Ezekiel 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. I WILL 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 (). They excelled in archery, whence David enrolled a bodyguard from them (; ; ). 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...

8-17 Though one event seem to the righteous and wicked, it is vastly different. Those who glory in any other defence and protection than the Divine power, providence, and promise, will, sooner or later, be ashamed of their glorying. Those who will not leave it to God to take vengeance for them, may expect that he will take vengeance on them. The equity of the Lord's judgments is to be observed, when he not only avenges injuries upon those that did them, but by those against whom they were done. Those who treasure up old hatred, and watch for the opportunity of manifesting it, are treasuring up for themselves wrath against the day of wrath....

The Philistines occupying lands to the south of Judah were a Hamite race Genesis 10:14, but of a different branch from the Canaanites. They were a powerful people never dispossessed by the Israelites Joshua 13:3. They were a thorn in the side of the chosen people throughout, and joined in attacking Jerusalem in the day of her trouble. They were much reduced by the Assyrians Isaiah 14:31, and Egyptians Jeremiah 47:1, before the time of this prophecy, but further destruction came upon them in the general ruin of the inhabitants of Canaan, which commenced with the destruction of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar....

EXPOSITION The section on which we now enter—the great "parenthesis," as I have called it, of Ezekiel's prophetic work—contains messages to the seven nations that were most closely connected with the fortunes of Israel and Judah. These were (1) Ammon (Ezekiel 25:1); (2) Moab (Ezekiel 25:8); (3) Edom (Ezekiel 25:12); (4) Philistia (Ezekiel 25:15); (5) Tyre (Ezekiel 26:1); (6) Zidon ...

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, Jeremiah 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, 1 Samuel 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 Isaiah 20:1 a והכרתי את כרתים....

CHAPTER S 25-32 Predictions of Judgments Against the Nations _ 1. Prophecies concerning Ammon, Moab, Edom, and the Philistines (Ezekiel 25:1) _ 2. Concerning Tyrus (Ezekiel 26:1) 3. The glory of Tyrus and Her Fall (Ezekiel 27:1) 4. The prince of Tyrus (Ezekiel 28:1) 5. Concerning Egypt (Ezekiel 29:1; Ezekiel 30:1) 6. Pharaoh's greatness and his overthrow ...

THE PHILISTINES. Compare Psalms 60:8; Psalms 60:9; Psalms 108:9; Psalms 108:10; Isaiah 11:14. CUT OFF THE CHERETHIMS. Note the Figure of speech _Paronomasia_ (App-6), for emphasis. Hebrew. _lrikralti larethim_. in English,. will cut off the cutters off. CHERETHIMS. A tribe of the Philistines (1 Samuel 30:14.Zephaniah 2:5;...

_the Cherethims_ the CHERETHITES. The name was given to the inhabitants of the Philistine coast, Zephaniah 2:5, "woe to the inhabitants of the sea-coast, the nation of the Cherethites … the land of the Philistines." Cf. 1 Samuel 30:14; 2 Samuel 8:18; Jeremiah 47:4. _the remnant_ Cf. Amos 1:8; Isaiah 14:30; Zephaniah 1:4....

IV. THE WORD AGAINST PHILISTIA 25:15-17 TRANSLATION (15) Thus says the Lord GOD: Because the Philistine have acted in revenge, and have taken vengeance with contempt in (their) soul to destroy with eternal enmity, (16) therefore, thus says the LORD: Behold, I am about to stretch out My hand against the Philistine, and I shall cut off the Cherethites, and destroy the remnant of the seacoast. (17) And I will execute great vengeance on them by acts of furious chastisement;[376] and they shall know that I am the LORD when I execute My vengeance on them. [376] Rendering of the Berkeley Version; NASB, _with wrathful rebukes._ COMMENTS The Philistine invaded Palestine about 1200 B.C. in the days of the Judges. They hailed from the island of Caphtor (Amos 9:7). Knowing the secret of smelting iron, they immediately gained the advantage over the Israelites who still fou

25:16 Kerethites, (b-22) Or perhaps 'the Cretans.' see Zephaniah 2:5 . There is a paronomasia here....