Adoni-bezek (lit. Lord of Bezek) was the title of the king of Bezek (cf. 1 Samuel 11:8-11) rather than his proper name. The modern town name is Khirbet Ibziq. [1] The Israelites probably cut off this man"s thumbs so he could not wield a sword, and his big toes so he could not run away, as well as to humiliate him. These were evidently temporary measures until they could carry out God"s will and slay him. The loss of these digits also made it impossible for him to serve as a priest as well as a warrior, a dual function among many ancient eastern kings. [2] The king"s boast that he had similarly crippled70 kings seems to have been an exaggerated one. Such boasts by warriors were common in the ancient world. Joshua had defeated fewer than70 kings and in so doing had subdued the major part of Canaan (cf. Joshua 12). Gathering crumbs under the table like dogs ( Judges 1:7; cf. Matthew 15:27) represented "the most shameful treatment and humiliation." [3] The soldiers evidently took Adoni-bezek with them to Jerusalem, the site of their next offensive, and either executed him there or he died from his wounds there. [source][source][source]
"The focus on Judah and Jerusalem invites attention to the larger context of the prophetic canon. The humbling of Adoni-bezek, for instance, happens in Jerusalem ( Judges 1:7). The later humbling of the Judean monarchy will also happen in Jerusalem, suggesting ultimately that God plays no favorites. God wills justice and righteousness, and the failure to embody it will eventually bring any people down." [4][source]