"a cave, cavern, den, hideout, Mt. 21:13; Mk. 11:17; Lk. 19:46; Jn. 11:38; Heb. 11:38; Rev. 6:5*"
Definition and meaning
a cave, cavern, den, hideout, Mt. 21:13; Mk. 11:17; Lk. 19:46; Jn. 11:38; Heb. 11:38; Rev. 6:5*
In the original Greek the word is written: σπήλαιον
Historical context
Rome had controlled Judea since 63 BC. Herod the Great rebuilt the Temple into one of the most magnificent structures in the ancient world — and simultaneously murdered members of his own family. The common people paid multiple layers of taxation and were politically powerless. Into that world a carpenter from Galilee began teaching that the kingdom of God had arrived.
The people who first heard this word were not reading a book — they were living through empires, oppression, exile, and covenant. Every word carried the weight of that reality. Understanding it changes how you read Scripture.
Scripture references
These are the most notable occurrences of spelaion (G4693) across the King James Bible.
And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.
And he taught, saying unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer? but ye have made it a den of thieves.
Saying unto them, It is written, My house is the house of prayer: but ye have made it a den of thieves.
Jesus therefore again groaning in himself cometh to the grave. It was a cave, and a stone lay upon it.
(Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.
And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;
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Common questions
Strong's G4693 (spelaion) is a Greek word that means: a cave, cavern, den, hideout, Mt. 21:13; Mk. 11:17; Lk. 19:46; Jn. 11:38; Heb. 11:38; Rev. 6:5* It appears 6 times in the King James Bible.
The word spelaion (G4693) appears 6 times in the original Greek text.
Strong's G4693 is spelaion, a Greek word defined as: a cave, cavern, den, hideout, Mt. 21:13; Mk. 11:17; Lk. 19:46; Jn. 11:38; Heb. 11:38; Rev. 6:5*. James Strong catalogued this in his 1890 concordance to help English readers study the original languages of the Bible.
spelaion is a Greek word found in the New Testament.