The book of Judges 1:1–7 in the Bible tells the story of Adoni-Bezek (Hebrew: אדני בזק), an evil Canaanite ruler whose downfall serves as a sobering case study of demonic oppression and a mighty divine retribution against it.
After the death of Joshua, the people of Israel asked the Lord who should lead the first fight against the Canaanites. The Lord responded and said the tribe of Judah should go first because He had delivered the land of Canaan into Judah’s hands. The tribe of Judah then beckoned Simeon, one of their twelve brother tribes to support them in the war against the Canaanites. The tribe of Simeon agreed and they went out to war together.
They got to the battlefield and fought fiercely against Adoni-Bezek, the Canaanites and the Perizzites. The Lord gave them a great victory and they killed ten thousand men of Adoni-Bezek's men. Seeing that Israel was winning the fight, Adoni-Bezek fled the warfront, but the Israelites pursued and caught him. Once in captivity, they cut off his thumbs and big toes.
Divine retribution for Adoni-Bezek's Evil Deeds
There is chilling revelation after they mutilate him:
Then Adoni-Bezek said, “Seventy kings with their thumbs and big toes cut off have gathered the scraps under my table. As I have done to them, so God has repaid me.”
Adoni-Bezek was so wicked that he mutilated seventy kings surrounding him to neutralize and cripple them. In subjecting them to eating crumbs under his table, he also oppressed them. Adoni-Bezek’s was wickedness personified!
The act of cutting off Adoni-Bezek's thumbs and big toes was not random cruelty. It was an intentional and symbolic act of divine retribution, mirroring his evil past as he himself confessed: As I have done, so God has repaid me.
There are two primary reasons they did this:
- To take away his combat ability: Thumbs are essential for a firm grip on a sword, spear, or shield. Without them, a king could no longer lead an army or fight effectively in battle.
- To cripple him: Big toes are critical for balance and generating power while running. Without them, mobility is severely hampered and it is impossible to flee easily or maneuver quickly.
By doing this, the Israelites permanently neutralized Adoni-Bezek as a military threat. His wickedness was brought to check, and he was taken to Jerusalem, where he later died.
Dealing with the Adoni-Bezeks of Our Time
The story of Adoni‑Bezek is not just historical; it is prophetic. Today, there are wicked and demon-possessed people like Adoni‑Bezek who conjure evil spirits and wield satanic power to subjugate others. In the spiritual realm, they symbolically cut off people’s thumbs and big toes, leaving them stagnant in their endeavors and unable to fight back against life’s battles. There are some vital lessons to learn from this story.
5 Lessons from the Story of Adoni-Bezek
- There are people intentionally set on oppressing others.
- There is divine retribution against the wicked ones.
- There are battles we will have to face but there is great power in God to overcome them.
- There are people whom God has placed in our lives to help us win our battles, just as the tribe of Simeon supported Judah. We should build spiritual community and reinforcement.
- To win the battle against the wicked ones we need to depend on God by seeking his face for wisdom on what to do (just like the Israelites did) and then we need to fight!.
How to Fight: Victory Through Spiritual Warfare
Overcoming human and symbolic modern-day Adoni-Bezeks requires a tactical response: you must fight back through spiritual warfare! This spiritual warfare involves praying, fasting, and using the full authority you carry as a believer in the name of Jesus. I explore spirital warfare in greater detail in my article, "Fight Back!".
You will overcome the Adoni-Bezeks in your life and you will always gain victory over the wicked ones in Jesus' name.