Joshua 10:22
New International Version
Joshua said, “Open the mouth of the cave and bring those five kings out to me.”

New Living Translation
Then Joshua said, “Remove the rocks covering the opening of the cave, and bring the five kings to me.”

English Standard Version
Then Joshua said, “Open the mouth of the cave and bring those five kings out to me from the cave.”

Berean Standard Bible
Then Joshua said, “Open the mouth of the cave and bring those five kings out to me.”

King James Bible
Then said Joshua, Open the mouth of the cave, and bring out those five kings unto me out of the cave.

New King James Version
Then Joshua said, “Open the mouth of the cave, and bring out those five kings to me from the cave.”

New American Standard Bible
Then Joshua said, “Open the mouth of the cave and bring these five kings out to me from the cave.”

NASB 1995
Then Joshua said, “Open the mouth of the cave and bring these five kings out to me from the cave.”

NASB 1977
Then Joshua said, “Open the mouth of the cave and bring these five kings out to me from the cave.”

Legacy Standard Bible
Then Joshua said, “Open the mouth of the cave and bring these five kings out to me from the cave.”

Amplified Bible
Then Joshua said, “Open the mouth of the cave and bring out to me those five [Amorite] kings from the cave.”

Christian Standard Bible
Then Joshua said, “Open the mouth of the cave, and bring those five kings to me out of there.”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Then Joshua said, “Open the mouth of the cave, and bring those five kings to me out of there.”

American Standard Version
Then said Joshua, Open the mouth of the cave, and bring forth those five kings unto me out of the cave.

Contemporary English Version
Joshua told his soldiers, "Now, move the rocks from the entrance to the cave and bring those five kings to me."

English Revised Version
Then said Joshua, Open the mouth of the cave, and bring forth those five kings unto me out of the cave.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Joshua said, "Open the cave, and bring me the five kings!"

Good News Translation
Then Joshua said, "Open the entrance to the cave and bring those five kings out to me."

International Standard Version
Then Joshua gave this order: "Unseal the mouth of the cave and bring out these five kings to me from the cave."

Majority Standard Bible
Then Joshua said, “Open the mouth of the cave and bring those five kings out to me.”

NET Bible
Joshua said, "Open the cave's mouth and bring the five kings out of the cave to me."

New Heart English Bible
Then Joshua said, "Open the mouth of the cave, and bring those five kings out of the cave to me."

Webster's Bible Translation
Then said Joshua, Open the mouth of the cave, and bring those five kings to me out of the cave.

World English Bible
Then Joshua said, “Open the cave entrance, and bring those five kings out of the cave to me.”
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And Joshua says, “Open the mouth of the cave, and bring out to me these five kings from the cave”;

Young's Literal Translation
And Joshua saith, 'Open ye the mouth of the cave, and bring out unto me these five kings from the cave;'

Smith's Literal Translation
And Joshua will say, Open the mouth of the cave and bring forth to me these five kings out of the cave.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And Josue gave orders, saying: Open the mouth of the cave, and bring forth to me the five kings that lie hid therein.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And Joshua instructed, saying, “Open the mouth of the cave, and bring forward to me the five kings, who are hidden within it.”

New American Bible
Then Joshua said, “Open the mouth of the cave and bring me those five kings from the cave.”

New Revised Standard Version
Then Joshua said, “Open the mouth of the cave, and bring those five kings out to me from the cave.”
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Then said Joshua, Open the mouth of the cave, and bring out those five kings to me.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And Yeshua said: “Open the mouth of the cave and bring out to me these five Kings from the cave”
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Then said Joshua: 'Open the mouth of the cave, and bring forth those five kings unto me out of the cave.'

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And Joshua said, Open the cave, and bring out these five kings out of the cave.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Victory at Makkedah
21The whole army returned safely to Joshua in the camp at Makkedah, and no one dared to utter a word against the Israelites. 22Then Joshua said, “Open the mouth of the cave and bring those five kings out to me.” 23So they brought the five kings out of the cave—the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon.…

Cross References
Joshua 2:1-24
Then Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two spies from Shittim, saying, “Go, inspect the land, especially Jericho.” So they went and entered the house of a prostitute named Rahab and stayed there. / And it was reported to the king of Jericho: “Behold, some men of Israel have come here tonight to spy out the land.” / So the king of Jericho sent to Rahab and said, “Bring out the men who came to you and entered your house, for they have come to spy out the whole land.” ...

Joshua 6:22-25
Meanwhile, Joshua told the two men who had spied out the land, “Go into the house of the prostitute and bring out the woman and all who are with her, just as you promised her.” / So the young spies went in and brought out Rahab, her father and mother and brothers, and all who belonged to her. They brought out her whole family and settled them outside the camp of Israel. / Then the Israelites burned up the city and everything in it. However, they put the silver and gold and articles of bronze and iron into the treasury of the LORD’s house. ...

Joshua 8:29
He hung the king of Ai on a tree until evening, and at sunset Joshua commanded that they take down the body from the tree and throw it down at the entrance of the city gate. And over it they raised a large pile of rocks, which remains to this day.

Joshua 9:2
they came together to wage war against Joshua and Israel.

Judges 1:24-25
and when the spies saw a man coming out of the city, they said to him, “Please show us how to get into the city, and we will treat you kindly.” / So the man showed them the entrance to the city, and they put the city to the sword but released that man and all his family.

1 Samuel 15:32-33
Then Samuel said, “Bring me Agag king of the Amalekites.” Agag came to him cheerfully, for he thought, “Surely the bitterness of death is past.” / But Samuel declared: “As your sword has made women childless, so your mother will be childless among women.” And Samuel hacked Agag to pieces before the LORD at Gilgal.

1 Kings 20:30-34
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. / Then the servants of Ben-hadad said to him, “Look now, we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful. Let us go out to the king of Israel with sackcloth around our waists and ropes around our heads. Perhaps he will spare your life.” / So with sackcloth around their waists and ropes around their heads, they went to the king of Israel and said, “Your servant Ben-hadad says, ‘Please spare my life.’” And the king answered, “Is he still alive? He is my brother.” ...

2 Kings 10:25
When he had finished making the burnt offering, Jehu said to the guards and officers, “Go in and kill them. Do not let anyone out.” So the guards and officers put them to the sword, threw the bodies out, and went into the inner room of the temple of Baal.

2 Kings 25:4-7
Then the city was breached; and though the Chaldeans had surrounded the city, all the men of war fled by night by way of the gate between the two walls near the king’s garden. They headed toward the Arabah, / but the army of the Chaldeans pursued the king and overtook him in the plains of Jericho, and his whole army deserted him. / The Chaldeans seized the king and brought him up to the king of Babylon at Riblah, where they pronounced judgment on him. ...

Psalm 2:1-5
Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? / The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together, against the LORD and against His Anointed One: / “Let us break Their chains and cast away Their cords.” ...

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 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 39:4-5
When Zedekiah king of Judah and all the soldiers saw them, they fled. They left the city at night by way of the king’s garden, through the gate between the two walls, and they went out along the route to the Arabah. / But the army of the Chaldeans pursued them and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho. They seized him and brought him up to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon at Riblah in the land of Hamath, where he pronounced judgment on him.

Jeremiah 52:8-11
but the army of the Chaldeans pursued the king and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho, and his whole army deserted him. / The Chaldeans seized the king and brought him up to the king of Babylon at Riblah in the land of Hamath, where he pronounced judgment on Zedekiah. / There at Riblah the king of Babylon slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and he also killed all the officials of Judah. ...

Ezekiel 17:12-21
“Now say to this rebellious house: ‘Do you not know what these things mean?’ Tell them, ‘Behold, the king of Babylon came to Jerusalem, carried off its king and officials, and brought them back with him to Babylon. / He took a member of the royal family and made a covenant with him, putting him under oath. Then he carried away the leading men of the land, / so that the kingdom would be brought low, unable to lift itself up, surviving only by keeping his covenant. ...


Treasury of Scripture

Then said Joshua, Open the mouth of the cave, and bring out those five kings to me out of the cave.

1 Samuel 15:32
Then said Samuel, Bring ye hither to me Agag the king of the Amalekites. And Agag came unto him delicately. And Agag said, Surely the bitterness of death is past.

Joshua 10:16-18
But these five kings fled, and hid themselves in a cave at Makkedah…

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Cave Hole Joshua Kings Mouth Open Rock Stones
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Cave Hole Joshua Kings Mouth Open Rock Stones
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














Then Joshua said
This phrase introduces the leader of Israel, Joshua, who is a central figure in the conquest narratives of the Old Testament. The name "Joshua" is derived from the Hebrew "Yehoshua," meaning "Yahweh is salvation." Joshua is a type of Christ, leading God's people into the Promised Land, much like Jesus leads believers into eternal life. His leadership is marked by obedience to God and courage in the face of overwhelming odds, serving as an example for Christian leaders today.

Open the mouth of the cave
The "cave" here is a significant location in the narrative. Caves in the ancient Near East were often used as places of refuge or burial. In this context, the cave serves as a temporary prison for the five Amorite kings. The act of opening the cave signifies a transition from concealment to exposure, symbolizing the revelation of hidden sins or enemies. Spiritually, it can be seen as a call to bring hidden sins into the light of God's truth for judgment and redemption.

and bring those five kings out to me
The "five kings" represent the coalition of Amorite rulers who opposed Israel. Historically, this reflects the common practice of city-states forming alliances for mutual defense. Spiritually, these kings can symbolize the various strongholds or sins that believers must confront and overcome with God's help. Joshua's command to bring them out signifies the necessity of confronting and dealing with sin directly, rather than allowing it to remain hidden or ignored. This act of bringing them to Joshua, the leader appointed by God, underscores the importance of submitting our struggles to divine authority for resolution.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Then Joshua
יְהוֹשֻׁ֔עַ (yə·hō·wō·šu·a‘)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3091: Joshua -- 'the LORD is salvation', Moses' successor, also the name of a number of Israelites

said,
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר (way·yō·mer)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

“Open
פִּתְח֖וּ (piṯ·ḥū)
Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural
Strong's 6605: To open wide, to loosen, begin, plough, carve

the mouth
פִּ֣י (pî)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 6310: The mouth, edge, portion, side, according to

of the cave,
הַמְּעָרָ֑ה (ham·mə·‘ā·rāh)
Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 4631: A cavern

and bring those
הָאֵ֖לֶּה (hā·’êl·leh)
Article | Pronoun - common plural
Strong's 428: These, those

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

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

out
מִן־ (min-)
Preposition
Strong's 4480: A part of, from, out of

to
אֵלַ֗י (’ê·lay)
Preposition | first person common singular
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

me.”
וְהוֹצִ֣יאוּ (wə·hō·w·ṣî·’ū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Imperative - masculine plural
Strong's 3318: To go, bring, out, direct and proxim


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OT History: Joshua 10:22 Then Joshua said Open the mouth (Josh. Jos)
Joshua 10:21
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