Instead of coming out to join Saul and his troops at Gilgal, the men of Israel hid in caves and fled across the Jordan River. They did so because they did not think there was a chance for the Israelites to defeat the Philistine army. They walked by sight rather than by faith. They knew Israel to be outnumbered and ill equipped for battle (see 1 Samuel 13:19–22). In terms of their hiding places: there were many caves in Palestine that could have provided a refuge for people in danger. David made use of them when he hid from Saul (1 Samuel 22:1; 1 Samuel 24:3). The lands of Gad and Reuben made up the territory known as Gilead, which was to the east of the Jordan River (Joshua 13:24–28).1
6 When the men of Israel saw that they were in trouble (for the people were hard pressed), the people hid themselves in caves and in holes and in rocks and in tombs and in cisterns,