33 Bible Verses about Caves
Most Relevant Verses
He entered a cave there and spent the night.
Then the word of the Lord came to him, and He said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
and they oppressed Israel. Because of Midian, the Israelites made hiding places for themselves in the mountains, caves, and strongholds.
So David left Gath and took refuge in the cave of Adullam. When David’s brothers and his father’s whole family heard, they went down and joined him there. In addition, every man who was desperate, in debt, or discontented rallied around him, and he became their leader. About 400 men were with him.
Lot departed from Zoar and lived in the mountains along with his two daughters, because he was afraid to live in Zoar. Instead, he and his two daughters lived in a cave.
Now the five defeated kings had fled and hidden themselves in the cave at Makkedah. It was reported to Joshua: “The five kings have been found; they are hiding in the cave at Makkedah.” Joshua said, “Roll large stones against the mouth of the cave, and station men by it to guard the kings.
He tore them limb from limb with a great slaughter, and he went down and stayed in the cave at the rock of Etam.
The men of Israel saw that they were in trouble because the troops were in a difficult situation. They hid in caves, thickets, among rocks, and in holes and cisterns.
So Saul took 3,000 of Israel’s choice men and went to look for David and his men in front of the Rocks of the Wild Goats. When Saul came to the sheep pens along the road, a cave was there, and he went in to relieve himself. David and his men were staying in the back of the cave, so they said to him, “Look, this is the day the Lord told you about: ‘I will hand your enemy over to you so you can do to him whatever you desire.’” Then David got up and secretly cut off the corner of Saul’s robe. read more.
Afterward, David’s conscience bothered him because he had cut off the corner of Saul’s robe. He said to his men, “I swear before the Lord: I would never do such a thing to my lord, the Lord’s anointed. I will never lift my hand against him, since he is the Lord’s anointed.” With these words David persuaded his men, and he did not let them rise up against Saul.
Then Saul left the cave and went on his way. After that, David got up, went out of the cave, and called to Saul, “My lord the king!” When Saul looked behind him, David bowed to the ground in homage. David said to Saul, “Why do you listen to the words of people who say, ‘Look, David intends to harm you’? You can see with your own eyes that the Lord handed you over to me today in the cave. Someone advised me to kill you, but I took pity on you and said: I won’t lift my hand against my lord, since he is the Lord’s anointed. See, my father! Look at the corner of your robe in my hand, for I cut it off, but I didn’t kill you. Look and recognize that there is no evil or rebellion in me. I haven’t sinned against you even though you are hunting me down to take my life. “May the Lord judge between you and me, and may the Lord take vengeance on you for me, but my hand will never be against you. As the old proverb says, ‘Wickedness comes from wicked people.’ My hand will never be against you. Who has the king of Israel come after? What are you chasing after? A dead dog? A flea? May the Lord be judge and decide between you and me. May He take notice and plead my case and deliver me from you.” When David finished saying these things to him, Saul replied, “Is that your voice, David my son?” Then Saul wept aloud and said to David, “You are more righteous than I, for you have done what is good to me though I have done what is evil to you. You yourself have told me today what good you did for me: when the Lord handed me over to you, you didn’t kill me. When a man finds his enemy, does he let him go unharmed? May the Lord repay you with good for what you’ve done for me today. “Now I know for certain you will be king, and the kingdom of Israel will be established in your hand. Therefore swear to me by the Lord that you will not cut off my descendants or wipe out my name from my father’s family.” So David swore to Saul. Then Saul went back home, and David and his men went up to the stronghold.
He’s probably already hiding in one of the caves or some other place. If some of our troops fall first, someone is sure to hear and say, ‘There’s been a slaughter among the people who follow Absalom.’
Three of the 30 leading warriors went down at harvest time and came to David at the cave of Adullam, while a company of Philistines was camping in the Valley of Rephaim.
Three of the 30 chief men went down to David, to the rock at the cave of Adullam, while the Philistine army was encamped in the Valley of Rephaim.
and took 100 prophets and hid them, 50 men to a cave, and provided them with food and water when Jezebel slaughtered the Lord’s prophets.
For the choir director: “Do Not Destroy.” A Davidic Miktam. When he fled before Saul into the cave.Be gracious to me, God, be gracious to me,
for I take refuge in You.
I will seek refuge in the shadow of Your wings
until danger passes.
A Davidic Maskil. When he was in the cave. A prayer.I cry aloud to the Lord;
I plead aloud to the Lord for mercy.
People will go into caves in the rocks
and holes in the ground,
away from the terror of the Lord
and from His majestic splendor,
when He rises to terrify the earth.
On that day people will throw
their silver and gold idols,
which they made to worship,
to the moles and the bats.
They will go into the caves of the rocks
and the crevices in the cliffs,
away from the terror of the Lord
and from His majestic splendor,
when He rises to terrify the earth.
Abandon the towns! Live in the cliffs,
residents of Moab!
Be like a dove
that nests inside the mouth of a cave.
Run! Turn back! Lie low,
residents of Dedan,
for I will bring Esau’s calamity on him
at the time I punish him.
“Tell them this: This is what the Lord God says: As surely as I live, those who are in the ruins will fall by the sword, those in the open field I have given to wild animals to be devoured, and those in the strongholds and caves will die by plague.
The world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and on mountains, hiding in caves and holes in the ground.
Then the kings of the earth, the nobles, the military commanders, the rich, the powerful, and every slave and free person hid in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains.
Then Jesus, angry in Himself again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone was lying against it.
He said to them, “If you are willing for me to bury my dead, listen to me and ask Ephron son of Zohar on my behalf to give me the cave of Machpelah that belongs to him; it is at the end of his field. Let him give it to me in your presence, for the full price, as a burial place.” Ephron was sitting among the Hittites. So in the presence of all the Hittites who came to the gate of his city, Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham: read more.
“No, my lord. Listen to me. I give you the field, and I give you the cave that is in it. I give it to you in the presence of my people. Bury your dead.” Abraham bowed down to the people of the land and said to Ephron in the presence of the people of the land, “Please listen to me. Let me pay the price of the field. Accept it from me, and let me bury my dead there.” Ephron answered Abraham and said to him, “My lord, listen to me. Land worth 400 shekels of silver—what is that between you and me? Bury your dead.” Abraham agreed with Ephron, and Abraham weighed out to Ephron the silver that he had agreed to in the presence of the Hittites: 400 shekels of silver at the current commercial rate. So Ephron’s field at Machpelah near Mamre—the field with its cave and all the trees anywhere within the boundaries of the field—became Abraham’s possession in the presence of all the Hittites who came to the gate of his city. After this, Abraham buried his wife Sarah in the cave of the field at Machpelah near Mamre (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan. The field with its cave passed from the Hittites to Abraham as a burial place.
His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah near Mamre, in the field of Ephron son of Zohar the Hittite.
Then he commanded them: “I am about to be gathered to my people. Bury me with my fathers in the cave in the field of Ephron the Hittite. The cave is in the field of Machpelah near Mamre, in the land of Canaan. This is the field Abraham purchased from Ephron the Hittite as a burial site. Abraham and his wife Sarah are buried there, Isaac and his wife Rebekah are buried there, and I buried Leah there. read more.
The field and the cave in it were purchased from the Hittites.”
They carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave at Machpelah in the field near Mamre, which Abraham had purchased as a burial site from Ephron the Hittite.
So David left Gath and took refuge in the cave of Adullam. When David’s brothers and his father’s whole family heard, they went down and joined him there.
People will go into caves in the rocks
and holes in the ground,
away from the terror of the Lord
and from His majestic splendor,
when He rises to terrify the earth.
to give me the cave of Machpelah that belongs to him; it is at the end of his field. Let him give it to me in your presence, for the full price, as a burial place.”
Now the five defeated kings had fled and hidden themselves in the cave at Makkedah.
From Thematic Bible
Caves » Were used as » Places of concealment
The men of Israel saw that they were in trouble because the troops were in a difficult situation. They hid in caves, thickets, among rocks, and in holes and cisterns.
and took 100 prophets and hid them, 50 men to a cave, and provided them with food and water when Jezebel
The world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and on mountains, hiding in caves and holes in the ground.
They let themselves be seen by the Philistine garrison, and the Philistines said, “Look, the Hebrews are coming out of the holes where they’ve been hiding!”
Caves » Afford no protection from the judgments of God
“Tell them this: This is what the Lord God says: As surely as I live, those who are in the ruins will fall by the sword, those in the open field I have given to wild animals to be devoured, and those in the strongholds and caves will die by plague.
and holes in the ground,
away from the terror of the Lord
and from His majestic splendor,
when He rises to terrify the earth.
Then the kings of the earth, the nobles, the military commanders, the rich, the powerful, and every slave and free person hid in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains.
Caves » Mentioned in scripture » En-gedi
From there David went up and stayed in the strongholds of En-gedi. When Saul returned from pursuing the Philistines, he was told, "David is in the wilderness near En-gedi."
When Saul came to the sheep pens along the road, a cave was there, and he went in to relieve himself.
Caves » Were used as » Haunts of robbers
Has this house, which is called by My name, become a den of robbers
This is the Lord’s declaration.
And He said to them,
Caves » Often capacious
So David left Gath and took refuge in the cave of Adullam.
When Saul came to the sheep pens along the road, a cave was there, and he went in to relieve himself.
Caves » Were used as » Resting places
He entered a cave
Then the word of the Lord came to him, and He said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
When Saul came to the sheep pens along the road, a cave was there, and he went in to relieve himself.
Caves » Were used as » Burial places
Then Jesus, angry
After this, Abraham buried his wife Sarah in the cave of the field at Machpelah near Mamre (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan.
Caves » Mentioned in scripture » Makkedah
But I have other sheep that are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will listen to My voice. Then there will be one flock, one shepherd. This is why the Father loves Me, because I am laying down My life so I may take it up again.
Caves » Mentioned in scripture » Adullam
So David left Gath and took refuge in the cave of Adullam.
Caves » Were used as » Dwelling-places
Lot departed from Zoar and lived in the mountains along with his two daughters, because he was afraid to live in Zoar. Instead, he and his two daughters lived in a cave.
Caves » Found in the » Open fields
Caves » Natural
The world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and on mountains, hiding in caves and holes in the ground.
Caves » Mentioned in scripture » Machpelah
to give me the cave of Machpelah that belongs to him; it is at the end of his field. Let him give it to me in your presence, for the full price, as a burial place.”
Caves » Found in the » Rocks
and holes in the ground,
away from the terror of the Lord
and from His majestic splendor,
when He rises to terrify the earth.
Caves » Were used as » Hiding places of wild beasts
and strangled prey for its lionesses.
It filled up its dens with the kill,
and its lairs with mauled prey.
Caves » Artificial
and they oppressed Israel.
Topics on Caves
Caves As Places Of Refuge
Judges 6:2and they oppressed Israel.
Caves For Burying
Genesis 23:9to give me the cave of Machpelah that belongs to him; it is at the end of his field. Let him give it to me in your presence, for the full price, as a burial place.”
Caves Used As Graves
Isaiah 65:4
spending nights in secret places,
eating the meat of pigs,
and putting polluted broth in their bowls.
People In Caves
Isaiah 2:19
and holes in the ground,
away from the terror of the Lord
and from His majestic splendor,
when He rises to terrify the earth.