H3746 H3746
Carites, a foreign bodyguard unit serving Judah's kings
An elite military unit, possibly Carian mercenaries from Asia Minor, who served as royal bodyguards alongside the Cherethites. During Jehoiada's coup against Athaliah, the priest brought these guards into the temple precincts to protect the young king Joash. Their presence reflects the ancient Near Eastern practice of employing foreign professional soldiers for palace security, ensuring loyalty uncompromised by local political ties.
Senses
1. sense 1 — Second Kings 11:4, 19 feature the Carites (הַכָּרִי) alongside 'the runners' (הָרָצִים) in Jehoiada's carefully orchestrated coronation and palace takeover. The pairing with Cherethites in 2 Samuel 20:23 (if the ketiv הַכְּרֵתִי is corrected to הַכָּרִי as most scholars prefer) links them to David's foreign guard units. The ethnic designation suggests Carian origin—seafaring peoples from southwest Anatolia who served as mercenaries throughout the ancient Near East. Translations largely transliterate: Spanish 'caritas,' German 'Karites.' 3×
AR["الْكَرِيتِيِّينَ", "ٱلْكَارِيِّينَ"]·ben["(কেতিব)", "কারীয়দের"]·DE["[the-Kerethite]", "der-Karites", "von-der-Karites"]·EN["[the-Kerethite]", "of-the-Karites", "the-Karites"]·FR["[the-Kerethite]", "de-le-Karites", "le-Karites"]·heb["ה-כרי", "ל-כרי"]·HI["लक्कारी-को", "हक्कारी"]·ID["-orang-Kari", "[orang-Kereti]", "dari-orang-Kari"]·IT["[the-Kerethite]", "di-il-Karites", "il-Karites"]·jav["[tiyang-Kreti]", "para-Kari", "tiyang-Kari"]·KO["[그-그레덧-사람이]", "가리-사람들과"]·PT["[o-queretita]", "dos-caritas", "os-caritas"]·RU["[кетив]", "к-карийцам", "карийцев"]·ES["[el-keri]", "de-los-caritas", "los-caritas"]·SW["Wakari", "Wakerethi"]·TR["Keretlileri", "Keretlilerin", "[Keretlilerin]"]·urd["[کری]", "کاریوں"]
Related Senses
G3588 1. definite article (18298×)H0853 1. definite direct object marker (10915×)G2532 1. (8312×)H3068 1. YHWH (the divine name) (6522×)H0834a 1. relative pronoun (who/which/that) (4839×)H3588a 1. causal: because, for (3498×)G1161 1. and (2806×)H3478 1. Israel (proper name and nation) (2507×)G4771 1. you (plural address) (1853×)H1931 1. personal pronoun he/she/it (1431×)G3739 1. relative pronoun who/which/that (1149×)H1732 1. David (proper name) (1075×)H2088 1. this, this one (demonstrative) (1059×)G1063 1. (1047×)G3778 1. this thing, these things (1003×)H???? 2. (1002×)G2424 1. (924×)G3754 1. that (content clause) (881×)H2009 1. presentative particle: behold, look (881×)H0589 1. I (first person singular pronoun) (874×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† כָּרִי adj.gent. prob. = Carian, only c. art. as subst. coll. Carians, name given to foreign body-guard of king (cf. RSOTJC 249, 2d ed. 262) לַכָּרִי וְלָרָצִים 2 K 11:4 cf. v 19; הכרי 2 S 20:23 Kt (הַכְּרֵתִי, which We Dr Bu prefer).