Kᵉrêthîy — H3774

Definition

adjective

a Kerethite or life-guardsman

1. Cherethites = "executioners"
2. a group of foreign mercenary soldiers serving as a bodyguard for king David; also executioners
3. either Cretans or proto-Philistines (in general)

Usually translated as

Cherethites, Cherethims

Origin

probably from H3772 in the sense of executioner; (compare H2876) (only collectively in the singular as plural)

• Kârath (H3772)
• Ṭabbâch (H2876)

Occurrences

Kᵉrêthîy occurs 10 times in the King James.

Distribution of the word across the Bible: 1 Samuel (1), 2 Samuel (4), 1 Kings (2), 1 Chronicles (1), Ezekiel (1), Zephaniah (1)

• 1 Samuel 30:14 — We made an invasion upon the south of the Cherethites (הַכְּרֵתִ֛י), and upon the coast which belongeth to Judah, and upon the south of Caleb; and we burned Ziklag with fire.
• 2 Samuel 8:18 — And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over both the Cherethites (וְהַכְּרֵתִ֖י) and the Pelethites; and David’s sons were chief rulers.
• 2 Samuel 15:18 — And all his servants passed on beside him; and all the Cherethites (הַכְּרֵתִ֖י), and all the Pelethites, and all the Gittites, six hundred men which came after him from Gath, passed on before the king.
• 2 Samuel 20:7 — And there went out after him Joab’s men, and the Cherethites (וְהַכְּרֵתִ֥י), and the Pelethites, and all the mighty men: and they went out of Jerusalem, to pursue after Sheba the son of Bichri.
• 2 Samuel 20:23 — Now Joab was over all the host of Israel: and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites (הַכְּרֵתִ֖י) and over the Pelethites:
• 1 Kings 1:38 — So Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites (וְהַכְּרֵתִי֙), and the Pelethites, went down, and caused Solomon to ride upon king David’s mule, and brought him to Gihon.
• 1 Kings 1:44 — And the king hath sent with him Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites (וְהַכְּרֵתִ֖י), and the Pelethites, and they have caused him to ride upon the king’s mule:
• 1 Chronicles 18:17 — And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites (הַכְּרֵתִ֖י) and the Pelethites; and the sons of David were chief about the king.
• Ezekiel 25:16 — Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will stretch out mine hand upon the Philistines, and I will cut off the Cherethims (כְּרֵתִ֑ים), and destroy the remnant of the sea coast.
• Zephaniah 2:5 — Woe unto the inhabitants of the sea coast, the nation of the Cherethites (כְּרֵתִ֑ים)! the word of the LORD is against you; O Canaan, the land of the Philistines, I will even destroy thee, that there shall be no inhabitant.