Who was Adoni-zedek in the Bible?

Adoni-zedek was the Amorite king of Jerusalem who led a coalition of five kings against Joshua and the Israelites. He is a significant antagonist in the narrative of the Israelite conquest of Canaan, as recorded in the Book of Joshua.

What happened to Adoni-zedek in the Bible?

Adoni-zedek and his allied kings were defeated by Joshua at the Battle of Gibeon. After the battle, Joshua captured and executed the five kings, including Adoni-zedek, as described in Joshua 10:1-27.

Why is Adoni-zedek important in the Bible?

His story demonstrates God's fulfillment of His promise to give the land of Canaan to Israel. The defeat of this powerful coalition, led by the king of Jerusalem, was a major military victory that secured the central hill country for the Israelites (Joshua 10:42).

Adoni-zedek

Old TestamentMaleKing

Adoni-zedek, the king of Jerusalem, formed an alliance with other Amorite kings to fight against Joshua and the Israelites but was defeated and killed.

Adoni-zedek

Biography

Adoni-zedek, whose name means "lord of righteousness" or "my lord is righteous," was the Amorite king of Jerusalem during the Israelite conquest of Canaan (Joshua 10). When he heard that Joshua had destroyed Ai and that Gibeon had made peace with Israel, he coordinated a coalition of five Amorite kings, also including the kings of Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon, to attack Gibeon as punishment for their defection. Joshua marched through the night to Gibeon's defense. God struck the coalition with hailstones and granted Israel the famous long day in which the sun stood still (Joshua 10:12–14). The five kings fled and hid in a cave at Makkedah, where they were captured and executed.

Significance

Adoni-zedek's coalition and its crushing defeat represent one of the most dramatically narrated divine interventions in the conquest narrative. His campaign to punish Gibeon inadvertently triggered the most spectacular display of divine military assistance in the entire book of Joshua. Theologically, Adoni-zedek embodies the resistance of human kings to God's advancing purposes, a resistance that proves futile. The sun standing still at Gibeon (Joshua 10:13–14) declared unmistakably that the LORD himself was a warrior fighting for Israel. Adoni-zedek's execution by Joshua, who placed his foot on the king's neck (Joshua 10:24), fulfilled God's promise to give Israel authority over the land and served as a dramatic enactment of divine sovereignty over Canaan's rulers.

Verse Appearances (2)

Joshua

Joshua 10:1 Joshua 10:3

References

Orr, J. (ed.) (1915) The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Chicago: Howard-Severance Company. [Public Domain]
Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Translators Individualised Proper Names with all References (TIPNR). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
Church of England (1769) The Holy Bible, Authorized (King James) Version. [Public Domain]

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