20 Bible Verses about Caves As Places Of Refuge

And when the hand of the Midianites was sore upon Israel, the children of Israel made them dens in the mountains and caves and strongholds.

And David departed thence and escaped, and came unto the cave of Adullam. When his brethren and all his father's house heard it, they went thither to him. And there gathered unto him all men that were in cumbrance and in debt and troubled in their hearts, and he became a captain over them. And there were with him upon a four hundred men.

And Lot departed out of Zoar and dwelled in the mountains and his two daughters with him for he feared to tarry in Zoar: he dwelt therefore in a cave, both he and his two daughters also.

but the five kings fled and hid themselves in a cave at Makkedah. And it was told Joshua, saying, "The five kings are found hid in a cave at Makkedah." And Joshua said, roll great stones unto the mouth of the cave and appoint men thereto, for to keep them.

And he smote them leg and thigh with a mighty plague. And then he went and dwelt in the cave of the rock Etam. Then the Philistines came up and pitched against Judah, and lay in Lehi. And the men of Judah said, "Why are ye come against us?" And they answered, "To bind Samson are we come, even to do him as he hath done to us."read more.
Then three thousand men of Judah went down to the cave of the rock Etam, and said to Samson, "Knowest thou not that the Philistines are rulers over us? Wherefore then hast thou served us thus?" And he answered them, "As they served me, so have I served them."

And when the men of Israel saw themselves in a strait, and that the people were encumbered, they hid themselves in caves, in privy holes, in rocks, dens and pits.

Then Saul took three thousand men out of all Israel, and went to seek David and his men in the rocks, where nothing haunted but wild goats. And he came to the flocks of the sheep by a wayside where was a cave. And Saul went in to cover his feet. And David and his men sat along by the sides of the cave. And the men of David said unto him, "See, the day is come of which the LORD said unto thee, 'Behold, I will deliver thine enemy into thine hand, and thou shalt do with him what it pleaseth thee.'" Then David arose and cut off the tip of Saul's coat privily.read more.
And immediately David's heart smote him, because he had cut off the tip of Saul's coat. And he said unto his men, "The LORD keep me from doing that thing unto my master that is the LORD's anointed, to lay mine hand upon him: seeing he is the LORD's anointed." And so David kept off his servants with words, and suffered them not to go upon Saul. And when Saul was up out of the cave and gone away, David arose and went out of the cave and cried after Saul, saying, "My lord king!" And Saul looked behind him. And David stooped to the earth and bowed himself, and said to Saul, "Wherefore giveth thou an ear to men's words, that say, 'David seeketh thee evil?' Behold, this day thine eyes have seen how that the LORD had delivered thee this day into mine hand, in the cave. When they bade kill thee, mine eye had compassion on thee: and I said, 'I will not lay my hands on my master, for he is the LORD's anointed.' And moreover my father, see yet the tip of thy coat in my hand. And inasmuch as I killed thee not too, when I cut off the tip of thy coat; understand and see that there is neither evil nor rebelliousness in me, and that I have not sinned against thee. And yet thou huntest after my soul to take it. The LORD be judge between thee and me, and the LORD avenge me of thee. But mine hand be not upon thee. According to the old proverb, wickedness shall proceed out of the wicked: But mine hand be not upon thee. After whom art thou come out, thou king of Israel? After whom chasest thou? Even after a dead dog, and after a flea! The LORD be judge, and judge between thee and me, and see and plead my cause, and judge me free out of thine hand." When David had made an end of speaking all these words to Saul, Saul said, "Is this thy voice, my son David?" And he lifted up his voice and wept, and said to David, "Thou art more righteous than I, for thou hast rewarded me with good, and I have rewarded thee with evil. And thou hast showed this day how that thou hast dealt lovingly with me: forasmuch as when the LORD had locked me in thine hands, thou slewest me not. For who shall find his enemy, and let him depart a good way? Wherefore the LORD reward thee with good, for that thou hast done unto me this day. And now I know well that thou shalt be king, and that the kingdom of Israel shall be established in thine hand. Swear therefore unto me by the LORD, that thou shalt not destroy my seed after me, and that thou shalt not destroy my name out of my father's house." And David sware unto Saul, and Saul went home. But David and his men gat up unto a hold.

Behold, he lurketh now in some cave or in some other place. And thereto, though some of his men be overthrown at the first brunt, yet they that hear it will think the people that followeth Absalom be put to the worse.

And these three of the thirty of the lords went down and came to David in the harvest time unto the cave Adullam. And the Host of the Philistines had pitched in the valley of Giants.

And the three of the thirty chiefs went to a rock to David at the cave Adullam. And the Host of the Philistines had pitched in the valley of Rephaim.

insomuch that when Jezebel destroyed the Prophets of the LORD, he took a hundred of the Prophets and hid them, fifty in one cave and fifty in another, and provided bread and water for them. And Ahab said unto Obadiah, "Walk through the land, unto all fountains of water and unto all brooks, to see whether any grass may be found that we may save the horses and the mules, that we destroy not the beasts." And they divided the land between them to walk through it. Ahab went one way by himself, and Obadiah went another by himself.read more.
And it chanced, as Obadiah went in the way, that Elijah met him. And Obadiah knew him and fell on his face and said, "Art not thou my lord Elijah?" And he said unto him, "I am he. Go and tell Ahab that Elijah is here." And the other answered, "What have I sinned, that thou wouldest deliver me unto the hand of Ahab, to slay me? As surely as the LORD thy God liveth there is no nation or kingdom, whither my lord hath not sent, to seek thee. And when they said thou wast not there, he took an oath of the kingdom and nation, because he found thee not. And now thou sayest, 'Go and tell thy Lord Elijah is here.' And as soon as I am gone from thee, the spirit of the LORD shall carry thee away, whither I shall not know: and then when I have gone and told Ahab, and then he can not find thee, he shall slay me. And yet I thy servant have feared the LORD from my young age. Was it not told my lord what I did, when Jezebel slew the Prophets of the LORD? How I hid a hundred of the LORD's Prophets, fifty in one cave and as many in another, and provided them of bread and water?

and entered there into a cave and lodged there all night. And then the word of the LORD came to him, and said, "What doest thou here, Elijah?"

{To the Chanter, Destroy Not, Michtam of David, when he fled from Saul into the cave} Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me, for my soul trusteth in thee: and under the shadow of thy wings shall be my refuge, until this tyranny be overpast.

{The Instruction of David, a prayer when he was in the cave} I cry unto the LORD with my voice; yea, even unto the LORD do I make my supplication.

Men shall creep into holes of stone, and into caves of the earth, for the fear of the LORD, and from the glory of his majesty: what time as he shall arise to shake the earth. Then, then shall man cast away his gods of silver and gold - which he nevertheless had made to honour them - unto moles and bats that he may the better creep into the caves and rocks, and into the cliffs of hard stones, from the sight of the fearful judge and from the glory of his Majesty.

Ye Moabites shall leave the cities, and dwell in rocks of stone, and become like doves that make their nests in holes.

Get you hence, turn your backs, creep down into the deep, O ye citizens of Dedan. For I will bring destruction upon Esau; yea, and the day of his visitation.

Say thou these words unto them, 'Thus sayeth the LORD God: As truly as I live, all ye that dwell in this wilderness, shall be slain with the sword. Whatsoever is upon the field, will I give unto the beasts to be devoured: those that be in strongholds and dens, shall die of the pestilence.

which the world was not worthy of: They wandered in wilderness, in mountains, in dens and caves of the earth.

And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in dens, and in rocks of the hills,