Cherethites

Biblical Text

"Cherethites" renders the Hebrew Kerethi. The Old Testament uses the term in two ways: for a people living in the southern coastal region and for King David's bodyguard.

• 1 Samuel 30:14: An Egyptian youth, the servant of an Amalekite, tells David that the Amalekite raiders had invaded "the south of the Cherethites." "The south" refers to the arid region south of Judah (the Negev).
• 2 Samuel 8:18; 20:23; 1 Chronicles 18:17: These passages record that Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over "the Cherethites and the Pelethites."
• 2 Samuel 15:18: During the rebellion of Absalom, the Cherethites and the Pelethites left Jerusalem with David, together with the Gittites.
• 2 Samuel 20:7: They went out with Joab's men to put down the rebellion of Sheba.
• 1 Kings 1:38, 44: When Solomon rode David's mule down to Gihon to be anointed, they escorted him together with Zadok, Nathan, and Benaiah.
• Ezekiel 25:16; Zephaniah 2:5: They appear alongside the Philistines as "the inhabitants of the sea coast" who fall under God's judgment. Zephaniah calls them "the nation of the Cherethites."

Background

• Relationship to Crete: The view that connects this name with the Mediterranean island of Crete is widely accepted. The Old Testament records that the Philistines came from Caphtor (Amos 9:7; Jeremiah 47:4; Deuteronomy 2:23), and many scholars identify Caphtor with Crete. In addition, the Septuagint (the ancient Greek translation of the Old Testament) reportedly renders the term as "Cretans" in the relevant passages of Ezekiel and Zephaniah. The origin of this people, however, has not been established.
• Pelethites: The Pelethites always appear paired with the Cherethites. Some regard the name as related to "Philistines," but this is uncertain.
• Korean translation: The New Korean Revised Version distinguishes between this Old Testament group, rendered Geuret saram ("Cherethites"), and the inhabitants of the island of Crete in the New Testament, rendered Geuredein ("Cretans").

Significance in Scripture as a Whole

The Cherethites appear as a force that stood by the king at each moment of crisis for David's kingship—the rebellions of Absalom and Sheba—and at the transfer of the throne to Solomon. In the prophetic books they appear in declarations of judgment against the land of the Philistines.

The term "Cherethites" does not occur in the New Testament. The "Cretes" of Acts 2:11 and the "Cretians" of Titus 1:12 are inhabitants of the island of Crete in the Roman period. A possible connection between the names has been suggested, but there is no basis for identifying them with the Old Testament Cherethites.

Interpretation and Issues

• Nature of the bodyguard: Many commentators hold that David formed his personal guard from foreign mercenaries who were not entangled in the competing interests of the Israelite tribes. The text, however, does not directly explain their origin or the terms of their service.
• Interpretation as military designations: The Targum, the Jewish Aramaic translation of the Bible, reportedly interprets the terms as "archers and slingers," understanding them not as ethnic names but as types of soldiers. Today the prevailing view is that they are names denoting ethnic origin.
• Loyalty of foreigners: Some read the Cherethites, along with Ittai the Gittite, as examples of men of Gentile origin who served the king of Israel to the end. The text, however, says nothing about their faith.