So Joshua said, “Roll large stones against the mouth of the cave, and post men by it to guard them,
Parallel translations
- WEB Joshua said, “Roll large stones to cover the cave’s entrance, and set men by it to guard them;
- KJV And Joshua said, Roll great stones upon the mouth of the cave, and set men by it for to keep them:
- BSB So Joshua said, “Roll large stones against the mouth of the cave, and post men there to guard them.
- NKJV So Joshua said, “Roll large stones against the mouth of the cave, and set men by it to guard them.
- NLT he issued this command: “Cover the opening of the cave with large rocks, and place guards at the entrance to keep the kings inside.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Joshua orders the cave sealed with large stones and guarded. He secures the kings while pressing the larger battle.
Overview
Rather than pausing to deal with the kings immediately, Joshua confines them and posts guards so the rout can continue. His command reflects disciplined leadership that prioritizes finishing the God-given task. The sealed cave becomes a temporary holding for the kings whose final judgment is certain.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 6
- Matt 27:66So they went with the guard and made the tomb secure, sealing the stone.
- Job 21:30that the evil man is reserved to the day of calamity, That they are led out to the day of wrath?
- Amos 9:1I saw the Lord standing beside the altar, and he said, “Strike the tops of the pillars, that the thresholds may shake; and break them in pieces on the head of all of them; and I will kill the last of them with the sword: there shall not one of them flee away, and there shall not one of them escape.
- Amos 5:19As if a man fled from a lion, and a bear met him; Or he went into the house and leaned his hand on the wall, and a snake bit him.
- Josh 10:22Then Joshua said, “Open the cave entrance, and bring those five kings out of the cave to me.”
- Judg 9:46–49When all the men of the tower of Shechem heard of it, they entered into the stronghold of the house of Elberith.
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Christ at the center
Joshua — the same name as Jesus, 'the LORD saves' — leads God's people into their inheritance, a shadow of the greater Joshua who brings us into the true rest and the promised land that remains.
How Joshua 10:18 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.