Adoni-bezek (meaning “lord of Bezek”) was a ruthless Canaanite king whose brief but powerful story is recorded at the very beginning of the Book of Judges. His capture and subsequent fate served as a striking display of divine retribution for his own acts of cruel tyranny.
The Vicious Tyrant of Bezek
Adoni-bezek was the ruler of a city named Bezek, and his title suggests he was a major regional figure, a chieftain or king who had successfully waged war against his neighboring rulers. His cruelty was legendary, and he practiced a distinctive form of mutilation on his conquered enemies.
The tribes of Judah and Simeon, following the death of Joshua, were chosen by the LORD to lead the fight against the remaining Canaanite forces in the land (Judges 1:1-2). Their first engagement was against the Canaanites and the Perizzites in Bezek.
- KJV Scripture Reference:“And they found Adonibezek in Bezek: and they fought against him, and they slew the Canaanites and the Perizzites. But Adonibezek fled; and they pursued after him, and caught him, and cut off his thumbs and his great toes.” (Judges 1:5-6, KJV)
The Confession of Retribution
Upon his capture, Adoni-bezek was subjected to the very same mutilation he had inflicted on others. The act of cutting off the thumbs and great toes was a method of completely incapacitating a warrior, rendering him unable to effectively hold a sword or a shield, or to run in battle. This punishment prompted a profound and immediate confession from the pagan king, who recognized the hand of divine justice in his defeat.
- KJV Scripture Reference:“And Adonibezek said, Threescore and ten kings, having their thumbs and their great toes cut off, gathered their meat under my table: as I have done, so God hath requited me. And they brought him to Jerusalem, and there he died.” (Judges 1:7, KJV)
Adoni-bezek’s own testimony revealed that he had conquered seventy regional kings, inflicting this same horrible cruelty and forcing them into utter humiliation by gathering scraps beneath his dining table. His acknowledgment that his fate was a just repayment from God underscores a key theme of the entire Book of Judges: that there is a moral order in the universe, and that the LORD of Israel will execute justice upon the wicked.
Adoni-bezek was taken as a prisoner to Jerusalem, where he eventually died, his demise marking the beginning of the long, turbulent period of the Judges, where the Israelites’ own obedience would be constantly tested.