New American Standard Bible 1995

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Joshua

10

:

16

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

Lexicon

Verse part Definition: Part of speech: Strong's: Hebrew: Transliteration:
Now these these Pronoun H428 הָאֵ֑לֶּה ha·'el·leh;
Analysis:

 

five five Noun H2568 חֲמֵ֖שֶׁת cha·me·shet
Analysis:

Five: Incompletion or lacking

For a person to understand the meaning of the number “five”, one must first realize that the meaning of the number ten is completion or wholeness. Since five is half of ten, the idea is that the number five represents incompletion or that which is lacking. A Scripture that expresses this idea is found in the book of John. At a place called Beit Chesed (Bethesda), there was a pool whose waters healed the sick. The reader is told that around the pool there were five porches. It is stated that on these five porches laid individuals who were not whole. Some were paralyzed and the rest of them had a variety of health problems. It is not a chance happening that these people who were lacking their health were on five porches. Another well-known passage that contains the number five is found in I Samuel 17. In the account of David and Goliath, David picks up five stones (see I Samuel 17:40). Why is the reader told the specific number and not simply that David had gathered a few stones? The answer is to assist the reader in understanding that the stone, which David hurled at Goliath, was not the source of victory. Rather, this was only the means that God used to accomplish His victory. In other words, the stone and even David, who hurled this stone at Goliath, were insufficient to bring about this victory.

One of the first places where the idea of "lacking" or "incompleteness" is seen regarding the number five is in the book of Genesis. In chapter 18, two angels are sent to Sodom to destroy the city. God tells Abraham that if 50 righteous people are found in the city, then the city will be free of this punishment (We will learn that the number 50 is related to freedom when this number is studied). This is revealed to Abraham and he responds saying, perhaps the city will lack 50 righteous people by five. It is significant that Abraham uses the number five when referring to the city lacking enough righteous people. 

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kings king Noun H4428 הַמְּלָכִ֣ים ham·me·la·chim
had fled to flee, escape Verb H5127 וַיָּנֻ֕סוּ vai·ya·nu·su
and hidden to withdraw, hide Verb H2244 וַיֵּחָבְא֥וּ vai·ye·cha·ve·'u
themselves in the cave a cave Noun H4631 בַמְּעָרָ֖ה vam·me·'a·rah
at Makkedah. a place in Judah Noun H4719 בְּמַקֵּדָֽה׃ be·mak·ke·dah.
Analysis:
Read more about: Makkedah

Locations

Makkedah

MAKKEDAHma-ke'-da (maqqedhah; Makeda): A Canaanite royal city which Joshua captured, utterly destroying the inhabitants, and doing to the king as he had done unto the king of Jericho (Joshua 10:28; Joshua 12:16). It lay in the Shephelah of Judah (Joshua 15:41). It was brought into prominence by the flight thither of the 5 kings of the Amorites who, having un... View Details

Parallel Verses

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New American Standard Bible 1995 Now these five kings had fled and hidden themselves in the cave at Makkedah.
King James Bible Now But these five kings had fled fled, and hidden hid themselves in the a cave at Makkedah.
Hebrew Greek English Now these five kings had fled and hidden themselves in the cave at Makkedah.