CHERETHITES

(Cherʹe·thites).

The name of a people connected with the Philistines. (Eze 25:16; Zep 2:5)

An affinity between the Cherethites and the Philistines seems indicated by their mention together at Ezekiel 25:15-17 and Zephaniah 2:5-7. The Greek Septuagint rendering of these verses substitutes the term “Cretans” for “Cherethites,” perhaps attempting thereby to link them with the Philistines who came “out of Crete [Caphtor].” (Am 9:7) Because of this and the apparent connection of the Cherethites with “the land of the Philistines” at 1 Samuel 30:14, 16, most scholars conclude that the Cherethites and Philistines were either the same people or two closely associated peoples. Others reason that the Cherethites may have been a principal Philistine tribe.

One suggestion advanced is that, though originally two peoples, the Philistines were either the more powerful of the two or were the earlier arrivals in Canaan and so eventually predominated, giving their name to the section of land called Philistia, although the name Cherethites did not entirely fade out. According to this view, the meaning of the above-cited prophecies of Ezekiel and Zephaniah would be that Jehovah was going to bring vengeance and woe upon all the inhabitants of the cities of Philistia, both the Philistines and the Cherethites, prophecies apparently brought to fulfillment by the Babylonians.