The Kari: God’s Protectors — 2 Kings 11

The Carites were foreign mercenaries who had served as royal bodyguards from the early days of the Davidic dynasty. Believed to have originated from the region of Caria in southwestern Asia Minor (Anatolia), they played a crucial role alongside the priest Jehoiada in protecting the young king Joash from the oppression of Athaliah.

The Carites (Kari) (2 Kgs 11:4)

The Carites served as mercenaries in Egypt and Ethiopia, and are thought to have been people from “Caria,” located in the southwestern region of the Anatolian peninsula in Asia Minor, though this identification is not certain.

They were foreign mercenaries who were employed as David’s personal bodyguard and served under the command of Benaiah. The Carites (Kari) (2 Kgs 11:4)

They served as mercenaries in Egypt and Ethiopia, and are thought to have been people from “Caria,” located in the southwestern region of the Anatolian peninsula in Asia Minor.

They were foreign mercenaries employed as David’s personal bodyguard, serving under the command of Benaiah. (2 Sam 20:23) As such, they had been guarding the Davidic royal household from its earliest days and would presumably have been displeased at the prospect of the Davidic dynasty being cut off by Athaliah.

Jehoiada summoned the commanders of the royal guard to the temple, made a covenant with them and bound them by oath, then presented Joash to them and gave them their orders.

However, the spelling differs between 2 Kgs 11:4 and 2 Sam 20:23. To quote directly from the footnote in the Centennial Bible Commentary: “In the MT (2 Sam 20:23) the reading is Kari (kari), but the Korean Revised Version translates it as ‘Cherethites.’ This is because the marginal note (Qere) of the MT recommends reading it as Kereti (ktty).” (MT: Masoretic Text)

[4] But in the seventh year Jehoiada sent and brought the captains of the Carites and of the guards, and had them come to him in the house of the LORD. And he made a covenant with them and put them under oath in the house of the LORD, and he showed them the king’s son. (2 Kgs 11:4, ESV)

[23] Now Joab was in command of all the army of Israel; and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was in command of the Cherethites and the Pelethites; (2 Sam 20:23, ESV)

*Source: Centennial Bible Commentary

Originally published in Korean at bible2u.com