Cherethites

King David had a bodyguard, and its names are strange to us: the Cherethites and the Pelethites. “Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over both the Cherethites and the Pelethites,” says 2 Samuel 8:18. They go with David when he flees Jerusalem, chase after a rebel with Joab, and escort Solomon to be anointed king. The name first appears as a southern people raided by the Amalekites, and Ezekiel numbers them with the Philistines. Beyond that the text gives little. Read 1 Kings 1:32-40 to see them at Solomon’s crowning.

10 verses

1 Samuel

1 Samuel 30:14

We 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 30:16

And when he had brought him down, behold, they were spread abroad upon all the earth, eating and drinking, and dancing, because of all the great spoil that they had taken out of the land of the Philistines, and out of the land of Judah.

2 Samuel

2 Samuel 8:18

And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over both the Cherethites 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, 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, 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 and over the Pelethites:

1 Kings

1 Kings 1:38

So 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 1:44

And 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 Chronicles

1 Chronicles 18:17

And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and the Pelethites; and the sons of David were chief about the king.

Ezekiel

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, and destroy the remnant of the sea coast.

From Smith's Bible Dictionary

William Smith, 1884

(executioners) and of King David. (2 Samuel 8:18; 15:18; 20:7,23; 1 Kings 1:38,44; 1 Chronicles 18:17) It is plain that these royal guards were employed as executioners., (2 Kings 11:4) and as couriers, (1 Kings 14:27) But it has been conjectured that they may have been foreign mercenaries, and therefore probably Philistines, of which name Pelethites may be only another form.