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

And Adonibezec fled: and they pursued after him and took him, and cut off his fingers and toes.

And Adoni-Bezek fleeth, and they pursue after him, and seize him, and cut off his thumbs and his great toes,

But Adoni-zedek went in flight; and they went after him and overtook him, and had his thumbs and his great toes cut off.

Then Adonibezek fled. And they pursued him and captured him, and they cut off the ends of his hands and feet.

Cut off his thumbs - That he might never be able to draw his bow or handle his sword, and great toes, that he might never be able to pursue or escape from an adversary.

But Adonibezek fled; and they pursued after him, and caught him, and (d) cut off his thumbs and his great toes.
(d) This was God's just judgment, as the tyrant himself confesses, that as he had done, so did he receive, (Leviticus 24:19-20).

But Adonibezek fled, and they pursued after him, and caught him,.... It is very probable his view was to get to Jebus or Jerusalem, a strong and fortified city and he made his way thither as fast as he could, but was pursued and overtaken by some of the forces of Judah and Simeon; and the rather it may seem he took this course, since when he was taken by them, they brought him thither, as follows:
and cut off his thumbs and his great toes; whereby he was disabled both for fighting and for fleeing. So the Athenians cut off the thumbs of the right hand of the Aeginetae, the inhabitants of the island of Aegina, to disable them from holding a spear, as various writers (f) relate. Whether the Israelites did this, as knowing this king had used others in like manner, and so, according to their law of retaliation, "eye for eye", &c. Exodus 21:23, required it; or whether, ignorant of it, were so moved and directed by the providence of God to do this, that the same measure might be measured to him which he had measured to others, is not certain; the latter seems most probable, since the Israelites did not usually inflict such sort of punishments; and besides, according to the command of God, they should have put him to death, as they were to do to all Canaanites.
(f) Valerius Maximus, l. 9. c. 2. Aelian, Var. Hist. l. 2. c. 9. Cicero de Officiis, l. 3. c. 11.

Great toes - And this they did, either by the direction of God, or upon notice of his former tyranny and cruelty.