Judges 1:6

 Judges 1:6

But Adonibezek fled; and they pursued after him, and caught him, and cut off his thumbs and his great toes.

a. NLT: Adoni-bezek escaped, but the Israelites soon captured him and cut off his thumbs and big toes. [Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.]

b. ASV: But Adoni-bezek fled; and they pursued after him, and caught him, and cut off his thumbs and his great toes. [Thomas Nelson & Sons first published the American Standard Version in 1901. This translation of the Bible is in the public domain.]

c. YLT: And Adoni-Bezek fleeth, and they pursue after him, and seize him, and cut off his thumbs and his great toes, [The Young's Literal Translation was translated by Robert Young, who believed in a strictly literal translation of God's word. This version of the Bible is in the public domain.]

d. Classic Amplified: Adoni-bezek fled, but they pursued him and caught him and cut off his thumbs and his big toes. [Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC) Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation]

e. Rubin Edition/ Joshua: Adoni-bezek fled and they chased after him. They seized him and cut off his thumbs and his big toes. [The Artscroll Series/Rubin Edition The Prophets: Joshua/Judges Copyright 2000 by Mesorah Publication, Ltd.]  

1. “But Adonibezek fled; and they pursued after him, and caught him…”

a. [But] Adoni Bezek [Strong: 137 'Adoniy-Bezeq ad-o''-nee-beh'-zek from 113 and 966; lord of Bezek; Adoni-Bezek; a Canaanitish king:--Adoni-bezek.]

b. fled [Strong: 5127 nuwc noos a primitive root; to flit, i.e. vanish away (subside, escape; causatively, chase, impel, deliver):--X abate, away, be displayed, (make to) flee (away, -ing), put to flight, X hide, lift up a standard.]

c. [and they] pursued [Strong: 7291 radaph raw-daf' a primitive root; to run after (usually with hostile intent; figuratively (of time) gone by):--chase, put to flight, follow (after, on), hunt, (be under) persecute(-ion, -or), pursue(-r).]

d. after [him] [Strong: 310 'achar akh-ar' from 309; properly, the hind part; generally used as an adverb or conjunction, after (in various senses):--after (that, -ward), again, at, away from, back (from, -side), behind, beside, by, follow (after, -ing), forasmuch, from, hereafter, hinder end, + out (over) live, + persecute, posterity, pursuing, remnant, seeing, since, thence(-forth), when, with.]

e. [and] caught [Strong: 270 'achaz aw-khaz' a primitive root; to seize (often with the accessory idea of holding in possession):--+ be affrighted, bar, (catch, lay, take) hold (back), come upon, fasten, handle, portion, (get, have or take) possess(-ion).]

2. “...and cut off his thumbs and his great toes.”

a. [and] cut off [Strong: 7112 qatsats kaw-tsats' a primitive root; to chop off (literally or figuratively):--cut (asunder, in pieces, in sunder, off), X utmost.]

b. [Strong: 853 'eth ayth apparent contracted from 226 in the demonstrative sense of entity; properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely):--(as such unrepresented in English).]

c. [his] thumbs [Strong: 931 bohen bo'-hen from an unused root apparently meaning to be thick; the thumb of the hand or great toe of the foot:--thumb, great toe.]

d. [Strong: 3027 yad yawd a primitive word; a hand (the open one (indicating power, means, direction, etc.), in distinction from 3709, the closed one); used (as noun, adverb, etc.) in a great variety of applications, both literally and figuratively, both proximate and remote (as follows):--(+ be) able, X about, + armholes, at, axletree, because of, beside, border, X bounty, + broad, (broken-)handed, X by, charge, coast, + consecrate, + creditor, custody, debt, dominion, X enough, + fellowship, force, X from, hand(-staves, -y work), X he, himself, X in, labour, + large, ledge, (left-)handed, means, X mine, ministry, near, X of, X order, ordinance, X our, parts, pain, power, X presumptuously, service, side, sore, state, stay, draw with strength, stroke, + swear, terror, X thee, X by them, X themselves, X thine own, X thou, through, X throwing, + thumb, times, X to, X under, X us, X wait on, (way-)side, where, + wide, X with (him, me, you), work, + yield, X yourselves.]

e. [and his] great toes [Strong: 7272 regel reh'-gel from 7270; a foot (as used in walking); by implication, a step; by euphem. the pudenda:--X be able to endure, X according as, X after, X coming, X follow, ((broken-))foot((-ed, -stool)), X great toe, X haunt, X journey, leg, + piss, + possession, time.]

1). Matthew Poole's Commentary: That he might be disenabled to fight with his hands, or to run away upon his feet. And this they did, either by the secret instinct and direction of God, or upon notice of his former tyranny and cruelty expressed upon others, in this manner, as it follows: either way it was a just requital.

2). It is possible to walk after losing your big toes but it would greatly affect your ability to walk. With missing thumbs, what once could be held with one hand would be only held with two hands.