ADONISÉDEC (Heb. “my Lord is justice”; Septuagint: Adonibezec). — Amorite king of Jerusalem at the time when Israel, led by Joshua, entered Palestine.
When the Israelites had conquered Jericho and Ai, and the Gibeonites had joined them by a stratagem, A. formed an alliance with the Canaanite kings Gham of Hebron, Pharan of Jerimoth, Japhia of Lachish, and Dabir of Egion. Besieged by the five kings, the Gibeonites asked Joshua for help. He traveled in one night from Gilgal to Gibeon and defeated the five allied kings, whom he pursued as far as Beth-horon, Azekah, and Makkedah. Having destroyed, with the aid of miracles (stones from heaven, the halting of the sun), the Canaanite-Amorite army, Joshua captured A. and the other four kings, who had taken refuge in a cave at Makkedah; he had them trampled upon by the leaders of Israel and then executed them. The five corpses were suspended on five gallows until evening and then buried in the cave (Ios. 10:1–27).