Boy Old Testament Rare
Adoni-zedek
justice of the Lord; lord of justice
אֲדֹנִי־צֶ֫דֶק a.do.ni-tse.deq
Adoni-zedek (Hebrew: אֲדֹנִי־צֶ֫דֶק, a.do.ni-tse.deq) means “justice of the Lord; lord of justice”, by traditional interpretation. It appears in 7 verses across 1 book of the Bible. In 2025 it was given to 9 children in the United States. Use is rising. Appears with Debir in Joshua 10.
The bearer in scripture
One person in scripture bears this name.
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Adoni-zedek
Scripture against society
The two measures, side by side
At a glance
- Verses
- 7 across 1 book
- Bearers
- 1 one person only
- Testament
- Old
- Era
- Judges
Using it today
Based on 2025 births across the United States.
| Measure | Value | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Given in 2025 | 9 | Rising |
| All-time total | 164 | Since records begin in 1880 |
| Peak | 13 in 2021 | Its highest year on record |
In scripture
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| First appears | Joshua 8:1 |
| Last appears | Joshua 12:9 |
| Cross-references | 131 linked passages |
Names connected to this one
- Japhia co-occurrence Appears with Japhia in Joshua 10.
- Debir co-occurrence Appears with Debir in Joshua 10.
- Hoham co-occurrence Appears with Hoham in Joshua 10.
- Piram co-occurrence Appears with Piram in Joshua 10.
- Horam co-occurrence Appears in the same passages as Horam.
- Joshua co-occurrence Appears with Joshua in Joshua 8.
Origin & meaning
A man living before Israel's Monarchy, first mentioned at Jos.10.1
§ Adoni-zedek = "my lord is righteous"
Canaanite king slain by Joshua
Adoni-zedek, the king of Jerusalem, formed an alliance with other Amorite kings to fight against Joshua and the Israelites but was defeated and killed.
The biblical story
Adoni-zedek was the king of Jerusalem during the time of Joshua's conquest of Canaan. He is mentioned in Jos.10.1 and Jos.10.3 as one of the Amorite kings who opposed the Israelites' advance into the Promised Land.
When Adoni-zedek heard that Joshua had captured Ai and destroyed it, and that the inhabitants of Gibeon had made a peace treaty with Israel, he became greatly alarmed. Gibeon was a significant city, and its alliance with Israel posed a threat to the other Amorite kings in the region.
Adoni-zedek formed an alliance with four other Amorite kings: Hoham of Hebron, Piram of Jarmuth, Japhia of Lachish, and Debir of Eglon. Together, they attacked Gibeon to punish them for making peace with Israel (Jos.10.3-4).
The Gibeonites sent word to Joshua, requesting help, and Joshua marched all night with his army to come to their aid. In the ensuing battle, the Lord threw the Amorite kings into confusion, and Israel defeated them with a great slaughter. The five kings fled and hid in a cave at Makkedah (Jos.10.5-16).
Joshua commanded that the cave be sealed until the battle was finished. After the victory, he brought the five kings out of the cave, and the Israelite commanders put their feet on the kings' necks, symbolizing their complete defeat. Joshua then struck and killed the kings, hanging their bodies on trees until evening (Jos.10.17-27).
The defeat of Adoni-zedek and the other Amorite kings was a significant victory for Israel, demonstrating God's power and faithfulness in giving them the Promised Land. It also served as a warning to the other Canaanite kings who would oppose Israel's advance.
Key verses
Adoni-zedek appears in 2 verses. Here are some of the most notable:
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Now it came to pass, when Adoni–zedek king of Jerusalem had heard how Joshua had taken Ai, and had utterly destroyed it; as he had done to Jericho and her king, so he had done to Ai and her king; and how the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel, and were among them;
Joshua 10:1 -
Wherefore Adoni–zedek king of Jerusalem sent unto Hoham king of Hebron, and unto Piram king of Jarmuth, and unto Japhia king of Lachish, and unto Debir king of Eglon, saying,
Joshua 10:3
Show all 2 references
Joshua (2)
- Joshua 10:1
- Joshua 10:3