Judges 1:7

"Adoni-Bezek said, “Seventy kings, having their thumbs and their big toes cut off, scavenged under my table. As I have done, so God has done to me.” They brought him to Jerusalem, and he died there."

Key Reflection

Adoni-Bezek's words reflect a spiritual parallel between his own cruel actions and the judgment he received. By mirroring his earlier deeds, God underscores the principle of retribution, illustrating how evil begets suffering—a lesson that resonates with themes of justice and divine recompense throughout biblical narratives.

From the Scholars: Barnes' Notes

Threescore and ten kings -We may infer from this number of conquered kings, that the intestine wars of the Canaanites were among the causes which, under God’s Providence, weakened their resistance to the Israelites. Adoni-Bezek’s cruelty to the subject kings was the cause of his receiving (compare the marginal references) this chastisement. The loss of the thumb would make a man unfit to handle a sword or a bow; the loss of his big toe would impede his speed.

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