Pelethites

Concise Bible Dictionary:

These formed a part of David’s guard. They are always grouped with the Cherethites. It is uncertain from whence they came or what the name signifies (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)). Gesenius calls them “public couriers,” doubtless because peleth means “swiftness.” The LXX and Vulgate leave the name untranslated. Some trace the word to the Philistines.

Strong’s Dictionary of Hebrew Words:

Number:
6432 (find all occurrences in KJV Bible)
Transliteration:
Plethiy
Phonic:
pel-ay-thee’
Meaning:
from the same form as 6431; a courier (collectively) or official messenger
KJV Usage:
Pelethites

Jackson’s Dictionary of Scripture Proper Names:

gentle of Peleth

Potts’ Bible Proper Names:

Judges; destroyers; courier:―messengers of David, 2 Sam. 8:18. {Iudices}

From Manners and Customs of the Bible:

Commentators and philologists are divided in the interpretation of these terms. Lakemacher was the first to advance the idea that the Crethi and the Plethi were Philistine soldiers whom David had enlisted in his army This opinion was adopted by Ewald, and has since been agreed to by many eminent scholars and theologians, and is the view taken by Fuerst in his Hebrew Lexicon. On the other hand, others, equally eminent, contend that David would not have employed foreign soldiers as his body guard, as it is evident the Crethi and the Plethi were. Compare 2 Samuel 20:2323Now 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) with 23:23. Some, however, attempt to meet this objection by supposing that they were Israelites who, from a lengthy residence in foreign parts, had attracted to themselves a foreign name. See Fairbairn's Imp. Bib. Diet., a. v. Cherethites. Gesenius defines the Crethi to be executioners, and the Plethi runners or couriers; the duty of the former being to administer capital punishment, and of the latter to convey the king’s orders wherever he chose to send them. Benaiah, who commanded them (vs. 23) held an office similar to that of Potiphar under Pharaoh (Gen. 37:3636And the Midianites sold him into Egypt unto Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh's, and captain of the guard. (Genesis 37:36)) and Arioch under Nebuchadnezzar (Dan. 2:1414Then Daniel answered with counsel and wisdom to Arioch the captain of the king's guard, which was gone forth to slay the wise men of Babylon: (Daniel 2:14)).

Related Books and Articles:

287. Cherethites and Pelethites
Narrator: Chris Genthree
Duration: 2min