Adoni-Besek

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Adoni-Besek is a Canaanite king in the Book of Judges in the Old Testament . It is mentioned in Ri 1.5–7  EU .

etymology

The Hebrew personal name אֲדֹנִי־בֶזֶק 'ǎdonî væṣæq , German ' Adoni-Besek ' is a genitive combination in this spelling , consisting of two nouns, which is determined by the second noun (a proper name). אֲדֹן 'ǎdon is "Lord" and here theophoric element , therefore Adoni-Besek means "Lord of Besek". "Besek" is a place name that occurs next to Ri 1,4  EU also in 1 Sam 11,8  EU . This name can be derived from the root בצק bṣq and associated with the Aramaic word biṣqā "stone / chunk / shard". There is probably no connection with בָּזָק bāṣāq "lightning". It would also be grammatically possible to interpret the name as a sentence name, so that the translation “Herr ist Besek” would result, but no deity is known by this name.

However, Martin Noth and Hans Rechenmacher assume a text error at this point, assume the original reading * אֲדֹנִי־צֶדֶק * 'ǎdonî ṣædæq "* Adoni-Zedek" and identify this person with the Adoni- mentioned in Jos 10.1  EU .3 EU Zedek . In it they follow the Septuagint , which both persons reproduce the same, but with Αδωνιβεζεκ Adonibesek . If one follows this assumption, it is a nominal sentence name, consisting of subject and predicate with אֲדֹן 'ǎdon "Lord" as the subject (and theophoric element) and צֶדֶק ṣædæq "Justice" as the predicate. Hence the name means "Lord is righteousness". However, Zedek is also a proper name of a deity, which makes the meaning "(the) Lord is (the God) Zedek" possible.

Other personal names, have the righteousness as a predicate are Melchizedek (Malki מַלְכִּי-צֶדֶק sedeq "(the) king is justice") and Zedekiah (צִדְקִיָּהוּ ṣidqîjāhû " YHWH is justice").

The Vulgate gives the name as Adonibezec .

Biblical report

In the course of the conquest , after the death of Joshua, the tribes of Judah and Simeon go to war against the Canaanites and the Perizzites . They beat them, an army of ten thousand men, at Besek. Adoni-Besek is involved in the fight. He escapes, but is pursued and captured, and his thumb and big toe are mutilated. This is supposed to make him incapacitated. Adoni-Besek then interprets this treatment as just retribution from God, since he also acted against his own enemies: “Seventy kings with chopped off thumbs and chopped off big toes picked up (the rubbish) from under my table. As I have done, so God "(recompensed me Ri 1.7  EU ). He is brought to Jerusalem and dies there.

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