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אֲדֹנִי־בֶזֶק

𐤀𐤃𐤍𐤉־𐤁𐤆𐤒

Adoni Vezeq

H137 noun

SILEX Entry

Root אדן, בזק to rule, to be lord, to act as master; (Bezeq: locality name; possibly 'lightning')

Definition

Personal name meaning 'my lord of Bezeq'; a title-name denoting an authority ruler of the city or region called Bezeq. Used specifically as the name of a defeated local ruler encountered by the Israelites in the early period of their settlement in Canaan, found only in Judges 1:5–7. The name structurally combines a title ('Adoni' – 'my lord') with a toponym ('Bezeq').

Semantic Range

my lord of Bezeq, ruler of Bezeq, title-name for a local city-state leader; specifically the personal name of a Canaanite city ruler

Root / Etymology

The name אֲדֹנִי־בֶזֶק is a compound of אֲדֹנִי ('my lord', from the root אדן meaning 'to rule, to be lord, to act as master') and בֶזֶק (the name of a specific locality, possibly meaning 'lightning' or referring simply to a proper place name). The form employs the possessive suffix -י ('my') on 'adon', forming a construct relationship with 'Bezeq'.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the context of Judges 1, Adoni-Bezeq is described as a Canaanite ruler captured and punished by a coalition of the tribes of Judah and Simeon. The title 'Adoni' used in city-state leadership (cf. other names such as Adoni-Zedek in Joshua 10:1) reflects a regional pattern in late Bronze and early Iron Age Syro-Palestinian political nomenclature, where rulers are styled as 'lord of' their city. The account emphasizes local governance patterns rather than dynastic or national kingship. Later Jewish and Christian tradition sometimes render the name as 'Adonibezek,' and may refer to him as a 'king,' though the Hebrew text gives only the sense of a lord or ruler. The term 'Canaanitish' reflects his status as a pre-Israelite inhabitant of the land rather than narrowing to a single ethnic group.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from אָדוֹן and בֶּזֶק; lord of Bezek; Adoni-Bezek; a Canaanitish king; Adonibezek.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

אדן (ʾ-d-n) — to be lord, to rule, to exercise authority, to be master

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H113 אָדוֹן master of
H114 אַדּוֹן lord of
H134 אֶדֶן his support-bases
H135 אַדָּן Addan (Firm-Foundation)
H136 אֲדֹנָי lord

Word Forms

2 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H137-02 בֶ֨זֶק֙ vezeq HNp Bezek Bezeq 3
H137-01 אֲדֹנִ֥י adoni HNp Adoni my lord 3

Occurrences in Scripture

6 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H137-01 Judges 1:5 אֲדֹנִ֥י adoni HNp Adoni my lord
H137-02 Judges 1:5 בֶ֨זֶק֙ vezeq HNp Bezek Bezeq
H137-01 Judges 1:6 אֲדֹ֣נִי adoni HNp Adoni my lord
H137-02 Judges 1:6 בֶ֔זֶק vezeq HNp Bezek Bezeq
H137-01 Judges 1:7 אֲדֹֽנִי adoni HNp my lord my lord
H137-02 Judges 1:7 בֶ֗זֶק vezeq HNp Bezek Bezeq
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