King James Version
What Does Judges 1:6 Mean?
“But Adonibezek fled; and they pursued after him, and caught him, and cut off his thumbs and his great toes.”
Context
4
And Judah went up; and the LORD delivered the Canaanites and the Perizzites into their hand: and they slew of them in Bezek ten thousand men.
5
And they found Adonibezek in Bezek: and they fought against him, and they slew the Canaanites and the Perizzites.
6
But Adonibezek fled; and they pursued after him, and caught him, and cut off his thumbs and his great toes.
7
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. their thumbs: Heb. the thumbs of their hands and of their feet gathered: or, gleaned
8
Now the children of Judah had fought against Jerusalem, and had taken it, and smitten it with the edge of the sword, and set the city on fire.
Commentary
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers(6) **Cut off his thumbs and his great toes.**—The cutting off of his thumbs would prevent him from ever again drawing a bow or wielding a sword. Romans who desired to escape conscription cut off their thumbs (Suet. *Aug. *24). The cutting off of his great toes would deprive him of that speed which was so essential for an ancient warrior, that “swift-footed” is in Homer the normal epithet of Achilles. Either of these mutilations would be sufficient to rob him of his throne, since ancient races never tolerated a king who had any personal defects. This kind of punishment was not uncommon in ancient days, and it was with the same general object that the Athenians inflicted it on the conquered Æginetans. Mohammed (Koran, *Sur. *8:12) ordered the enemies of Islam to be thus punished; and it used to be the ancient German method of punishing poachers (Ælian, *Var. Hist. ii.* 9). The peculiar appropriateness of the punishment in this instance arose from the *Lex talionis, *or “law of equivalent punishment,” which Moses had tolerated as the best means to limit the intensity of those blood-feuds (Leviticus 24:19-20; Deuteronomy 19:21; comp. Judges 15:10-11). which, “because of the hardness of their hearts,” he was unable entirely to abolish.
Charles John Ellicott (1819–1905). Public Domain.
Historical Context
This verse is found in the book of Judges. Understanding the historical and cultural background helps illuminate its meaning for the original audience and for us today.
Theological Significance
Judges 1:6 contributes to our understanding of God's character and His relationship with humanity. Consider how this verse connects to the broader themes of Scripture.