10:16
New International Version
Now the five kings had fled and hidden in the cave at Makkedah.

New Living Translation
During the battle the five kings escaped and hid in a cave at Makkedah.

English Standard Version
These five kings fled and hid themselves in the cave at Makkedah.

Berean Standard Bible
Now the five kings had fled and hidden in the cave at Makkedah.

King James Bible
But these five kings fled, and hid themselves in a cave at Makkedah.

New King James Version
But these five kings had fled and hidden themselves in a cave at Makkedah.

New American Standard Bible
Now these five kings had fled and hidden themselves in the cave at Makkedah.

NASB 1995
Now these five kings had fled and hidden themselves in the cave at Makkedah.

NASB 1977
Now these five kings had fled and hidden themselves in the cave at Makkedah.

Legacy Standard Bible
And these five kings fled and hid themselves in the cave at Makkedah.

Amplified Bible
Now these five [Amorite] kings fled and hid themselves in the cave at Makkedah.

Christian Standard Bible
Now the five defeated kings had fled and hidden in the cave at Makkedah.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Now the five defeated kings had fled and hidden themselves in the cave at Makkedah.

American Standard Version
And these five kings fled, and hid themselves in the cave at Makkedah.

Contemporary English Version
While the enemy soldiers were running from the Israelites, the five enemy kings ran away and hid in a cave near Makkedah.

English Revised Version
And these five kings fled, and hid themselves in the cave at Makkedah.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
The five kings ran away and hid in the cave at Makkedah.

Good News Translation
The five Amorite kings, however, had escaped and were hiding in the cave at Makkedah.

International Standard Version
Meanwhile, the five kings had fled and hidden themselves inside a cave at Makkedah.

Majority Standard Bible
Now the five kings had fled and hidden in the cave at Makkedah.

NET Bible
The five Amorite kings ran away and hid in the cave at Makkedah.

New Heart English Bible
These five kings fled, and hid themselves in the cave at Makkedah.

Webster's Bible Translation
But these five kings fled, and hid themselves in a cave at Makkedah.

World English Bible
These five kings fled, and hid themselves in the cave at Makkedah.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And these five kings flee, and are hidden in a cave at Makkedah,

Young's Literal Translation
And these five kings flee, and are hidden in a cave at Makkedah,

Smith's Literal Translation
And these five kings will flee and will hide in a cave in Makkedah.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
For the five kings were fled, and had hidden themselves in a cave of the city of Maceda.

Catholic Public Domain Version
For the five kings had fled, and had hidden themselves in a cave, near the city of Makkedah.

New American Bible
The five kings who had fled hid in the cave at Makkedah.

New Revised Standard Version
Meanwhile, these five kings fled and hid themselves in the cave at Makkedah.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
But these five kings fled, and hid themselves in the cave of Makkar.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And these five Kings fled and they hid themselves in the cave of Maqar
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And these five kings fled, and hid themselves in the cave at Makkedah.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And these five kings fled, and hid themselves in a cave that is in Makeda.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Victory at Makkedah
16Now the five kings had fled and hidden in the cave at Makkedah. 17And Joshua was informed: “The five kings have been found; they are hiding in the cave at Makkedah.”…

Cross References
Judges 1:5-7
And there they found Adoni-bezek and fought against him, striking down the Canaanites and Perizzites. / As Adoni-bezek fled, they pursued him, seized him, and cut off his thumbs and big toes. / Then Adoni-bezek said, “Seventy kings with their thumbs and big toes cut off have gathered the scraps under my table. As I have done to them, so God has repaid me.” And they brought him to Jerusalem, where he died.

1 Samuel 17:51-54
David ran and stood over him. He grabbed the Philistine’s sword and pulled it from its sheath and killed him, and he cut off his head with the sword. When the Philistines saw that their hero was dead, they turned and ran. / Then the men of Israel and Judah charged forward with a shout and pursued the Philistines to the entrance of Gath and to the gates of Ekron. And the bodies of the Philistines were strewn along the Shaaraim road to Gath and Ekron. / When the Israelites returned from their pursuit of the Philistines, they plundered their camps. ...

2 Samuel 23:8-12
These are the names of David’s mighty men: Josheb-basshebeth the Tahchemonite was chief of the Three. He wielded his spear against eight hundred men, whom he killed at one time. / Next in command was Eleazar son of Dodo the Ahohite. As one of the three mighty men, he went with David to taunt the Philistines who had gathered for battle at Pas-dammim. The men of Israel retreated, / but Eleazar stood his ground and struck the Philistines until his hand grew weary and stuck to his sword. The LORD brought about a great victory that day. Then the troops returned to him, but only to plunder the dead. ...

1 Kings 20:30
The rest of them fled into the city of Aphek, where the wall fell on twenty-seven thousand of the remaining men. Ben-hadad also fled to the city and hid in an inner room.

2 Kings 7:17
Now the king had appointed the officer on whose arm he leaned to be in charge of the gate, but the people trampled him in the gateway, and he died, just as the man of God had foretold when the king had come to him.

Psalm 18:37-42
I pursued my enemies and overtook them; I did not turn back until they were consumed. / I crushed them so they could not rise; they have fallen under my feet. / You have armed me with strength for battle; You have subdued my foes beneath me. ...

Psalm 110:5-6
The Lord is at Your right hand; He will crush kings in the day of His wrath. / He will judge the nations, heaping up the dead; He will crush the leaders far and wide.

Isaiah 2:10-12
Go into the rocks and hide in the dust from the terror of the LORD and the splendor of His majesty. / The proud look of man will be humbled, and the loftiness of men brought low; the LORD alone will be exalted in that day. / For the Day of the LORD of Hosts will come against all the proud and lofty, against all that is exalted—it will be humbled—

Isaiah 24:21-22
In that day the LORD will punish the host of heaven above and the kings of the earth below. / They will be gathered together like prisoners in a pit. They will be confined to a dungeon and punished after many days.

Jeremiah 48:44
“Whoever flees the panic will fall into the pit, and whoever climbs from the pit will be caught in the snare. For I will bring upon Moab the year of their punishment,” declares the LORD.

Amos 9:1-3
I saw the Lord standing beside the altar, and He said: “Strike the tops of the pillars so that the thresholds shake. Topple them on the heads of all the people, and I will kill the rest with the sword. None of those who flee will get away; none of the fugitives will escape. / 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. / Though they hide themselves atop Carmel, there I will track them and seize them; and though they hide from Me at the bottom of the sea, there I will command the serpent to bite them.

Obadiah 1:3-4
The pride of your heart has deceived you, O dwellers in the clefts of the rocks whose habitation is the heights, who say in your heart, ‘Who can bring me down to the ground?’ / Though you soar like the eagle and make your nest among the stars, even from there I will bring you down,” declares the LORD.

Matthew 10:26
So do not be afraid of them. For there is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, and nothing hidden that will not be made known.

Matthew 24:29-31
Immediately after the tribulation of those days: ‘The sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.’ / At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and all the tribes of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. / And He will send out His angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.

Mark 13:24-27
But in those days, after that tribulation: ‘The sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; / the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.’ / At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. ...


Treasury of Scripture

But these five kings fled, and hid themselves in a cave at Makkedah.

and hid

Psalm 48:4-6
For, lo, the kings were assembled, they passed by together…

Psalm 139:7-10
Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? …

Isaiah 2:10-12
Enter into the rock, and hide thee in the dust, for fear of the LORD, and for the glory of his majesty…

in a cave

Judges 6:2
And the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel: and because of the Midianites the children of Israel made them the dens which are in the mountains, and caves, and strong holds.

1 Samuel 13:6
When the men of Israel saw that they were in a strait, (for the people were distressed,) then the people did hide themselves in caves, and in thickets, and in rocks, and in high places, and in pits.

1 Samuel 24:3,8
And he came to the sheepcotes by the way, where was a cave; and Saul went in to cover his feet: and David and his men remained in the sides of the cave…

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Cave Hid Hidden Hole Kings Makkedah Makke'dah Rock Secretly Themselves
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Cave Hid Hidden Hole Kings Makkedah Makke'dah Rock Secretly Themselves
Joshua 10
1. Five kings war against Gibeon
6. Joshua rescues it
10. God fights against them with hailstones
12. The sun and moon stand still at the word of Joshua
16. The five kings are murdered in a cave
22. They are brought forth
24. scornfully used
26. and hanged
28. Seven kings more are conquered
43. Joshua returns to Gilgal














Now the five kings
This phrase introduces the central figures of this passage, the five Amorite kings who led a coalition against Gibeon and, by extension, against Israel. Historically, these kings represent the resistance of the Canaanite city-states against the Israelite conquest. The number five often symbolizes human weakness and limitation in biblical numerology, contrasting with divine strength. These kings, despite their power and authority, are ultimately subject to God's will as executed through Joshua.

had fled
The act of fleeing indicates a state of fear and desperation. In the Hebrew context, the word used here can imply a hurried escape, often associated with a lack of hope or strategy. This reflects the psychological defeat of the kings even before their physical capture. Their flight is a testament to the overwhelming power of God working through Israel, fulfilling His promise to give them victory over their enemies.

and hidden
The kings' attempt to hide signifies their recognition of impending defeat. In biblical narratives, hiding often symbolizes shame and the futility of escaping God's judgment. This echoes the theme of divine justice, where no act of concealment can thwart God's plans. Theologically, it serves as a reminder that human efforts to evade divine justice are ultimately in vain.

in the cave
Caves in ancient times were often used as places of refuge or burial. Archaeologically, caves in the region of Makkedah have been identified, providing a tangible connection to the biblical narrative. Symbolically, a cave can represent a temporary shelter but also a tomb, foreshadowing the kings' ultimate fate. This duality underscores the transient nature of human power when opposed to God's eternal purposes.

at Makkedah
Makkedah is a location of strategic importance in the southern campaign of Joshua. Historically, it was a fortified city, and its mention here situates the narrative within a real geographical context. Theologically, Makkedah becomes a stage for God's deliverance of Israel and judgment upon the Canaanite kings. The name itself, possibly meaning "place of shepherds," contrasts the kings' leadership with the divine shepherding of Israel by God through Joshua.

(16) In a cave.--Literally, in the cave in Makkedah, and so Joshua 10:17.

Verse 16. - In a cave. "In the cave" according to the Masoretic pointing. So the LXX., τὸ σπήλαιον. Dr. Maclear remarks on the number of caves in Palestine (see Genesis 19:30; Judges 20:47), as well as the well-known caves of Adullam and Engedi (1 Samuel 22:1, 24:3), and the cave in which a hundred prophets were concealed by Obadiah (1 Kings 18:4). Also see note on Joshua 2:22. But Lieut. Conder believes that in this particular neighbourhood there were few caves. See note on Makkedah above, ver. 10. For "these five kings" the original has simply "five kings." The order of the narrative is somewhat interrupted by the introduction of Joshua's adjuration, and the account of the flight of the five kings. Compare ver. 11 with ver. 20.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Now the
הָאֵ֑לֶּה (hā·’êl·leh)
Article | Pronoun - common plural
Strong's 428: These, those

five
חֲמֵ֖שֶׁת (ḥă·mê·šeṯ)
Number - masculine singular construct
Strong's 2568: Five

kings
הַמְּלָכִ֣ים (ham·mə·lā·ḵîm)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 4428: A king

had fled
וַיָּנֻ֕סוּ (way·yā·nu·sū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 5127: To flit, vanish away

and hidden
וַיֵּחָבְא֥וּ (way·yê·ḥā·ḇə·’ū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 2244: To withdraw, hide

in the cave
בַמְּעָרָ֖ה (ḇam·mə·‘ā·rāh)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 4631: A cavern

at Makkedah.
בְּמַקֵּדָֽה׃ (bə·maq·qê·ḏāh)
Preposition-b | Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 4719: Makkedah -- a place in Judah


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OT History: Joshua 10:16 These five kings fled and hid themselves (Josh. Jos)
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