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Cherethims, Cherethites

From: Concise Bible Dictionary: C By: George A. Morrish

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1. Inhabitants of the southern parts of Philistia (1 Sam. 30:14¹⁴We made an invasion upon the south of the Cherethites, and upon the coast which belongeth to Judah, and upon the south of Caleb; and we burned Ziklag with fire. (1 Samuel 30:14); Ezek. 25:16¹⁶Therefore thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I will stretch out mine hand upon the Philistines, and I will cut off the Cherethims, and destroy the remnant of the sea coast. (Ezekiel 25:16); Zeph. 2:5⁵Woe unto the inhabitants of the sea coast, the nation of the Cherethites! 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. (Zephaniah 2:5)). In the last two passages, the LXX read “Cretans.” It is supposed that they were people from Crete, who had settled on the coast of Palestine.

2. Body-guard of David and officers sent to do service, doubtless originally the same as No. 1. They were faithful to David at the revolt of Absalom (2 Sam. 8:18¹⁸And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over both the Cherethites and the Pelethites; and David's sons were chief rulers. (2 Samuel 8:18); 2 Sam. 15:18¹⁸And all his servants passed on beside him; and all the Cherethites, and all the Pelethites, and all the Gittites, six hundred men which came after him from Gath, passed on before the king. (2 Samuel 15:18); 2 Sam. 20:7, 23⁷And there went out after him Joab's men, and the Cherethites, and the Pelethites, and all the mighty men: and they went out of Jerusalem, to pursue after Sheba the son of Bichri. (2 Samuel 20:7)
²³Now Joab was over all the host of Israel: and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and over the Pelethites: (2 Samuel 20:23); 1 Kings 1:38, 44³⁸So Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites, and the Pelethites, went down, and caused Solomon to ride upon king David's mule, and brought him to Gihon. (1 Kings 1:38)
⁴⁴And the king hath sent with him Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites, and the Pelethites, and they have caused him to ride upon the king's mule: (1 Kings 1:44); 1 Chron. 18:17¹⁷And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and the Pelethites; and the sons of David were chief about the king. (1 Chronicles 18:17)).

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