---
title: כְּרֵתִי — Kerethites · The Tanakh dictionary
description: כְּרֵתִי (3774), a word of Biblical Hebrew, used 10 times: Kerethites. BDB 1906: adj.gent. With 2 verses in Hebrew, word for word and JPS 1917.
---

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# כְּרֵתִי

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«כְּרֵתִי» in the Tanakh dictionary: **Kerethites** — how often it is used, MACULA's glosses, its meanings in the printed dictionaries and why they were chosen, and 2 verses in layers.

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**Used:** 10 times · **Key:** 3774 · **BDB:** כְּרֵתִי

### Glosses

Kerethite\[s\] (7); \[the\].Kerethites (1); of.\[the\].Kerethites (1)

### Meaning (OSHB)

Kerethites [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1499/3774/#m1)

### Meaning (BDB 1906)

adj.gent. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1499/3774/#m2)

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**The whole BDB entry:** adj.gent., always c. art., or pl., as subst., Kerethites, a name for Philistines or a part of them (perhaps = Cretans, cf. 𝔊 Zp 2:5 Ez 25:16; on Crete as orig. home of Philistines, v. כַּפְתֹּר, פְּלִשְׁתִּי);—הַכְּרֵתִי = subst. coll.;—נֶגֶב הַכּ׳ 1 S 30:14 (cf. Dr; 𝔊B Χολθει, 𝔊L Χορρι, A Χερηθει; of soldiers of David’s guard, הַכּ׳ וְהַפְּלֵתִי 2 S 8:18 (read עַל־הַכּ׳ Th We Dr al.) = 1 Ch 18:17; 2 S 15:18; 20:7 + v 23 Qr (\> Kt הכרי), 1 K 1:38, 44 (𝔊 Χελεθθει, Χερεθθει, etc.); pl. כְּרֵתִים Ez 25:16 (‖ פְּלִשְׁתִּים; 𝔊 Κρῆτας); גּוֹי כְּרֵתִים Zp 2:5 (𝔊 Κρητῶν; ‖ ארץ פלשׁתים): in v 6 We reads כֶּרֶת = Philistia (v. \[כָרָה\], sub I. כרה).

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Why these entries: BDB: headword, part of speech agrees, 10 of its verses cited, 0 words shared with the glosses, lists its Strong's number (5 candidates); OSHB: headword, part of speech agrees, 1 words shared with the BDB entry, 1 with the glosses (3 candidates)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every English meaning of «כְּרֵתִי» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1499/3774/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.

### In the verses

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[2 Samuel 8:18](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/neviim/2SA.8.18/)

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וּבְנָיָ֙הוּ֙ בֶּן־יְה֣וֹיָדָ֔ע וְהַכְּרֵתִ֖י וְהַפְּלֵתִ֑י וּבְנֵ֥י דָוִ֖ד כֹּהֲנִ֥ים הָיֽוּ׃פ

*Word for word:* and Benaiah the.son of.Jehoiada and the Kerethite\[s\] and the Pelethite\[s\] and the.sons of.David \[were\].priests they.were

*JPS 1917:* and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and the Pelethites; and David's sons were chief ministers.

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[2 Samuel 20:23](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/neviim/2SA.20.23/)

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וְיוֹאָ֕ב אֶ֥ל כָּל־הַצָּבָ֖א יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וּבְנָיָה֙ בֶּן־יְה֣וֹיָדָ֔ע עַל־הַכְּרֵתִ֖י וְעַל־הַפְּלֵתִֽי׃

*Word for word:* and Joab \[was\].to all the army of.Israel and Benaiah the.son of.Jehoiada \[was\].over the Kerethite\[s\] and over the Pelethite\[s\]

*JPS 1917:* Now Joab was over all the host of Israel; and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and over the Pelethites;

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- ← previous: [כָּרַת](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/tanakh/w/lemma_3a_5db_5b8_5bc_5e8_5b7_5ea.md)
- next →: [כֶּשֶׂב](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/tanakh/w/3775.md)
- ↑ back to [כ](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/tanakh/1499-3.md)