As Adoni-bezek fled, they pursued him, seized him, and cut off his thumbs and big toes. Adoni-bezek fledThe name "Adoni-bezek" means "lord of Bezek," indicating his rule over the city of Bezek. Historically, Bezek is identified with a location in the territory of Judah, though its exact archaeological site remains uncertain. The act of fleeing suggests a moment of desperation and fear, as Adoni-bezek attempts to escape the consequences of his actions. This reflects a broader biblical theme where those who oppose God's people often find themselves in a state of panic and retreat. but they pursued him
The Israelites' pursuit of Adoni-bezek demonstrates their commitment to fulfilling God's command to conquer the land. The Hebrew root for "pursued" (רדף, radaph) conveys a sense of relentless pursuit, emphasizing the determination and obedience of the Israelites. This pursuit is not merely a physical chase but also a spiritual act of following God's directive to claim the Promised Land. and captured him
The capture of Adoni-bezek signifies a moment of divine justice. The Israelites' success in capturing him is a testament to God's faithfulness in delivering their enemies into their hands. Historically, capturing a king or leader was a significant victory, symbolizing the defeat of the entire nation or city. This act underscores the power and authority of God working through His chosen people. and cut off his thumbs and big toes
This action may seem harsh by modern standards, but it carries significant historical and theological implications. In ancient Near Eastern cultures, cutting off the thumbs and big toes of a captured king was a common practice to incapacitate him, preventing him from wielding a weapon or running effectively. Theologically, this act serves as a measure-for-measure justice, as Adoni-bezek himself admits in the following verse that he had done the same to seventy kings. This reflects the biblical principle of retributive justice, where individuals reap what they sow, highlighting God's sovereignty and justice. Persons / Places / Events 1. Adoni-bezekA Canaanite king who ruled over seventy kings, known for his cruelty in cutting off their thumbs and big toes. His name means "lord of Bezek." 2. BezekA location in the territory of Judah where the Israelites defeated Adoni-bezek. It is significant as the place of his capture and punishment. 3. The IsraelitesThe people of God, specifically the tribes of Judah and Simeon, who were tasked with driving out the inhabitants of the Promised Land. 4. The Pursuit and CaptureThe event where the Israelites pursued Adoni-bezek, captured him, and enacted justice by cutting off his thumbs and big toes. 5. Divine JusticeThe overarching theme of this event, highlighting the principle of retributive justice as Adoni-bezek received the same treatment he had inflicted on others. Teaching Points Retributive JusticeThe account of Adoni-bezek serves as a reminder of the biblical principle of retributive justice. It underscores the importance of understanding that our actions have consequences. God's SovereigntyThis event illustrates God's sovereignty in using the Israelites to execute justice. It reminds us that God is in control and will bring about justice in His timing. The Consequences of SinAdoni-bezek's fate is a stark reminder of the consequences of sin and cruelty. It encourages believers to live righteously and treat others with kindness and respect. Repentance and ForgivenessWhile the account focuses on justice, it also prompts us to consider the importance of repentance and seeking God's forgiveness to avoid the consequences of sin. The Role of God's PeopleThe Israelites' role in executing justice highlights the responsibility of God's people to stand against evil and uphold righteousness in their communities. Bible Study Questions 1. How does the principle of retributive justice in Judges 1:6 relate to the broader biblical teaching on justice and mercy? 2. In what ways can we see God's sovereignty at work in the events of Judges 1:6, and how does this encourage us in our own lives? 3. What lessons can we learn from Adoni-bezek's fate about the consequences of sin and the importance of living a life that honors God? 4. How can we apply the principle of sowing and reaping, as seen in Adoni-bezek's account, to our daily interactions and decisions? 5. What role do we, as believers, have in standing against injustice and promoting righteousness in our communities, and how can we do this effectively? Connections to Other Scriptures Leviticus 24:19-20This passage discusses the principle of "an eye for an eye," which is reflected in the retributive justice seen in Adoni-bezek's punishment. Matthew 7:2Jesus teaches about the measure we use to judge others being used against us, which parallels the justice Adoni-bezek experienced. Galatians 6:7The principle of sowing and reaping is evident in Adoni-bezek's fate, as he reaped what he had sown in his cruelty. 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 Adonibezek, Adoni-bezek, Ado'ni-be'zek, Adoni-zedek, Big, Caught, Chased, Cut, Fled, Fleeth, Flight, Overtook, Pursue, Pursued, Seize, Thumbs, ToesDictionary of Bible Themes Judges 1:6 5346 injury
5372 knife
5824 cruelty, examples 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
5296 disabilities
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 1:6 NIVJudges 1:6 NLTJudges 1:6 ESVJudges 1:6 NASBJudges 1:6 KJV
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