Adoni-Bezek
("Lord of Bezek", a city of Canaan.) Leading the confederated Canaanites and Perizzites, he was conquered by Judah and Simeon, who cut off his thumbs and great toes. Conscience struck, he confessed that 70 kings (petty princes) had gleaned (margin) their meat under his table, deprived of thumbs and great toes: "As I have done, so God hath requited me" (Jdg 1:4-7). Brought a prisoner to Jerusalem, he died there. God pays sinners in their own coin (1Sa 15:33).
Judah was not giving vent to his own cruelty, but executing God's lex talionis (Lev 24:19; Rev 16:6; Pro 1:31). The barbarity of Canaanite war usage's appears in his conduct. The history shows that Canaan was then parceled out among a number of petty chiefs.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia on Adoni-Bezek
Adonibezek a-do-ni-be'-zek ('adhonibhezeq "lord of Bezek"): Lord of a town, Bezek, in southern Palestine, whom the tribes of Judah and Simeon overthrew. Adonibezek fled when his men were defeated, but was captured, and was punished for his cruelty in cutting off the thumbs and great toes of seventy kings by a similar mutilation. Being brought to Jerusalem, he died there (Jg 1:5-7). This not to be confused with Adonizedek, as in the Septuagint. This is quite another name. ⇒See a list of verses on ADONI-BEZEK in the Bible. ⇒See also the McClintock and Strong Biblical Cyclopedia.
Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible on Adoni-Bezek
The name as it stands in Jg l*"' must mean, Bezek (an otherwise un- known deity) is my lord. The town of Bezek (which see) will then also have taken its name from that of the god. The chief of a Can. kingdom in S. Pal., he was defeated by the tribe of Judah, taken prisoner, and mutUated by having his thumbs and great toes cut otf. His boast was that he had similarly treated seventy kings. The mutilation was intended, while preserving the captive as a trophy, to render him incapable of mischief. According to Plutarch (Life of Lys. ), the Athenians decreed that every prisoner of war should lose his thumbs, so that whde fit to row he should be unfit to handle spear. Hannibal is accused (Valer. Max. ix. 2, ext. 2) of mutilating prisoners, 'prima pedum parte succisa.' These may be slanders, but they prove how conceivable such mutilation was even then, and what was its object at all times. A. C. Welch.
Smith's Bible Dictionary on Adoni-Bezek
(lord of Bezek), king of Bezek, a city of the Canaanites. [Bezek] This chieftain was vanquished by the tribe of Judah, (Judges 1:3-7) who cut off his thumbs and great toes, and brought him prisoner to Jerusalem, where he died. He confessed that he had inflicted the same cruelty upon 70 petty kings whom he had conquered. (B.C. 1425).
References
- Orr, J. (ed.) (1915) The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Chicago: Howard-Severance Company. [Public Domain]
- Easton, M.G. (1893) Easton's Bible Dictionary. 3rd edn. Thomas Nelson. [Public Domain]
- Nave, O.J. (1897) Nave's Topical Bible. Topical Bible Publishing Co.. [Public Domain]
- Hastings, J. (ed.) (1909) A Dictionary of the Bible. Edinburgh: T&T Clark. [Public Domain]
- Smith, W. (ed.) (1884) Smith's Bible Dictionary. London: John Murray. [Public Domain]
- Fausset, A.R. (1878) Fausset's Bible Dictionary. [Public Domain]A Critical and Expository Bible Cyclopaedia