What Does Joshua 10:18 Mean in the King James?
And Joshua said, Roll great stones upon the mouth of the cave, and set men by it for to keep them:
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
The stone hides the kings; the watch ensures they remain contained.
THE MEANING
The cave’s opening is closed, and men are posted to keep the people within under custody. The barrier blocks the way out; the watch makes their continued presence unmistakable.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
What is hidden has disappeared.
THE ROOT
גֹּלּוּ
gollu
GROWS FROM
גלל
g-l-l
To roll or roll away
“Roll” in this verse is gollu. Here, the root describes stones rolled against a cave’s mouth; in Joshua 5:9, the same root describes reproach rolled away. The shared word holds closure and removal in one motion: what is rolled, and where, determines the result.
ALSO GROWS
galgal: Wheel; something that rolls
גַּלְגַּל
It preserves the root’s physical sense of rolling motion.
galloti: I have rolled away
גָּלֹתִי
In Joshua 5:9, this form describes the LORD rolling away reproach, echoing the verb used here for rolling stones into place.
לְשָׁמְרָם
leshomram
GROWS FROM
שמר
sh-m-r
To guard, watch, or keep
“Keep” in this verse is leshomram. The men are assigned a watch over the cave’s occupants. The root joins keeping with guarding: the kings remain in custody because someone stays at the opening.
ALSO GROWS
shomer: A guard or watchman
שֹׁמֵר
It names the role of the men posted at the cave.
mishmeret: A watch, guard duty, or custody
מִשְׁמֶרֶת
It shows how this root can describe an assigned period of guarding, not just keeping something safe.
יְהוֹשֻׁעַ
Yehoshua
GROWS FROM
ישע
y-sh-ʿ
To deliver or bring into safety; joined with the divine name in Yehoshua
Joshua’s name carries the root of deliverance, joined to the divine name. In this verse, that name stands beside a command that holds Israel’s enemies in custody.
ALSO GROWS
yeshuah: Deliverance
יְשׁוּעָה
It shares the name’s deliverance root and brings its nature into view.
moshiaʿ: Deliverer; one who brings rescue
מוֹשִׁיעַ
It is another form from the same root, connecting the name with the act of delivering.
THE PATTERN
A stone at an opening controls access by opening or closing the space beyond it.
And thither were all the flocks gathered: and they rolled the stone from the well’s mouth, and watered the sheep, and put the stone again upon the well’s mouth in his place.And a stone was brought, and laid upon the mouth of the den; and the king sealed it with his own signet, and with the signet of his lords; that the purpose might not be changed concerning Daniel.And laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock: and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed.THE THREAD
And the LORD said unto Joshua, This day have I rolled away the reproach of Egypt from off you. Wherefore the name of the place is called Gilgal unto this day.Joshua 10:18 uses galal to roll stones against the cave’s mouth; Joshua 5:9 uses the same root for the LORD’s rolling away of reproach. The shared word holds closure and removal in one motion: context shows whether the rolling confines or releases.
Read the SDV Bible.
Every verse has a Deep Dive in the app.
The iPhone Bible app with the Selah Decoded Version.
Does something in this reading look wrong? Tell us