Judges 1:7 kjv
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 nkjv
And Adoni-Bezek said, "Seventy kings with their thumbs and big toes cut off used to gather scraps under my table; as I have done, so God has repaid me." Then they brought him to Jerusalem, and there he died.
Judges 1:7 niv
Then Adoni-Bezek said, "Seventy kings with their thumbs and big toes cut off have picked up scraps under my table. Now God has paid me back for what I did to them." They brought him to Jerusalem, and he died there.
Judges 1:7 esv
And Adoni-bezek said, "Seventy kings with their thumbs and their big toes cut off used to pick up scraps under my table. As I have done, so God has repaid me." And they brought him to Jerusalem, and he died there.
Judges 1:7 nlt
Adoni-bezek said, "I once had seventy kings with their thumbs and big toes cut off, eating scraps from under my table. Now God has paid me back for what I did to them." They took him to Jerusalem, and he died there.
Judges 1 7 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Lev 24:19-20 | "If a man inflicts a disfigurement upon his neighbor, as he has done it shall be done to him... as he has disfigured a man, so shall it be disfigured upon him." | Lex talionis: Eye for an eye principle of retribution. |
| Deut 19:21 | "Your eye shall not pity. It shall be life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot." | God's law affirming proportional justice. |
| 1 Sam 15:33 | "As your sword has made women childless, so shall your mother be childless among women." | Samuel's judgment on Agag reflects retributive justice. |
| Judg 8:20-21 | Gideon killed Zebah and Zalmunna as they had killed his brothers. | A direct instance of justice enacted by an Israelite leader for past cruelties. |
| 1 Kgs 2:32-33 | "The LORD will bring back his bloodshed on his own head, because he attacked two men more righteous and better than he and murdered them..." | Solomon's judgment reflecting God's ultimate justice. |
| Ps 7:16 | "His mischief returns upon his own head; and his violence comes down on his own scalp." | Poetic expression of a doer suffering their own evil. |
| Ps 9:15-16 | "The nations have sunk in the pit that they made... The LORD has made himself known; he has executed judgment; by the work of his own hands the wicked is snared." | God’s justice is demonstrated through the self-entrapment of the wicked. |
| Prov 1:31 | "Therefore they shall eat the fruit of their own way, and have their fill of their own devices." | Consequences of one's choices resulting in personal detriment. |
| Prov 26:27 | "Whoever digs a pit will fall into it, and a stone will come back on him who starts it rolling." | A proverb illustrating the backfiring of wicked plans. |
| Obad 1:15 | "As you have done, it shall be done to you; your deeds shall return on your own head." | A prophetic declaration of judgment according to actions. |
| Isa 14:12 | "How you have fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of Dawn!" | Illustrates the downfall of a proud ruler, like Adoni-Bezek. |
| Jer 50:29 | "Repay her according to her deeds; according to all that she has done, do to her." | Divine command for Babylon's judgment to match its cruelty. |
| Matt 7:2 | "For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you." | Jesus' teaching on reciprocal judgment. |
| Gal 6:7 | "Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap." | A fundamental New Testament principle of spiritual retribution. |
| Rom 12:19 | "Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, 'Vengeance is Mine, I will repay, says the Lord.'" | Reinforces God as the ultimate dispenser of justice. |
| Rom 2:6 | "He will render to each one according to his works." | God's just judgment based on human actions. |
| Heb 10:30 | "For we know Him who said, 'Vengeance is Mine; I will repay.'" | Recalling the Old Testament principle of God's vengeance. |
| 2 Thes 1:6-7 | "Since indeed God considers it just to repay with affliction those who afflict you, and to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed..." | God's justice to be meted out at the Lord's return. |
| Rev 16:6 | "For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and you have given them blood to drink. It is what they deserve!" | Divine judgment on wicked rulers for their persecution. |
| Rev 18:6 | "Render to her as she herself has rendered, and repay her double for her deeds; mix a double portion for her in the cup she mixed." | God's judgment against Babylon, mirroring its actions. |
Judges 1 verses
Judges 1 7 Meaning
Judges 1:7 describes the defeat of Adoni-Bezek by the tribe of Judah. Captured and subjected to the same mutilation he inflicted upon seventy other kings – having his thumbs and big toes cut off – Adoni-Bezek acknowledges divine justice in his suffering. His confession, "As I have done, so God has repaid me," signifies a clear recognition of God's retributive justice, emphasizing that God's judgment is precise and reflects human actions. He was then taken to Jerusalem, where he eventually died, signifying the triumph of God's people and the end of his cruel reign.
Judges 1 7 Context
Judges 1:7 opens the historical narrative of the Book of Judges, immediately after the death of Joshua and the elders who remembered God's works. The chapter details the initial efforts of the tribes, particularly Judah, to complete the conquest of Canaan which Joshua had begun. This verse serves as a crucial theological and moral preamble to the tumultuous era described in Judges. It showcases the divine hand in the initial victories and sets a precedent for God's character as a just judge. The defeat of Adoni-Bezek, a powerful Canaanite king renowned for his cruelty, illustrates the principle of "measure for measure" justice (lex talionis), affirming that God is sovereign over human affairs, including the fall of wicked rulers. It contrasts the widespread brutal practices of Canaanite warfare with God's perfect justice. His self-acknowledged retribution by a pagan king further emphasizes God's undisputed authority even over the enemies of His people, establishing a theme of divine consequence that permeates the book.
Judges 1 7 Word analysis
- Then Adoni-Bezek said: This immediate declaration by Adoni-Bezek upon his capture is significant. His name (Heb. `ʼĂḏō-nî Bezeq`, אֲדֹנִי בֶּזֶק) means "My Lord (is) Bezek" or "Lord of Bezek." Bezek may be a place or could relate to "lightning." His direct admission highlights the clarity of divine retribution.
- Seventy kings: (Heb. `šiv‘îm mĕlāḵîm`, שִׁבְעִים מְלָכִים) The number seventy often signifies a large, complete, or extensive number in biblical context (e.g., seventy nations in Gen 10, seventy elders). It underscores the vast reach of Adoni-Bezek's power and the sheer scale of his atrocities, revealing him as a prominent and feared regional tyrant.
- with their thumbs and their big toes cut off: (Heb. `bĕhōnôṯ yĕdêhem wĕraḡlêhem qṣûṣîm`, בְּהֹנוֹת יְדֵיהֶם וְרַגְלֵיהֶם קְצוּצִים) This gruesome detail depicts a common practice of ancient Near Eastern warfare designed to incapacitate, humiliate, and terrorize conquered rulers. Cutting off thumbs rendered a person unable to hold a weapon, making them useless in battle. Cutting off big toes made running or standing firmly difficult, hindering escape or effective movement. It was a complete public humiliation and physical debilitation.
- used to gather food under my table: (Heb. `lāqṭū taḥaṯ šulḥānî`, לָקְטוּ תַחַת שֻׁלְחָנִי) This vivid imagery portrays the kings reduced to scavenging like dogs or abject beggars beneath Adoni-Bezek's dining table. It speaks of utter degradation, enslavement, and the ultimate expression of his power and their humiliation. It highlights the pride and dominance he once asserted.
- as I have done, so God has repaid me: (Heb. `ka’ăšer ‘āśîṯî kên šilêm lî ʼělōhîm`, כַּאֲשֶׁר עָשִׂיתִי כֵּן שִׁלֵּם לִי אֱלֹהִים) This is a profound and unsolicited confession from a Canaanite king. `ʼělōhîm` (God) here is a general term for deity, yet in the context of the Israelite conquest, it implicitly refers to the God of Israel. It represents a universal acknowledgment of the principle of lex talionis (retribution in kind). It testifies to God's moral order, His absolute justice, and His sovereignty over all kings, whether they acknowledge Him or not.
- And they brought him to Jerusalem, and he died there: The journey to Jerusalem signifies not just his captivity but also a symbol of divine justice coming to its full conclusion in the heart of the land Israel was conquering. His death in Jerusalem, though not necessarily immediate, seals his fate and marks the finality of his punishment.
Judges 1 7 Bonus section
The immediate and voluntary confession by Adoni-Bezek stands as a remarkable theological point. Unlike many instances in scripture where divine judgment is executed with no acknowledgment from the punished party, here an external, hostile king explicitly connects his suffering to the retribution of a divine power. This underscores the universality and undeniable nature of God's justice, even to those outside His covenant people. His death in Jerusalem also serves as an early sign of the strategic and symbolic importance of the city, which, though still contested by the Jebusites, becomes a key location for Israel's divine narrative. The detail of seventy kings suggests an organized empire built on brutality, making Judah's swift victory over Adoni-Bezek a testament to God's powerful intervention rather than mere human military superiority.
Judges 1 7 Commentary
Judges 1:7 encapsulates a foundational theological principle of the Bible: divine retribution and God's unerring justice. Adoni-Bezek's own words powerfully confirm this truth. He acknowledges that the gruesome fate inflicted upon him mirrors the cruelty he inflicted on seventy other kings. This confession from a non-Israelite provides an objective validation of the Lord's righteousness and active involvement in the world. It shows that even enemies of God recognize His moral order. This episode sets a key theme for the entire Book of Judges: a recurring cycle of human action, divine response, and the consistent outworking of God's justice. It serves as a stark warning against cruelty and hubris while offering reassurance that God is just, and He sees and repays every deed. Practically, this verse teaches that actions have consequences, that God's justice is sure, and that pride ultimately leads to a fall.