Hebrew word · H4631

מְעָרָה

me'arah

cave

A cave or cavern, natural or partly natural. People used caves as hiding places in wartime (Judges 6:2; 1 Samuel 13:6), as tombs (Genesis 23, Machpelah), and as hideouts (1 Kings 18:4, where Obadiah hid the prophets).

Appears 39 times in 36 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. ·

What it means

cave, den, hole

Abridged from Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of 1 Samuel 22:1

Range of meaning

A cave or cavern, natural or partly natural. People used caves as hiding places in wartime (Judges 6:2; 1 Samuel 13:6), as tombs (Genesis 23, Machpelah), and as hideouts (1 Kings 18:4, where Obadiah hid the prophets).

Against the English

'Cave' is accurate. A modern reader may picture one small dark hole. The limestone of the Judean lowlands has large cave systems, and some could hold many people and animals. The next verse has about four hundred men with David.

Used elsewhere in the period

In 2 Samuel 23:13 and 1 Chronicles 11:15, the 'cave of Adullam' is linked with 'the stronghold' during the Philistine wars. The headings of Psalms 57 and 142 place David 'in the cave' as he fled from Saul. Jewish and Christian tradition has connected these psalms with Adullam or with En-gedi (1 Samuel 24).

From the study of Genesis 25:9

Range of meaning

"The cave of the Machpelah." In the Bible makpēlâ appears only as the name of this place (Genesis 23, 25, 49, 50). It is most likely formed from the root k-p-l, "to double, fold". The article ("the") shows it began as a description, either of a cave with two chambers or of the land it lay in. Some read it as the name of the district, "the cave of (the land called) Machpelah" (compare 23:17, "the field of Ephron which was in Machpelah").

Against the English

English versions transliterate it as a name. The Septuagint (Greek) and Vulgate (Latin) translated it instead: "the double cave". That is where the long Jewish tradition of a two-chambered tomb comes from.

Used elsewhere in the period

Septuagint: to spēlaion to diploun, "the double cave". Later Jewish tradition (e.g. Genesis Rabbah) explains the doubling in several ways, including the pairs of couples buried there. Josephus mentions the patriarchs' tombs at Hebron, and the Herodian enclosure over the traditional site still stands.

From the study of Joshua 10:22

Range of meaning

A cave or cavern, often a natural limestone cave of the kind common in the Judean hills and the Shephelah, the low hills west of them. Caves served as hiding places from enemies (Judg 6:2; 1 Sam 13:6; 1 Sam 22:1; 24:3), as refuges (1 Kgs 18:4; 19:9) and as family tombs (Gen 23 and 49–50, the cave of Machpelah).

Against the English

English 'cave' is accurate. The only thing a modern reader may miss is how ordinary caves were, both as hiding places and as burial places, so that one cave can serve both purposes in one story.

Used elsewhere in the period

In the Hebrew Bible a cave is where the weak hide from the strong: Israelites from the Philistines (1 Sam 13:6), David from Saul (1 Sam 22, 24), the prophets from Jezebel (1 Kgs 18:4). Family burial in caves, and in rock-cut chambers that imitate caves, is well documented archaeologically for Iron Age Judah. The Greek Septuagint uses spēlaion, the normal word for cave.

Where it appears

Genesis · 11

  1. Genesis 19:30 בַּמְּעָרָ֔ה in the cave

    Lot and his two daughters left Zoar and settled in the mountains—for he was afraid to stay in Zoar—where they lived in a cave.

  2. Genesis 23:9 מְעָרַ֤ת [the] cave of

    to sell me the cave of Machpelah that belongs to him; it is at the end of his field. Let him sell it to me in your presence for full price, so that I may have a burial site.”

  3. Genesis 23:11 וְהַמְּעָרָ֥ה and the cave

    “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.”

  4. Genesis 23:17 וְהַמְּעָרָ֣ה and the cave

    So Ephron’s field at Machpelah near Mamre, the cave that was in it, and all the trees within the boundaries of the field were deeded over

  5. Genesis 23:19 מְעָרַ֞ת [the] cave of

    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.

    Here: A natural or cut cave in the limestone, the normal kind of family tomb in the Canaanite hill country.

  6. Genesis 23:20 וְהַמְּעָרָ֧ה and the cave

    So the field and its cave were deeded by the Hittites to Abraham as a burial site.

    Here: The natural or cut rock cave of Machpelah, which would serve as the family tomb. Caves cut into the limestone hills around Hebron were commonly used for family burial.

  7. Genesis 25:9 מְעָרַ֖ת [the] cave of

    His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah near Mamre, in the field of Ephron son of Zohar the Hittite.

    Here: "The cave of." A natural or cut rock chamber, the usual family tomb in the hill country of Canaan.

  8. Genesis 49:29 הַ֨מְּעָרָ֔ה the cave

    Then Jacob instructed 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.

    Here: 'The cave', with the definite article: the known family tomb, the one every hearer of Genesis 23 would recognize. Caves were commonly used as family burial places.

  9. Genesis 49:30 בַּמְּעָרָ֞ה in the cave

    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.

  10. Genesis 49:32 וְהַמְּעָרָ֥ה and the cave

    The field and the cave that is in it were purchased from the Hittites.”

  11. Genesis 50:13 בִּמְעָרַ֖ת in [the] cave of

    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 from Ephron the Hittite as a burial site.

Joshua · 8

  1. Joshua 10:16 בַמְּעָרָ֖ה in the cave

    Now the five kings had fled and hidden in the cave at Makkedah.

  2. Joshua 10:17 בַּמְּעָרָ֖ה in the cave

    And Joshua was informed: “The five kings have been found; they are hiding in the cave at Makkedah.”

  3. Joshua 10:18 הַמְּעָרָ֑ה the cave

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

  4. Joshua 10:22 הַמְּעָרָ֑ה הַמְּעָרָֽה׃ the cave

    Then Joshua said, “Open the mouth of the cave and bring those five kings out to me.”

    Here: 'The' cave, the particular one at Makkedah where the five kings hid (v. 16). The kings chose it as a hiding place, Joshua turned it into a holding cell, and in v. 27 it becomes their tomb.

  5. Joshua 10:23 הַמְּעָרָ֑ה the cave

    So they brought the five kings out of the cave—the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon.

  6. Joshua 10:27 הַמְּעָרָ֖ה הַמְּעָרָ֔ה the cave

    At sunset Joshua ordered that they be taken down from the trees and thrown into the cave in which they had hidden. Then large stones were placed against the mouth of the cave, and the stones are there to this day.

    Here: 'The cave' means the specific cave at Makkedah from vv. 16–18. In Israel's world caves were also ordinary family tombs (compare Machpelah, Genesis 23), so the hiding place literally becomes their grave.

Judges · 1

  1. Judges 6:2 הַמְּעָר֖וֹת the caves

    and the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel. Because of the Midianites, the Israelites prepared shelters for themselves in the mountains, caves, and strongholds.

1 Samuel · 7

  1. 1 Samuel 13:6 בַּמְּעָר֤וֹת in <the> caves

    Seeing that they were in danger because their troops were hard-pressed, the men of Israel hid in caves and thickets, among the rocks, and in cellars and cisterns.

    Here: The natural limestone caves found all over the hill country of Benjamin. They were the usual refuge in a crisis, and David later hides in one (1 Sam 22:1).

  2. 1 Samuel 22:1 מְעָרַ֣ת [the] cave of

    So David left Gath and took refuge in the cave of Adullam. When his brothers and the rest of his father’s household heard about it, they went down to him there.

    Here: A natural cave or rock hollow. The limestone hills of Judah are full of them, and people used them for shelter, storage, burial and hiding (Judges 6:2; 1 Samuel 13:6).

  3. 1 Samuel 24:3 מְעָרָ֔ה הַמְּעָרָ֖ה a cave, the cave

    Soon Saul came to the sheepfolds along the road, where there was a cave, and he went in to relieve himself. And David and his men were hiding in the recesses of the cave.

  4. 1 Samuel 24:7 מֵהַמְּעָרָ֖ה from the cave

    With these words David restrained his men, and he did not let them rise up against Saul. Then Saul left the cave and went on his way.

  5. 1 Samuel 24:8 מֵֽהַמְּעָרָ֔ה from the cave

    After that, David got up, went out of the cave, and called out to Saul, “My lord the king!” When Saul looked behind him, David bowed facedown in reverence

  6. 1 Samuel 24:10 בַּמְּעָרָ֔ה in the cave

    Behold, this day you have seen with your own eyes that the LORD delivered you into my hand in the cave. I was told to kill you, but I spared you and said, ‘I will not lift my hand against my lord, since he is the LORD’s anointed.’

2 Samuel · 1

  1. 2 Samuel 23:13 מְעָרַ֖ת [the] cave of

    At harvest time, three of the thirty chief men went down to David at the cave of Adullam, while a company of Philistines was encamped in the Valley of Rephaim.

1 Kings · 4

  1. 1 Kings 18:4 בַּמְּעָרָ֔ה in the cave

    for when Jezebel had slaughtered the prophets of the LORD, Obadiah had taken a hundred prophets and hidden them, fifty men per cave, providing them with food and water.)

    Here: 'The cave' is singular with 'the', but in context (and per v.13) it means 'to a cave' or 'per cave'. Israel's limestone hills are full of caves, the usual refuge of fugitives.

  2. 1 Kings 18:13 בַּמְּעָרָ֔ה in the cave

    Was it not reported to my lord what I did when Jezebel slaughtered the prophets of the LORD? I hid a hundred prophets of the LORD, fifty men per cave, and I provided them with food and water.

  3. 1 Kings 19:9 הַמְּעָרָ֖ה the cave

    There Elijah entered a cave and spent the night. And the word of the LORD came to him, saying, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

  4. 1 Kings 19:13 הַמְּעָרָ֑ה the cave

    When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Suddenly a voice came to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

1 Chronicles · 1

  1. 1 Chronicles 11:15 מְעָרַ֖ת [the] cave of

    Three of the thirty chief men went down to David, to the rock at the cave of Adullam, while a company of Philistines was encamped in the Valley of Rephaim.

Psalms · 2
Isaiah · 2

  1. Isaiah 2:19 בִּמְעָר֣וֹת in caves of

    Men will flee to caves in the rocks and holes in the ground, away from the terror of the LORD and from the splendor of His majesty, when He rises to shake the earth.

    Here: 'Into caves of'. This is the ordinary word for the natural limestone caves of the Judean hills, used as tombs, shelters and hiding places in war (Judg 6:2; 1 Sam 13:6).

  2. Isaiah 32:14 מְעָרוֹת֙ caves

    For the palace will be forsaken, the busy city abandoned. The hill and the watchtower will become caves forever—the delight of wild donkeys and a pasture for flocks—

Jeremiah · 1

  1. Jeremiah 7:11 הַמְעָרַ֣ת ¿ a den of

    Has this house, which bears My Name, become a den of robbers in your sight? Yes, I too have seen it, declares the LORD.

    Here: The prefix ha- here marks a question, not 'the'. A me'arah is a cave, and in Israel's stories a cave is where people hide: fugitives, outlaws, defeated kings. Putting this word first gives it the weight: 'A hideout cave? Is that what this house is?'

Ezekiel · 1

  1. Ezekiel 33:27 וּבַמְּעָר֖וֹת and in the caves

    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.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.