3746. Kari
Lexical Summary
Kari: Kari

Original Word: כָּרִי
Part of Speech: Adjective
Transliteration: kariy
Pronunciation: kah-REE
Phonetic Spelling: (kaw-ree')
KJV: captains, Cherethites (from the margin)
NASB: Carites
Word Origin: [perhaps an abridged plural of H3733 (כַּר - Ram) in the sense of leader (of the flock)]

1. a life-guardsman

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
captains, Cherethites

Perhaps an abridged plural of kar in the sense of leader (of the flock); a life-guardsman -- captains, Cherethites (from the margin).

see HEBREW kar

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from karah
Definition
bodyguard of Jehoash
NASB Translation
Carites (2).

Brown-Driver-Briggs
כָּרִי adjective, of a people probably = Carian, only with article as substantive collective Carians, name given to foreign body-guard of king (compare RSOTJC 249, 2d ed.262) לַכָּרִי וְלָרָצִים 2 Kings 11:4 compare 2 Kings 11:19; הכרי 2 Samuel 20:23 Kt (< Qr הַכְּרֵתִי which We Dr Bu prefer).

Topical Lexicon
Name and Identity

“Kari” refers to an elite corps of royal guards, rendered “Carites” in English versions such as the Berean Standard Bible and “Cherethites” in several parallel passages. The term points to a professional, non-Israelite contingent attached to the monarchy, probably mercenaries of either Cretan (Cherethite) or Carian origin. Their foreign background distinguished them from ordinary Israelite troops and enhanced their reliability, for their loyalty rested on covenant with the king rather than tribal affinity.

Appearance in Scripture

2 Samuel 20:23 places them under Benaiah, son of Jehoiada, alongside the Pelethites during David’s reign.
1 Kings 1:38 includes them in the escort that publicly installs Solomon: “Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, the Cherethites, and the Pelethites went down and set Solomon on King David’s mule.”
2 Kings 11:4 shows that by the time of Jehoiada’s reform they still existed as an organized body, summoned to shield the hidden boy-king Joash.
2 Kings 11:19 narrates their successful mission: “He took the commanders over hundreds, the Carites, the guards, and all the people of the land… Then Joash sat on the royal throne.”

Military Role and Organization

1. Bodyguard: Their primary duty was to protect the sovereign. When succession crises erupted—Sheba’s revolt (2 Samuel 20), Adonijah’s coup attempt (1 Kings 1), and Athaliah’s usurpation (2 Kings 11)—the Carites stood at the center of the counter-measures that preserved the Davidic line.
2. Executioners: The Hebrew term’s etymology and its pairing with “Pelethites” (interpreted as couriers or runners) suggest a dual function: close combat defense and an enforcement arm for the king’s commands, including capital sentences.
3. Command Structure: Headed by Benaiah under David and later by unnamed “captains of hundreds,” they operated as a cohesive unit, able to be mobilized rapidly from palace to Temple.

Connection with the Cherethites

The overlap of verses using either “Carites” or “Cherethites” indicates textual or dialectal variation, not two separate corps. Both names likely describe the same mercenary guard, with the spelling fluctuation reflecting transmission through different scribal traditions. Their joint mention with Pelethites confirms the close relationship.

Theological and Typological Significance

1. Preservation of the Covenant Line: Each appearance of the Carites coincides with divine intervention to protect the promised dynasty (2 Samuel 7:12-16). Their steadfast service forms a human instrument through which the LORD’s covenant purposes advance.
2. Inclusion of the Nations: Foreign soldiers integrated into Israel’s sacred history prefigure the Gospel’s call to all peoples (Galatians 3:8). God’s redemptive plan employs willing servants regardless of origin, foreshadowing the multi-ethnic body of Christ.
3. Faithful Service: The Carites’ unswerving allegiance underpins the biblical ethic of covenant faithfulness. Their obedience contrasts sharply with the opportunistic rebellion of Sheba and the self-seeking ambition of Adonijah and Athaliah.

Lessons for Ministry Today

• Reliability is rooted in covenant commitment, not cultural homogeneity.
• God often sustains His purposes through seemingly peripheral agents; no service rendered in loyalty to rightful authority is insignificant.
• Spiritual leadership must cultivate trustworthy guardians of truth—modern “Carites” who protect the flock from doctrinal and moral usurpers, ensuring that Christ, the true Son of David, remains enthroned in His Church.

Forms and Transliterations
הַכָּרִ֨י הַכְּרֵתִ֖י הכרי הכרתי וְהַכְּרֵתִי֙ והכרתי לַכָּרִי֙ לכרי hak·kā·rî hak·kə·rê·ṯî hakkaRi hakkārî hakkereTi hakkərêṯî lak·kā·rî lakkaRi lakkārî vehakkereTi wə·hak·kə·rê·ṯî wəhakkərêṯî
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Englishman's Concordance
2 Samuel 20:23
HEB: [הַכְּרִי כ] (הַכְּרֵתִ֖י ק) וְעַל־
INT: of Jehoiada was over captains was over and the Pelethites

1 Kings 1:38
HEB: בֶן־ יְהוֹיָדָ֗ע וְהַכְּרֵתִי֙ וְהַפְּלֵתִ֔י וַיַּרְכִּ֙בוּ֙
INT: the son of Jehoiada captains and the Pelethites ride

2 Kings 11:4
HEB: (הַמֵּאֹ֗ות ק) לַכָּרִי֙ וְלָ֣רָצִ֔ים וַיָּבֵ֥א
NAS: of hundreds of the Carites and of the guard,
KJV: over hundreds, with the captains and the guard,
INT: the captains hundred of the Carites the guard and brought

2 Kings 11:19
HEB: הַ֠מֵּאוֹת וְאֶת־ הַכָּרִ֨י וְאֶת־ הָרָצִ֜ים
NAS: of hundreds and the Carites and the guards
KJV: over hundreds, and the captains, and the guard,
INT: the captains of hundreds and the Carites and the guards and all

4 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 3746
4 Occurrences


hak·kā·rî — 1 Occ.
hak·kə·rê·ṯî — 1 Occ.
lak·kā·rî — 1 Occ.
wə·hak·kə·rê·ṯî — 1 Occ.

3745
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