20 Bible Verses about Caves As Places Of Refuge

The Midianites overwhelmed Israel. Because of Midian the Israelites made shelters for themselves in the hills, as well as caves and strongholds.

So David left there and escaped to the cave of Adullam. When his brothers and the rest of his father's family learned about it, they went down there to him. All those who were in trouble or owed someone money or were discontented gathered around him, and he became their leader. He had about four hundred men with him.

Lot went up from Zoar with his two daughters and settled in the mountains because he was afraid to live in Zoar. So he lived in a cave with his two daughters.

The five Amorite kings ran away and hid in the cave at Makkedah. Joshua was told, "The five kings have been found hiding in the cave at Makkedah." Joshua said, "Roll large stones over the mouth of the cave and post guards in front of it.

He struck them down and defeated them. Then he went down and lived for a time in the cave in the cliff of Etam. The Philistines went up and invaded Judah. They arrayed themselves for battle in Lehi. The men of Judah said, "Why are you attacking us?" The Philistines said, "We have come up to take Samson prisoner so we can do to him what he has done to us."read more.
Three thousand men of Judah went down to the cave in the cliff of Etam and said to Samson, "Do you not know that the Philistines rule over us? Why have you done this to us?" He said to them, "I have only done to them what they have done to me."

The men of Israel realized they had a problem because their army was hard pressed. So the army hid in caves, thickets, cliffs, strongholds, and cisterns.

So Saul took three thousand select men from all Israel and went to find David and his men in the region of the rocks of the mountain goats. He came to the sheepfolds by the road, where there was a cave. Saul went into it to relieve himself. Now David and his men were sitting in the recesses of the cave. David's men said to him, "This is the day about which the Lord said to you, 'I will give your enemy into your hand, and you can do to him whatever seems appropriate to you.'" So David got up and quietly cut off an edge of Saul's robe.read more.
Afterward David's conscience bothered him because he had cut off an edge of Saul's robe. He said to his men, "May the Lord keep me far away from doing such a thing to my lord, who is the Lord's chosen one, by extending my hand against him. After all, he is the Lord's chosen one." David restrained his men with these words and did not allow them to rise up against Saul. Then Saul left the cave and started down the road. Afterward David got up and went out of the cave. He called out after Saul, "My lord, O king!" When Saul looked behind him, David kneeled down and bowed with his face to the ground. David said to Saul, "Why do you pay attention when men say, 'David is seeking to do you harm'? Today your own eyes see how the Lord delivered you -- this very day -- into my hands in the cave. Some told me to kill you, but I had pity on you and said, 'I will not extend my hand against my lord, for he is the Lord's chosen one.' Look, my father, and see the edge of your robe in my hand! When I cut off the edge of your robe, I didn't kill you. So realize and understand that I am not planning evil or rebellion. Even though I have not sinned against you, you are waiting in ambush to take my life. May the Lord judge between the two of us, and may the Lord vindicate me over you, but my hand will not be against you. It's like the old proverb says: 'From evil people evil proceeds.' But my hand will not be against you. Who has the king of Israel come out after? Who is it that you are pursuing? A dead dog? A single flea? May the Lord be our judge and arbiter. May he see and arbitrate my case and deliver me from your hands!" When David finished speaking these words to Saul, Saul said, "Is that your voice, my son David?" Then Saul wept loudly. He said to David, "You are more innocent than I, for you have treated me well, even though I have tried to harm you! You have explained today how you have treated me well. The Lord delivered me into your hand, but you did not kill me. Now if a man finds his enemy, does he send him on his way in good shape? May the Lord repay you with good this day for what you have done to me. Now look, I realize that you will in fact be king and that the kingdom of Israel will be established in your hand. So now swear to me in the Lord's name that you will not kill my descendants after me or destroy my name from the house of my father." David promised Saul this on oath. Then Saul went to his house, and David and his men went up to the stronghold.

At this very moment he is hiding out in one of the caves or in some other similar place. If it should turn out that he attacks our troops first, whoever hears about it will say, 'Absalom's army has been slaughtered!'

At the time of the harvest three of the thirty leaders went down to David at the cave of Adullam. A band of Philistines was camped in the valley of Rephaim.

Three of the thirty leaders went down to David at the rocky cliff at the cave of Adullam, while a Philistine force was camped in the Valley of Rephaim.

When Jezebel was killing the Lord's prophets, Obadiah took one hundred prophets and hid them in two caves in two groups of fifty. He also brought them food and water.) Ahab told Obadiah, "Go through the land to all the springs and valleys. Maybe we can find some grazing areas so we can keep the horses and mules alive and not have to kill some of the animals." They divided up the land between them; Ahab went one way and Obadiah went the other.read more.
As Obadiah was traveling along, Elijah met him. When he recognized him, he fell facedown to the ground and said, "Is it really you, my master, Elijah?" He replied, "Yes, go and say to your master, 'Elijah is back.'" Obadiah said, "What sin have I committed that you are ready to hand your servant over to Ahab for execution? As certainly as the Lord your God lives, my master has sent to every nation and kingdom in an effort to find you. When they say, 'He's not here,' he makes them swear an oath that they could not find you. Now you say, 'Go and say to your master, "Elijah is back."' But when I leave you, the Lord's spirit will carry you away so I can't find you. If I go tell Ahab I've seen you, he won't be able to find you and he will kill me. That would not be fair, because your servant has been a loyal follower of the Lord from my youth. Certainly my master is aware of what I did when Jezebel was killing the Lord's prophets. I hid one hundred of the Lord's prophets in two caves in two groups of fifty and I brought them food and water.

He went into a cave there and spent the night. All of a sudden the Lord spoke to him, "Why are you here, Elijah?"

For the music director; according to the al-tashcheth style; a prayer of David, written when he fled from Saul into the cave. Have mercy on me, O God! Have mercy on me! For in you I have taken shelter. In the shadow of your wings I take shelter until trouble passes.

A well-written song by David, when he was in the cave; a prayer. To the Lord I cry out; to the Lord I plead for mercy.

They will go into caves in the rocky cliffs and into holes in the ground, trying to escape the dreadful judgment of the Lord and his royal splendor, when he rises up to terrify the earth. At that time men will throw their silver and gold idols, which they made for themselves to worship, into the caves where rodents and bats live, so they themselves can go into the crevices of the rocky cliffs and the openings under the rocky overhangs, trying to escape the dreadful judgment of the Lord and his royal splendor, when he rises up to terrify the earth.

Leave your towns, you inhabitants of Moab. Go and live in the cliffs. Be like a dove that makes its nest high on the sides of a ravine.

Turn and flee! Take up refuge in remote places, you people who live in Dedan. For I will bring disaster on the descendants of Esau. I have decided it is time for me to punish them.

"This is what you must say to them, 'This is what the sovereign Lord says: As surely as I live, those living in the ruins will die by the sword, those in the open field I will give to the wild beasts for food, and those who are in the strongholds and caves will die of disease.

(the world was not worthy of them); they wandered in deserts and mountains and caves and openings in the earth.

Then the kings of the earth, the very important people, the generals, the rich, the powerful, and everyone, slave and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains.