Nation

The Cherethites

A seacoast people of Philistine stock who, with the Pelethites, formed the standing royal guard that marched with David and escorted Solomon to his anointing.

This page is a group, not an individual.

The Cherethites appear in Scripture as a body, not merely as a label on individuals. They are named alongside the Pelethites as the professional troops under Benaiah son of Jehoiada who stayed with David when Absalom seized Jerusalem, and who went down with Zadok and Nathan to make Solomon king at Gihon.

The prophets also address the Cherethites as a people of the seacoast, set beside the Philistines in oracles against the coastal nations. Both strands describe a group that acts, marches and is spoken to as a whole.