20 Bible Verses about Caves As Places Of Refuge

and the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel, - because of Midian, did the sons of Israel prepare for themselves the hollows which were in the mountains, and the caves, and the strongholds.

David therefore departed thence, and escaped, into the cave of Adullam, - and, when his brethren and all the household of his father heard it, they went down unto him, thither. And there gathered themselves unto him - every one that was in distress, and every one that had a creditor, and every one embittered in soul, and he came to be over them as a prince, - and there were with him, about four hundred men.

And Lot went up out of Zoar, and dwelt in the mountain and his two daughters with him. for he feared to dwell in Zoar, so he dwelt in a cave, he, and his two daughters.

So these 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 ye great stones against the mouth of the cave, - and set over it men, to watch them;

So he smote them, leg on thigh, with a great smiting, - and went down and dwelt in a cleft of the crag Etam. Then went up the Philistines, and encamped in Judah, - and were spread abroad in Lehi. And the men of Judah said, Wherefore have ye come up against us? And they said - To bind Samson, are we come up, to do unto him as he hath done unto us.read more.
Then went down three thousand men out of Judah, unto the cleft of the crag Etam, and said unto Samson - Knowest thou not that the Philistines are lording it over us? What, then, is this thou hast done to us? And he said unto them, As they have done to me, so, have I done to them.

So, the men of Israel, saw they were in a strait, for the people had been harassed, - and the people had hidden themselves in caves, and in thickets, and among cliffs, and in holes, and in pits.

Then Saul took three thousand chosen men, out of all Israel, - and went to seek David and his men, over the face of the rocks of the mountain-goats. And he came into the sheep-folds by the way, there, being a cave, which Saul entered, to cover his feet, - David and his men, in the hinder part of the cave, having taken up their abode. So David's men said unto him - Lo! the day of which Yahweh said unto thee - Lo! I am about to deliver up thine enemy, into thy hand: therefore shall thou do unto him, as shall be good in thine eyes. And David arose, and cut off the corner of the robe which belonged to Saul, by stealth.read more.
And it came to pass afterwards that David's heart smote him, - because he had cut off the corner of the robe which belonged to Saul. And he said unto his men - Far be it from me, of Yahweh, that I should do this thing unto my lord, unto the Anointed of Yahweh, to thrust forth my hand against him, - for, the Anointed of Yahweh, is he! So David did chide his men with the words, and did not suffer them to rise up against Saul. And, Saul, rose up out of the cave, and went on his way. Then David rose up, afterwards, and went forth out of the cave, and cried out after Saul, saying - My lord, O king! And, when Saul looked about behind him, David inclined his face to the earth, and bowed himself down. Then said David to Saul, Wherefore shouldst thou hearken unto the words of the sons of earth, saying, - Lo! David is seeking thy hurt? Lo! this day, have thine own eyes seen, how Yahweh had delivered thee up, to-day, into my hand in the cave, and, when one bade me slay thee, I looked with compassion upon thee, - and I said - I will not thrust forth my hand against my lord, for, the Anointed of Yahweh, is he! But, my father, see, yea, see, the corner of thy robe in my hand, - for, in that I cut off the corner of thy robe, and yet did not slay thee, know thou, and see, that there is not in my hand either wrong or transgression, neither have I sinned against thee, yet art thou hunting my life, to take it. Let Yahweh do justice betwixt me and thee, and let Yahweh avenge me of thee, - but, mine own hand, shall not be upon thee. As saith the proverb of the ancients, From the lawless, proceedeth lawlessness, - mine own hand, therefore shall not be upon thee. After whom, hath the king of Israel come forth? After whom, art thou in pursuit? After a dead dog! after a single flea! Therefore shall, Yahweh, become, judge, and do justice betwixt me and thee, - that he may see, and plead my cause, and justly deliver me out of thy hand. And it came to pass, when David had made an end of speaking these words unto Saul, that Saul said, Thy voice, is this, my son David? And Saul lifted up his voice, and wept. And he said unto David, More righteous, art thou than I, for, thou, hast requited me, good, but, I, have requited thee, evil. Thou, then, hast told to-day, how thou hast dealt with me, for good, - how, when Yahweh had surrendered me into thy hand, thou didst not slay me. Yet, when a man findeth his enemy, will he let him get easily away? Yahweh, then, give thee, good, reward for what, this day, thou hast done unto me. Now, therefore, lo! I know that thou, shalt indeed become king, - and that the kingdom of Israel, shall be established in thy hand. Now, therefore, swear unto me by Yahweh, that thou wilt not eat off my seed, after me, - and wilt not destroy my name out of the house my father. So David sware unto Saul, - and Saul departed unto his own house, but, David and his men, went up on the stronghold.

Lo! by this time, hath, he, hidden himself in some pit, or other place, - and it shall be, as soon as he falleth upon them at the first, that he that hearkeneth for tidings will hear of it , and will say - There is a defeat among the people that are following Absolom:

And three of the thirty chiefs descended, and came in, towards harvest, unto David, unto the cave of Adullam, - although, a troop of Philistines, were encamped in the vale of Rephaim;

And three of the thirty chiefs went down upon the rock, unto David, into the cave of Adullam, - a host of Philistines, being encamped in the vale of Rephaim.

And so it came to pass, when Jezebel was cutting off the prophets of Yahweh, that Obadiah took a hundred prophets, and hid them by fifties in caves, and sustained them, with bread and water. So then Ahab said unto Obadiah, Go, and let us pass throughout the land, unto all the fountains of water, and unto all the ravines, peradventure we may find grass, and save alive horse and mule, and not have more of the beasts cut off. So they divided to them the land, to pass through it, - Ahab, went one way, by himself, and, Obadiah, went another way, by himself.read more.
And so it was, as Obadiah was on the road, that lo! Elijah, met him, - and he recognised him, and fell upon his face, and said - Now art, thou, my lord Elijah? And he said to him - I, am! Go, say to thy lord: Here, is, Elijah! And he said - How have I sinned, - that, thou, art delivering thy servant into the hand of Ahab, to put me to death? By the life of Yahweh thy God, there is no nation or kingdom, whither my lord hath not sent to seek thee, and, when they have said - Nay! he hath taken an oath of the kingdom or the nation, that no one could find thee; and, now, thou, art saying, - Go say to thy lord, Here, is, Elijah; so shall it come to pass, as soon as, I, go from thee, that, the spirit of Yahweh, shall carry thee away - whither I know not, and so, when I go in to tell Ahab, and he cannot find thee, then will he slay me, - and yet, thy servant, hath revered Yahweh, from my youth. Was it not told my lord, what I did when Jezebel was slaying the prophets of Yahweh, - how I hid, of the prophets of Yahweh, a hundred men - by fifties - in caves, and sustained them with bread and water?

And he entered, there, into a cave, and lodged there, - and lo! the word of Yahweh came unto him, and said to him, What doest thou here, Elijah?

Show me favour, O God, Show me favour, For, in thee, hath my soul sought refuge, - And, in the shadow of thy wings, will I seek refuge, Until the storm of ruin pass by.

With my voice - to Yahweh, make I outcry, With my voice - to Yahweh, make I supplication:

And they shall enter into the holes of the rocks, and into the caves of clay, - Because of the terribleness of Yahweh, And for his majestic splendour, When he ariseth to shake terribly the earth. In that day shall the son of earth cast his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, - which had been made for him to worship, into the hole of the mice, and to the bats; That he may enter into the clefts of the rocks, and into the fissures of the crags, - Because of the terribleness of Yahweh, And for his majestic splendour, When he ariseth to shake terribly the earth.

Leave ye the cities and dwell in the cliff, Ye inhabitants of Moab; And become ye as a dove, that maketh her nest in the further-side of the fissure mouth.

Flee ye turn go down deep to dwell, O inhabitant of Dedan, - For the doom of Esau, have I brought in upon him The time of his visitation.

Thus shalt thou say unto them, Thus saith My Lord Yahweh, As I live, surely, they who are in the waste places by the sword, shall fall, And him who is on the face of the field to the wild beast, have I given to be devoured,- And they who are in the mountain holds and in the pits :by pestilence, shall die;

Of whom the world, was not worthy - upon deserts, wandering, and mountains, and in caves, - and in the caverns of the earth.

And, the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rulers of thousands, and the rich, and the mighty, and every bondman and freeman, hid themselves within the caves and within the rocks of the mountains;