Joshua 10:18
New International Version
he said, “Roll large rocks up to the mouth of the cave, and post some men there to guard it.

New Living Translation
he issued this command: “Cover the opening of the cave with large rocks, and place guards at the entrance to keep the kings inside.

English Standard Version
And Joshua said, “Roll large stones against the mouth of the cave and set men by it to guard them,

Berean Standard Bible
So Joshua said, “Roll large stones against the mouth of the cave, and post men there to guard them.

King James Bible
And Joshua said, Roll great stones upon the mouth of the cave, and set men by it for to keep them:

New King James Version
So Joshua said, “Roll large stones against the mouth of the cave, and set men by it to guard them.

New American Standard Bible
So Joshua said, “Roll large stones against the mouth of the cave, and post men by it to guard them,

NASB 1995
Joshua said, “Roll large stones against the mouth of the cave, and assign men by it to guard them,

NASB 1977
And Joshua said, “Roll large stones against the mouth of the cave, and assign men by it to guard them,

Legacy Standard Bible
And Joshua said, “Roll large stones against the mouth of the cave and assign men by it to keep watch over them,

Amplified Bible
Joshua said, “Roll large stones against the mouth of the cave, and assign men by it to guard them,

Christian Standard Bible
Joshua said, “Roll large stones against the mouth of the cave, and station men by it to guard the kings.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Joshua said, “Roll large stones against the mouth of the cave, and station men by it to guard the kings.

American Standard Version
And Joshua said, Roll great stones unto the mouth of the cave, and set men by it to keep them:

Contemporary English Version
Joshua answered, "Roll some big stones over the mouth of the cave and leave a few soldiers to guard it.

English Revised Version
And Joshua said, Roll great stones unto the mouth of the cave, and set men by it for to keep them:

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Joshua replied, "Roll large stones against the mouth of the cave, and post a guard there.

Good News Translation
He said, "Roll some big stones in front of the entrance to the cave. Place some guards there,

International Standard Version
So Joshua gave an order, "Roll large stones up against the mouth of the cave and assign men to stand guard there,

Majority Standard Bible
So Joshua said, “Roll large stones against the mouth of the cave, and post men there to guard them.

NET Bible
Joshua said, "Roll large stones over the mouth of the cave and post guards in front of it.

New Heart English Bible
Joshua said, "Roll large stones to the mouth of the cave, and set men by it to guard them;

Webster's Bible Translation
And Joshua said, Roll great stones upon the mouth of the cave, and set men by it to keep them:

World English Bible
Joshua said, “Roll large stones to cover the cave’s entrance, and set men by it to guard them;
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And Joshua says, “Roll great stones to the mouth of the cave, and appoint men over it to watch them;

Young's Literal Translation
And Joshua saith, 'Roll great stones unto the mouth of the cave, and appoint over it men to watch them;

Smith's Literal Translation
And Joshua will say, Roll great stones to the mouth of the cave, and set men over it to watch them.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And he commanded them that were with him, saying: Roll great stones to the mouth of the cave, and set careful men, to keep them shut up:

Catholic Public Domain Version
And he instructed his companions and said: “Roll vast stones to the mouth of the cave, and station attentive men who will keep them closed.

New American Bible
he said, “Roll large stones to the mouth of the cave and post guards over it.

New Revised Standard Version
Joshua said, “Roll large stones against the mouth of the cave, and set men by it to guard them;
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And Joshua said, Roll great stones, and put them upon the mouth of the cave, and leave men there to guard them.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And Yeshua said: “Roll great stones and set them over the doorway of the cave and leave men there to guard them
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And Joshua said: 'Roll great stones unto the mouth of the cave, and set men by it to keep them;

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And Joshua said, Roll stones to the mouth of the cave, and set men to watch over them.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Victory at Makkedah
17And Joshua was informed: “The five kings have been found; they are hiding in the cave at Makkedah.” 18So Joshua said, “Roll large stones against the mouth of the cave, and post men there to guard them. 19But you, do not stop there. Pursue your enemies and attack them from behind. Do not let them reach their cities, for the LORD your God has delivered them into your hand.”…

Cross References
Joshua 2:1-7
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 6:1-5
Now Jericho was tightly shut up because of the Israelites. No one went out and no one came in. / And the LORD said to Joshua, “Behold, I have delivered Jericho into your hand, along with its king and its mighty men of valor. / March around the city with all the men of war, circling the city one time. Do this for six days. ...

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 14:11-12
So the two of them showed themselves to the outpost of the Philistines, who exclaimed, “Look, the Hebrews are coming out of the holes in which they were hiding!” / So the men of the outpost called out to Jonathan and his armor-bearer, “Come on up, and we will teach you a lesson!” “Follow me,” Jonathan told his armor-bearer, “for the LORD has delivered them into the hand of Israel.”

1 Samuel 23:7-13
When Saul was told that David had gone to Keilah, he said, “God has delivered him into my hand, for he has trapped himself by entering a town with gates and bars.” / Then Saul summoned all his troops to go to war at Keilah and besiege David and his men. / When David learned that Saul was plotting evil against him, he said to Abiathar the priest, “Bring the ephod.” ...

2 Samuel 17:18-20
But a young man did see them and told Absalom. So the two left quickly and came to the house of a man in Bahurim. He had a well in his courtyard, and they climbed down into it. / Then the man’s wife took a covering, spread it over the mouth of the well, and scattered grain over it so nobody would know a thing. / When Absalom’s servants came to the woman at the house, they asked, “Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan?” “They have crossed over the brook,” she replied. The men searched but did not find them, so they returned to Jerusalem.

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 7:12
So the king got up in the night and said to his servants, “Let me tell you what the Arameans have done to us. They know we are starving, so they have left the camp to hide in the field, thinking, ‘When they come out of the city, we will take them alive and enter the city.’”

2 Kings 11:8
You must surround the king with weapons in hand, and anyone who approaches the ranks must be put to death. You must stay close to the king wherever he goes.”

2 Chronicles 18:24-26
Micaiah replied, “You will soon see, on that day when you go and hide in an inner room.” / And the king of Israel declared, “Take Micaiah and return him to Amon the governor of the city and to Joash the king’s son, / and tell them that this is what the king says: ‘Put this man in prison and feed him only bread and water until I return safely.’”

Nehemiah 6:10-13
Later, I went to the house of Shemaiah son of Delaiah, the son of Mehetabel, who was confined to his house. He said: “Let us meet at the house of God inside the temple. Let us shut the temple doors because they are coming to kill you—by night they are coming to kill you!” / But I replied, “Should a man like me run away? Should one like me go into the temple to save his own life? I will not go!” / I realized that God had not sent him, but that he had uttered this prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. ...

Psalm 31:20
You hide them in the secret place of Your presence from the schemes of men. You conceal them in Your shelter from accusing tongues.

Isaiah 26:20-21
Go, my people, enter your rooms and shut your doors behind you. Hide yourselves a little while until the wrath has passed. / For behold, the LORD is coming out of His dwelling to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity. The earth will reveal her bloodshed and will no longer conceal her slain.

Jeremiah 38:6-13
So they took Jeremiah and dropped him into the cistern of Malchiah, the king’s son, which was in the courtyard of the guard. They lowered Jeremiah with ropes into the cistern, which had no water but only mud, and Jeremiah sank down into the mud. / Now Ebed-melech the Cushite, a court official in the royal palace, heard that Jeremiah had been put into the cistern. While the king was sitting at the Gate of Benjamin, / Ebed-melech went out from the king’s palace and said to the king, ...

Ezekiel 33:27
Tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘As surely as I live, those in the ruins will fall by the sword, those in the open field I will give to be devoured by wild animals, and those in the strongholds and caves will die by plague.


Treasury of Scripture

And Joshua said, Roll great stones on the mouth of the cave, and set men by it for to keep them:

Joshua 10:22
Then said Joshua, Open the mouth of the cave, and bring out those five kings unto me out of the cave.

Judges 9:46-49
And when all the men of the tower of Shechem heard that, they entered into an hold of the house of the god Berith…

Job 21:30
That the wicked is reserved to the day of destruction? they shall be brought forth to the day of wrath.

Jump to Previous
Appoint Assign Cave Hole Joshua Large Mouth Post Rocks Roll Rolled Stones
Jump to Next
Appoint Assign Cave Hole Joshua Large Mouth Post Rocks Roll Rolled 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














So Joshua said
This phrase indicates the authoritative command of Joshua, the leader of Israel. Joshua, whose name means "Yahweh is salvation," is acting under divine guidance. His leadership is a continuation of Moses' mission, and his words carry the weight of God's directive. In the Hebrew context, the role of a leader was not just to command but to ensure the fulfillment of God's promises to His people.

Roll large stones
The act of rolling stones is significant in ancient warfare and burial practices. Stones were often used to seal tombs or caves, as seen in the New Testament with Jesus' tomb. Here, the stones serve a strategic military purpose, preventing the escape of the enemy kings. The Hebrew word for "roll" (גָּלַל, galal) implies a deliberate and forceful action, symbolizing the decisive nature of Joshua's command.

against the mouth of the cave
Caves in the ancient Near East were natural fortresses and places of refuge. The "mouth" of the cave is the entrance, which is crucial for both defense and entrapment. By sealing the cave, Joshua ensures that the enemy is contained. This action reflects a tactical understanding of warfare, using the natural landscape to Israel's advantage.

and post men there to guard them
The posting of guards signifies vigilance and the importance of maintaining control over the captured kings. In the Hebrew military context, guards were essential for both protection and the prevention of escape. This phrase underscores the need for diligence in executing God's plans. The act of guarding is not just physical but also spiritual, as it represents the safeguarding of God's promises and the fulfillment of His justice.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
So 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

“Roll
גֹּ֛לּוּ (gōl·lū)
Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural
Strong's 1556: To roll, roll away

large
גְּדֹל֖וֹת (gə·ḏō·lō·wṯ)
Adjective - feminine plural
Strong's 1419: Great, older, insolent

stones
אֲבָנִ֥ים (’ă·ḇā·nîm)
Noun - feminine plural
Strong's 68: A stone

against
אֶל־ (’el-)
Preposition
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

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 post
וְהַפְקִ֧ידוּ (wə·hap̄·qî·ḏū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Imperative - masculine plural
Strong's 6485: To visit, to oversee, muster, charge, care for, miss, deposit

men
אֲנָשִׁ֖ים (’ă·nā·šîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 582: Man, mankind

there
עָלֶ֛יהָ (‘ā·le·hā)
Preposition | third person feminine singular
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

to guard them.
לְשָׁמְרָֽם׃ (lə·šā·mə·rām)
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 8104: To hedge about, guard, to protect, attend to


Links
Joshua 10:18 NIV
Joshua 10:18 NLT
Joshua 10:18 ESV
Joshua 10:18 NASB
Joshua 10:18 KJV

Joshua 10:18 BibleApps.com
Joshua 10:18 Biblia Paralela
Joshua 10:18 Chinese Bible
Joshua 10:18 French Bible
Joshua 10:18 Catholic Bible

OT History: Joshua 10:18 Joshua said Roll large stones to (Josh. Jos)
Joshua 10:17
Top of Page
Top of Page