KJV ORIGINAL
And Joshua said, Roll great stones upon the mouth of the cave, and set men by it for to keep them:
Close to the original. Clear modern English.
✦ MADE SIMPLE
And Joshua said, 'Roll large stones over the opening of the cave, and station men there to guard them.'
⚡ THE BOTTOM LINE
Joshua is commanding his soldiers to trap the five enemy kings in a cave by blocking the entrance with huge stones and posting guards to make sure they can't escape.
📚 Historical Context
This occurs during Joshua's conquest of Canaan when five Amorite kings had hidden in a cave at Makkedah after their defeat. Rather than dealing with them immediately, Joshua chose to seal them in temporarily while he completed the battle against their armies. This strategic decision allowed Joshua to focus on the larger military objective without worrying about the kings escaping.
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