Thumbs and Toes Cut Off - Judges 1:7

In the book of Judges we learned about Judah how, “the LORD delivered the Canaanites and the Perizzites into their hand: and they slew of them in Bezek ten thousand men. And they found Adonibezek in Bezek: and they fought against him, and they slew the Canaanites and the Perizzite. But Adonibezek fled; and they pursued after him, and caught him, and cut off his thumbs and his great toes”, and in chapter one and verse seven of Judges, we learn how “Adonibezek said, Threescore and ten kings, having their thumbs and their great toes cut off” where we read,

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 has requited me. And they brought him to Jerusalem, and there he died.

The verse reads, “And Adonibezek said, Threescore and ten kings, having their thumbs and their great toes cut off, gathered their meat under my table:” The writer began with the words, “and Adonibezek said” which means “and Adonibezek whose name means ‘my lord is Besek’ and was the king of the Canaanite city of Bezek, uttered, declared and proclaimed”, “threescore and ten kings” or “seventy royal rulers and leaders”, “having their thumbs and their great toes cut off” which means “with their, the seventy royal rulers’, thumbs on their hands for holding swords and their, the seventy royal rulers’, big toes on their feet for running hewn off and severed”, “gathered their meat” or “picked up and collected their, the seventy royal rulers’, food” “under my table” which means “beneath my, Adonibezek’s, meal table”. The writer shared how “Adonibezek” declared that “seventy” royal rulers who had the “thumbs” of their hands and their “big toes” severed ate their food at his royal table. 

The verse goes on to say, “… as I have done, so God has requited me. And they brought him to Jerusalem, and there he died.” The writer continued with the words, “as I have done” which means “in a similar and like manner that I, Adonibezek, have performed and produced”, “so God has requited me” or “even so and indeed the Supreme Deity has rewarded and repaid me, Adonibezek”. “And they brought him to Jerusalem” which means “and they, the people of Judah, carried and led him, Adonibezek, to Jerusalem whose name means ‘teaching of peace’ and is the chief city of Palestine and capital of the united kingdom and the nation of Judah after the split”, “and there he died” or “and there, in Jerusalem, he, Adonibezek, took his last breath and expired”. The writer shared how “Adonibezek” knew that he reaped what He sowed because Jehovah God rewarded him even as he had done to the seventy royal rulers, and afterward the people of “Judah” led him to the city of “Jerusalem” where he expired. 

When we think through the words in this verse, we learn how “Adonibezek” received what he did to “seventy” other “royal rulers”. He severed their “thumbs and big toes”, and his “thumbs and big toes” were hewn off too. The principle of “sowing and reaping” was spoken of by Paul the apostle in the New Testament, (See Galatians 6:7) and in a similar manner Jehovah God sent His Son Jesus into the world to die on the cross for the sins of all mankind and to be raised from the dead after three days. When we put our faith and trust in Him as our “Savior and Lord”, He will forgive our sins, grant us everlasting life and put His Holy Spirit within us to guide us into all truth and to empower us to live according to that truth so we reap from our faith and not from the evil acts we have committed. (See John 3:16; 16:13; Acts 1:8; Galatians 6:8-10)

Next time we learn how, “the children of Judah had fought against Jerusalem”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

See more devotionals on the website "thewordfortodaywithray.com" or look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".