Judges 1:6 Made Simple

KJV ORIGINAL

But Adonibezek fled; and they pursued after him, and caught him, and cut off his thumbs and his great toes.

Close to the original. Clear modern English.

✦ MADE SIMPLE

But Adoni-Bezek ran away; they chased after him, caught him, and cut off his thumbs and big toes.

⚡ THE BOTTOM LINE

This verse describes how the Israelites captured a Canaanite king named Adoni-Bezek and cut off his thumbs and big toes as punishment.

📚 Historical Context

In the Book of Judges, which describes the period after Joshua's death, the Israelite tribes were continuing their conquest of Canaan by fighting against the remaining Canaanite kings and cities. Adonibezek was a Canaanite ruler who had previously defeated and mutilated other kings in a similar way, and now the tribes of Judah and Simeon captured him during their campaign, subjecting him to the same treatment as retribution. This reflects the brutal customs of ancient warfare in the Near East, where disabling enemies was a common tactic to prevent further resistance.

Explore Similar Verses

Judges 1:5

They found Adoni-bezek in the city of Bezek, fought against him, and defeated the Canaanites and Perizzites.

Judges 1:7

And Adoni-bezek said, 'Seventy kings with their thumbs and big toes cut off used to pick up scraps of food 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 9:40

Abimelech chased him, and he ran away from him. Many people were struck down and wounded all the way to the city gate.

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