ADONI-ZEDEK

(A·doʹni-zeʹdek) [lord of righteousness].

A king of Jerusalem at the time of the Israelite conquest of the Promised Land, who joined with other petty kingdoms W of the Jordan in a consolidated effort to halt Joshua’s conquering forces. (Josh. 9:1-3) However, the Hivite inhabitants of Gibeon made peace with Joshua. In a retaliatory measure designed to stop further desertion to the enemy, Adoni-zedek united his army with those of four additional kings of the Amorites, and laid siege against Gibeon and warred against it. Joshua’s spectacular rescue of the Gibeonites and the shattering defeat of these combined forces caused the five kings to flee to Makkedah, where they were trapped in a cave. Joshua himself slew Adoni-zedek and the other four kings before his troops, and hanged them upon stakes, stating that “it is like this that Jehovah will do to all your enemies against whom you are warring.” Their corpses were finally thrown back into the cave, which came to be their tomb.—Josh. 10:1-27.