Ezekiel 25:16

Eze 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.

Ver. 16. I will cut off the Cherethims.] These were a part of the Philistines. {Zep 2:5} There is an elegance in the original: q.d., Exscindam exscissores, I will cut off the cutters.

And destroy the remnant of the sea coast.] Palestina lay upon the midland sea. {Zep 3:5}

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Which were certain garrisons of Philistines, whereby they ofttimes molested the Jews, of the Cherethims David also had a guard, 2 Sam. 8:18.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

cut off the Cherethims--There is a play on similar sounds in the Hebrew, hichratti cherethim, "I will slay the slayers." The name may have been given to a section of the Philistines from their warlike disposition (Sa1 30:14; Sa1 31:3). They excelled in archery, whence David enrolled a bodyguard from them (Sa2 8:18; Sa2 15:18; Sa2 20:7). They sprang from Caphtor, identified by many with Crete, which was famed for archery, and to which the name Cherethim seems akin. Though in emigration, which mostly tended westwards, Crete seems more likely to be colonized from Philistia than Philistia from Crete, a section of Cretans may have settled at Chere thim in South Philistia, while the Philistines, as a nation, may have come originally from the east (compare Deu 2:23; Jer 47:4; Amo 9:7; Zep 2:5). In Gen 10:14 the Philistines are made distinct from the Caphtorim, and are said to come from the Casluhim; so that the Cherethim were but a part of the Philistines, which Sa1 30:14 confirms.

remnant of--that is, "on the seacoast" of the Mediterranean: those left remaining after the former overthrows inflicted by Samuel, David, Hezekiah, and Psammetichus of Egypt, father of Pharaoh-necho (Jer 25:20).

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

(16) Cherethims.—The Cherethim were a portion of the Philistines living on their southern coast (1Sa_30:14; Zep_2:5), and are sometimes put for the whole nation. The name is supposed by many to be equivalent to Cretans, and to indicate the origin of the Philistines from the island of Crete; but the etymology is doubtful. The reason for the introduction of their name here was probably a paronomasia in the original, the phrase “I will cut off the Cherethim” reading I will slay the slayers.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

16. the Cherethims] the Cherethites. The name was given to the inhabitants of the Philistine coast, Zep_2:5, “woe to the inhabitants of the sea-coast, the nation of the Cherethites … the land of the Philistines.” Cf. 1Sa_30:14; 2Sa_8:18; Jer_47:4.

the remnant] Cf. Amo_1:8; Isa_14:30; Zep_1:4.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Therefore thus saith the Lord God,.... Because of such wretched malice and despiteful usage:

behold, I will stretch out mine hand upon the Philistines; as is foretold, Jer 47:1,

and I will cut off the Cherethims: one of the tribes of the Philistines, a principal part of their country, which lay to the south, Sa1 30:14, there is a beautiful play on words (i) in the Hebrew:

and destroy the remnant of the seacoast; as that of Ashdod, Caphtor, and Ashkelon, formerly spoiled by other persons; what they left should now be utterly destroyed; see Isa 20:1.

(a) .

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Killers. Hebrew, "Ceretheans." David’s guards were of this nation, 2 Kings viii. 18. They came originally from Crete; and the Septuagint have here, "Cretans;" (Calmet) as Grabe substitutes for "Judges of Sidon." (Haydock) --- Chaldean, "archers." --- Remnant. They deserve not the name of a nation, having been much reduced by Egypt and the Chaldeans. (Calmet)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

The Cherethims; either a name for all the Philistines, 1Sa 30:14, or else the principal soldiers, expert bowmen, the strength of Philistia.

The remnant, which had escaped the sword of Samuel, David, Hezekiah, and of Psammeticus king of Egypt.

Of the sea-coast; the Mediterranean about Azotus.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

The Cherethims. The name appears, coupled with the Philistines, in Zep_2:5, and has been supposed to be connected with Crete as the region from which they came, or in which they afterwards settled. By many writers both names are identified with the Cherethites and Pelethites, who appear as David"s body-guard in 2Sa_8:18 2Sa_15:18, et al., and who are supposed to represent a body of mercenary or subject troops formed out of the two nations. Both Ezekiel and Zephaniah connect the Cherethims with a paronomasia, the verb I will cut off being almost identical in sound with it. (For other prophecies, see Isa_11:14 Isa_14:29-31 Jer 47; Joe_3:4 Amo_1:6-8; Zep_2:4-7; Zec_9:4-7)

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The Cherethim - The bowmen, the strength of Philistia. The remnant - Who had escaped the sword of Samuel, David, Hezekiah, and of Psammetichus king of Egypt.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

the Cherethites [Heb. כְּרֵתִים,] a nation deserving of being cut off (Targum). But I say, because I saw elsewhere that Scripture calls the Philistines כְּרֵתִים (Zeph. 2:5): “Woe to the inhabitants of the seacoast, the nation of (כְּרֵתִים),” and it does not give any other nation this appellation, it appears to me that there is a region of Philistia called Chereth, and so I find in the Book of (I) Samuel (30:14), concerning the group that set fire to Ziklag: “We made a raid on the south of the Cherethites.”

the seacoast [Heb. חוֹף הַיָם,] marche in Old French, frontier, borderland. They are Philistines, who live in the southwestern corner of the land of Israel on the Western (Mediterranean) Sea.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.