Difference between revisions of "Adoni-Zedek"

<p> <translit> a </translit> - <translit> dō </translit> - <translit> nī </translit> - <translit> zē´dek </translit> ( <span> אדניצדק </span> , <i> <translit> 'ădhōnıcedheḳ </translit> </i> , "lord of righteousness"): [[King]] of [[Jerusalem]] at the time of the conquest of [[Canaan]] ( <span> [[Joshua]] 10:1 </span> ). When he heard of the fall of [[Ai]] and the submission of the Gibeonites, he entered into a league with four other kings to resist Joshua and Israel, and to punish [[Gibeon]] ( <span> Joshua 10:3 </span> , <span> Joshua 10:4 </span> ), but was overthrown by Joshua in a memorable battle ( <span> Joshua 10:12-14 </span> ). Adoni-zedek and his four allies were shut up in a cave, while the battle lasted, and afterward were taken out by Joshua's order, put to death and hanged on trees ( <span> Joshua 10:22-27 </span> ). It is noticeable that the name is almost the equivalent of Melchizedek, <span> מלכּיצדק </span> , <i> <translit> malkı̄cedheḳ </translit> </i> , "king of righteousness," who was ruler of Jerusalem in the time of Abraham. </p>

<p> (Hebrews Adoni <span> ’ </span> -Tse <span> ’ </span> dek, <span> אֲדֹנַיאּצֶדֶק </span> <span> , lord of justice, </span> i.e. <span> just lord; </span> Sept. <span> Ἀδωνισέδεκ </span> v. r. <span> Ἀδωνιβεζέκ </span> , Vulg. Adonisedec), the [[Canaanitish]] king of [[Jerusalem]] when the [[Israelites]] invaded [[Palestine]] ( <span> [[Joshua]] 10:1 </span> ; <span> Joshua 10:3 </span> ), B.C. 1618. After [[Jericho]] and [[Ai]] were taken, and the [[Gibeonites]] had succeeded in forming a treaty with the Israelites, [[Adonizedek]] was the first to rouse himself from the stupor which had fallen on the [[Canaanites]] ( <span> Joshua 1:9-11 </span> ), and he induced the other Amoritish kings of [[Hebron]] <span> — </span> Jarmuth, Lachish, and [[Eglon]] <span> — </span> to join him in a confederacy against the enemy. They did not, however, march directly against the invaders, but went and besieged the Gibeonites, to punish them for the discouraging example which their secession from the common cause had afforded. Joshua no sooner heard of this than he marched all night from [[Gilgal]] to the relief of his allies; and falling unexpectedly upon the besiegers, soon put them to utter rout. The pursuit was long, and was signalized by Joshua <span> ’ </span> s famous command to the sun and moon, as well as by a tremendous hail- storm, which greatly distressed the fugitive Amorites. (See <a> JOSHUA </a> ). </p> <p> The five kings took refuge in a cave, but were observed, and by Joshua <span> ’ </span> s order the mouth of it was closed with large stones, and a guard set over it, until the pursuit was over. When the pursuers returned, the cave was opened, and the five kings brought out. The [[Hebrew]] chiefs then set their feet upon the necks of the prostrate monarchs <span> — </span> an ancient mark of triumph, of which the monuments of [[Persia]] and [[Egypt]] still afford illustrations. (See <a> TRIUMPH </a> ). </p> <p> They were then slain, and their bodies hung on trees until the evening, when (comp. <span> [[Deuteronomy]] 21:23 </span> ) they were taken down and cast into the cave, the mouth of which was filled up with large stones, which remained long after ( <span> Joshua 10:1-27 </span> ). The severe treatment of these kings by Joshua has been censured and defended with equal disregard of the real circumstances, which are, that the war was avowedly one of extermination, no quarter being given or expected on either side; and that the war-usages of the [[Jews]] were neither worse nor better than those of the people with whom they fought, who would most certainly have treated Joshua and the other Hebrew chiefs in the same manner had they fallen into their hands. (Simeon <span> ’ </span> s Works, 2, 592.) (See <a> CANAANITES </a> ). </p>