Then Adoni-bezek said, "Seventy kings with their thumbs and big toes cut off have gathered the scraps under my table. As I have done to them, so God has repaid me." And they brought him to Jerusalem, where he died. Then Adoni-bezek saidAdoni-bezek, whose name means "lord of Bezek," was a Canaanite king. The historical context reveals that he was a powerful ruler who had subdued many other kings. His acknowledgment here is significant as it shows a moment of self-awareness and recognition of divine justice. The phrase indicates a turning point where a pagan king acknowledges the sovereignty of the God of Israel, which is a recurring theme in the Old Testament. Seventy kings
The number seventy often symbolizes completeness or totality in the Bible. This phrase suggests the extent of Adoni-bezek's conquests and the severity of his actions. Historically, the practice of subjugating defeated kings by mutilating them was a way to ensure they could not fight again, demonstrating the brutal nature of ancient Near Eastern warfare. with their thumbs and big toes cut off
This gruesome practice rendered the kings unable to wield weapons or run effectively, symbolizing total defeat and humiliation. In the Hebrew context, the loss of thumbs and big toes would have been seen as a loss of strength and honor. This act of mutilation was a common practice in ancient times to incapacitate enemies, reflecting the harsh realities of ancient justice and warfare. used to gather scraps under my table
This imagery of defeated kings reduced to scavenging for food like dogs under a table highlights the complete reversal of their fortunes. It serves as a metaphor for humiliation and subjugation. In the biblical context, eating scraps signifies a fall from power and dignity, emphasizing the consequences of pride and tyranny. As I have done, so God has repaid me
Adoni-bezek's statement is a profound acknowledgment of divine retribution. The Hebrew concept of "measure for measure" justice is evident here, where one's actions are returned upon them. This reflects a biblical principle that God is just and that human actions have consequences. It serves as a moral lesson on the inevitability of divine justice. They brought him to Jerusalem
Jerusalem, at this time, was not yet the central city of Israel but was significant as a stronghold. Bringing Adoni-bezek to Jerusalem symbolizes the transfer of power and the beginning of Israelite dominance in the region. It foreshadows Jerusalem's future importance in biblical history as the city of David and the spiritual center of Israel. and he died there
The death of Adoni-bezek in Jerusalem marks the end of his reign and serves as a narrative closure to his story. It signifies the ultimate judgment and the fulfillment of divine justice. In the broader biblical narrative, the death of a tyrant in Jerusalem can be seen as a precursor to the establishment of God's chosen people in the land, reinforcing the theme of divine sovereignty and justice. Persons / Places / Events 1. Adoni-bezekA Canaanite king who was defeated by the tribes of Judah and Simeon. Known for his cruelty, he had previously mutilated seventy kings by cutting off their thumbs and big toes. 2. Seventy KingsThese were rulers defeated by Adoni-bezek, who were humiliated by having their thumbs and big toes cut off, rendering them powerless and dependent. 3. Judah and SimeonTribes of Israel that worked together to defeat Adoni-bezek, demonstrating the unity and strength of the Israelites in their conquest of Canaan. 4. JerusalemThe city where Adoni-bezek was brought after his defeat and where he eventually died. This location later becomes significant as the capital of Israel. 5. RetributionThe event of Adoni-bezek's defeat and mutilation serves as a divine retribution for his own actions, illustrating the biblical principle of "measure for measure." Teaching Points Divine JusticeThe account of Adoni-bezek reminds us that God's justice is perfect and that He repays according to one's deeds. We should live righteously, knowing that our actions have consequences. Humility Over PrideAdoni-bezek's downfall serves as a warning against pride and cruelty. As Christians, we are called to treat others with kindness and humility, reflecting Christ's love. Unity in PurposeThe collaboration between the tribes of Judah and Simeon highlights the importance of unity among believers. Working together in faith can lead to victory over challenges. Repentance and ForgivenessWhile Adoni-bezek recognized his wrongdoing, his account encourages us to seek repentance and God's forgiveness before facing the consequences of our actions. The Sovereignty of GodThis passage illustrates God's control over history and events. Trusting in His sovereignty can bring peace and assurance in our lives. Bible Study Questions 1. How does the account of Adoni-bezek illustrate the biblical principle of "measure for measure," and how can this principle be applied in our daily lives? 2. In what ways does the collaboration between Judah and Simeon serve as a model for unity within the church today? 3. Reflect on a time when you experienced or witnessed divine justice. How did it impact your understanding of God's character? 4. How can we guard against pride and cruelty in our interactions with others, and what steps can we take to cultivate humility? 5. Considering the sovereignty of God demonstrated in this passage, how can we trust Him more fully in the uncertainties of our own lives? Connections to Other Scriptures The principle of retribution seen in Adoni-bezek's fate is echoed in the New Testament, where Jesus teaches about the measure we use being measured back to us. The account of Adoni-bezek can be connected to the broader theme of justice and divine retribution found throughout the Old Testament, such as in the accounts of Pharaoh in Exodus or Haman in Esther. The concept of humility and the consequences of pride can be linked to Proverbs, where pride is often warned against and humility is encouraged. People Abednego, Achsah, Adonibezek, Ahiman, Amalekites, Amorites, Anak, Anath, Arad, Arba, Asher, Asherites, Benjamin, Benjamites, Caleb, Canaanites, Dan, Danites, Debir, Edomites, Hittites, Hobab, Israelites, Jebusites, Joseph, Joshua, Kenaz, Manasseh, Naphtali, Naphtalites, Othniel, Perizzites, Rehob, Sheshai, Simeon, Simeonites, Talmai, Zebulun, ZidonPlaces Acco, Achzib, Ahlab, Aijalon, Akrabbim, Aphik, Arad, Ashkelon, Beth-anath, Bethel, Beth-shan, Beth-shemesh, Bezek, Debir, Dor, Ekron, Gaza, Gezer, Gibeah, Hebron, Helbah, Hormah, Ibleam, Jerusalem, Kiriath-arba, Kiriath-sepher, Kitron, Luz, Megiddo, Mount Heres, Nahalol, Negeb, Rehob, Sela, Shaalbim, Sidon, Taanach, ZephathTopics Adoni-bezek, Big, Cut, Died, Gathered, Jerusalem, Kings, Paid, Picked, Requited, Scraps, Seventy, Table, Thumbs, ToesDictionary of Bible Themes Judges 1:7 5493 retribution
5573 table Judges 1:1-20 7266 tribes of Israel Judges 1:4-7 5568 suffering, causes Judges 1:4-8 7240 Jerusalem, history Judges 1:6-7 5192 thumbs
5571 surgery Library The Historical Books.
1. In the Pentateuch we have the establishment of the Theocracy, with the preparatory and accompanying history pertaining to it. The province of the historical books is to unfold its practiced working, and to show how, under the divine superintendence and guidance, it accomplished the end for which it was given. They contain, therefore, primarily, a history of God's dealings with the covenant people under the economy which he had imposed upon them. They look at the course of human events on the …
E. P. Barrows—Companion to the BibleThe Coast of the Asphaltites, the Essenes. En-Gedi.
"On the western shore" (of the Asphaltites) "dwell the Essenes; whom persons, guilty of any crimes, fly from on every side. A nation it is that lives alone, and of all other nations in the whole world, most to be admired; they are without any woman; all lust banished, &c. Below these, was the town Engadda, the next to Jerusalem for fruitfulness, and groves of palm-trees, now another burying-place. From thence stands Massada, a castle in a rock, and this castle not far from the Asphaltites." Solinus, …
John Lightfoot—From the Talmud and Hebraica Beth-El. Beth-Aven.
Josephus thus describes the land of Benjamin; "The Benjamites' portion of land was from the river Jordan to the sea, in length: in breadth, it was bounded by Jerusalem and Beth-el." Let these last words be marked, "The breadth of the land of Benjamin was bounded by Jerusalem and Beth-el." May we not justly conclude, from these words, that Jerusalem and Beth-el were opposite, as it were, in a right line? But if you look upon the maps, there are some that separate these by a very large tract of land, …
John Lightfoot—From the Talmud and Hebraica Tsippor
"Tsippor is the greatest city of Galilee, and built in a very strong place." "Kitron (Judg 1:29,30) is Tsippor: and why is it called Tsippor? Because it is seated upon a mountain as Tsippor, a bird." "Sixteen miles on all sides from Tsippor was a land flowing with milk and honey." This city is noted in Josephus for its warlike affairs; but most noted in the Talmudists for the university fixed there, and for the learning, which Rabbi Judah the Holy brought hither, as we have said before. He sat in …
John Lightfoot—From the Talmud and Hebraica A Nation's Struggle for a Home and Freedom.
ISRAEL'S VICTORIES OVER THE CANAANITES.--Josh. 2-9; Judg. 1, 4, 5. Parallel Readings. Hist. Bible II,1-4.1. Prin. of Politics X. That the leaders took the lead in Israel, That the people volunteered readily, Bless Jehovah! Zebulun was a people who exposed themselves to deadly peril, And Naphtali on the heights of the open field. Kings came, they fought; They fought, the kings of Canaan, At Taanach by the Waters of Megiddo, They took no booty of silver. Prom heaven fought the stars, From their …
Charles Foster Kent—The Making of a Nation The Place of the Old Testament in Divine Revelation
[Sidenote: Advent of the Hebrews] Modern discovery and research have demonstrated that the truth revealed through the Babylonians and with less definiteness through the people of the Nile was never entirely lost. Such a sad waste was out of accord with the obvious principles of divine economy. As the icy chill of ceremonialism seized decadent Babylonia and Egypt, there emerged from the steppes south and east of Palestine a virile, ambitious group of nomads, who not only fell heir to that which …
Charles Foster Kent—The Origin & Permanent Value of the Old Testament The Prophet Jonah.
It has been asserted without any sufficient reason, that Jonah is older than Hosea, Joel, Amos, and Obadiah,--that he is the oldest among the prophets whose written monuments have been preserved to us. The passage in 2 Kings xiv. 25, where it is said, that Jonah, the son of Amittai the prophet, prophesied to Jeroboam the happy success of his arms, and the restoration of the ancient boundaries of Israel, and that this prophecy was confirmed by the event, cannot decide in favour of this assertion, …
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament Scythopolis. Beth-Shean, the Beginning of Galilee.
The bonds of Galilee were, "on the south, Samaris and Scythopolis, unto the flood of Jordan." Scythopolis is the same with Beth-shean, of which is no seldom mention in the Holy Scriptures, Joshua 17:11; Judges 1:27; 1 Samuel 31:10. "Bethsaine (saith Josephus), called by the Greeks Scythopolis." It was distant but a little way from Jordan, seated in the entrance to a great valley: for so the same author writes, "Having passed Jordan, they came to a great plain, where lies before you the city Bethsane," …
John Lightfoot—From the Talmud and Hebraica The Country of Jericho, and the Situation of the City.
Here we will borrow Josephus' pencil, "Jericho is seated in a plain, yet a certain barren mountain hangs over it, narrow, indeed, but long; for it runs out northward to the country of Scythopolis,--and southward, to the country of Sodom, and the utmost coast of the Asphaltites." Of this mountain mention is made, Joshua 2:22, where the two spies, sent by Joshua, and received by Rahab, are said to "conceal themselves." "Opposite against this, lies a mountain on the other side Jordan, beginning from …
John Lightfoot—From the Talmud and Hebraica The Hebrews and the Philistines --Damascus
THE ISRAELITES IN THE LAND OF CANAAN: THE JUDGES--THE PHILISTINES AND THE HEBREW KINGDOM--SAUL, DAVID, SOLOMON, THE DEFECTION OF THE TEN TRIBES--THE XXIst EGYPTIAN DYNASTY--SHESHONQ OR SHISHAK DAMASCUS. The Hebrews in the desert: their families, clans, and tribes--The Amorites and the Hebrews on the left bank of the Jordan--The conquest of Canaan and the native reaction against the Hebrews--The judges, Ehud, Deborah, Jerubbaal or Gideon and the Manassite supremacy; Abimelech, Jephihdh. The Philistines, …
G. Maspero—History Of Egypt, Chaldaea, Syria, Babylonia, and Assyria, V 6 Jews and Gentiles in "The Land"
Coming down from Syria, it would have been difficult to fix the exact spot where, in the view of the Rabbis, "the land" itself began. The boundary lines, though mentioned in four different documents, are not marked in anything like geographical order, but as ritual questions connected with them came up for theological discussion. For, to the Rabbis the precise limits of Palestine were chiefly interesting so far as they affected the religious obligations or privileges of a district. And in this respect …
Alfred Edersheim—Sketches of Jewish Social Life Judges
For the understanding of the early history and religion of Israel, the book of Judges, which covers the period from the death of Joshua to the beginning of the struggle with the Philistines, is of inestimable importance; and it is very fortunate that the elements contributed by the later editors are so easily separated from the ancient stories whose moral they seek to point. That moral is most elaborately stated in ii. 6-iii. 6, which is a sort of programme or preface to iii. 7-xvi. 31, which constitutes …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament Links Judges 1:7 NIVJudges 1:7 NLTJudges 1:7 ESVJudges 1:7 NASBJudges 1:7 KJV
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