makkedah Summary and Overview

herdsman's place, one of the royal cities of the Canaanites (Josh. 12:16), near which was a cave where the five kings who had confederated against Israel sought refuge (10:10-29). They were put to death by Joshua, who afterwards suspended their bodies upon five trees. It has been identified with the modern village called Sumeil, standing on a low hill about 7 miles to the north-west of Eleutheropolis (Beit Jibrin), where are ancient remains and a great cave. The Israel Exploration surveyors have, however, identified it with el-Mughar, or "the caves," 3 miles from Jabneh and 2 1/2 southwest of Ekron, because, they say, "at this site only of all possible sites for Makkedah in the Israel plain do caves still exist." (See ADONI-ZEDEC T0000099.)

(place of shepherds), a place memorable in the annals of the conquest of Canaan as the scene of the execution by Joshua of the five confederate kings, #Jos 10:10-50| who had hidden themselves in a cave at this place. (It was a royal city of the Canaanites, in the plains of Judah. Conder identifies it with the modern el-Moghar, 25 miles northwest of Jerusalem, where are two caves large enough to contain five men each. Schaff says that "one cave has, curiously enough, five loculi rudely scooped in its side, and an enthusiast might contend that this was the very place of sepulchre of the five kings."-ED.)

MAK'KEDAH (place of shepherds), a royal city of the Canaanites in the plains of Judah, where Joshua executed the five confederate kings. Josh 10:10; Neh 12:16; Josh 15:41. Warren would identify it with el-Moghar, 25 miles north-west from Jerusalem, and Conder describes it as on the north side of the valley Sorek, 25 miles from Gibeon, close to the main road from Gaza to Lydda. There is a promontory divided into three tops, the last of which falls abruptly and supports a large mud village upon the steep eastern side and huddled around the caves. There are still two caves wherein five men might crowd, and the entrance could be easily blocked with the great stones which lie scattered near. One cave has, curiously enough, five loculi rudely scooped in its side, and an enthusiast might contend that this was the very place of sepulchre of the five kings who were hidden at Makkedah.

The place where Joshua (Joshua 10:10; Joshua 10:16-28) executed the five confederate kings in the afternoon of the 24 hours' day on which he won the victory at Bethhoron. The cave where they hid was a well known one close to Makkedah (the article, "the cave," in the Hebrew shows this). Joshua first made his captains put their feet upon the five kings' necks (Psalm 149:8-9; Malachi 4:3) to assure them by this earnest of their future success under God, then executed them deliberately and judicially, and left them hanging to five trees until evening in sight of the defenders of Makkedah so as to strike terror into the enemy. Next he took Makkedah and smote its king and all its inhabitants. Makkedah was in the shephelah or "low hilly region" (not "valley" as KJV); Joshua 15:33-41. El Mughar (Arabic, "the caves") village probably now represents Makkedah, at about eight miles' distance from Ramleh. Joshua 15:41 names Gederoth, Beth-dagon, Naameh, and Makkedah together, corresponding respectively to Kutrah, Beit Dejan, Nyaneh, and Mug hat; Kutrah and Mughar near together, Nyaneh six miles N.E., Belt Dejan 12 miles to the N.