Bible Person

Adoni-bezek

Meaning: the lightning of the Lord; the Lord of lightning · Male · 3 cross references

Adoni-bezek is the Canaanite ruler defeated early in Judges whose own punishment mirrors the brutality he had inflicted on others. He is a vivid opening example of retributive justice in the conquest period. First appears in Judg 1:5.1

AI summary: Adoni-bezek matters because the cross references present him as a ruler whose humiliation directly reflects his former cruelty to other kings. His downfall sets a severe moral tone at the opening of Judges, where justice is visible but the land is still contested. He is brief, yet memorable because the narrative makes his own confession part of the judgment. Taken together, the material presents Adoni-bezek as a conquered ruler whose fate dramatizes fitting recompense.1

Central Figure

Adoni-bezek

Meaning: the lightning of the Lord; the Lord of lightning