What Does Ezekiel 25:16 Mean in the King James?
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.
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
The verb כרת (karat, “cut off”) echoes the consonants in כְּרֵתִים (keretim, “Cherethims”), and the sentence reaches even what remains.
THE MEANING
The LORD’s hand reaches against the Philistines: the Cherethims are cut off, and the remaining sea-coast is made to perish. As you meet this verse now, its verdict gives no protection to what survives at the margin; the remnant is included in the destruction.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
The false assurance this undoes is that whatever survives the first blow is therefore safe; here, what remains is still within the reach of destruction.
THE ROOT
וְהִכְרַתִּי
ve-hikhratti
GROWS FROM
כרת
Cut, sever, cut off.
The verb וְהִכְרַתִּי (ve-hikhratti, “and I will cut off”) shares the K-R-T consonants with כְּרֵתִים (keretim, “Cherethims”); the ethnonym’s derivation is uncertain, but the sound echo is audible. The same root appears in כָּרַת בְּרִית (karat berit, “cut a covenant”), so its range reaches from covenant-making to the violent severing named here.
ALSO GROWS
karat berit: Cut a covenant.
כָּרַת בְּרִית
The same verb that marks severing also describes establishing a covenant through a cutting act.
keritut: Severance; divorce, as in a divorce decree.
כְּרִיתוּת
This branch keeps the root’s sense of separation visible beneath the English wording.
שְׁאֵרִית
she’erit
GROWS FROM
שאר
sha’ar
Remain, be left over.
The Hebrew word for “remnant” belongs to the family of “remain” and “be left.” The verse names that very remainder as an object of destruction, so being left over does not mean being spared.
ALSO GROWS
sha’ar: To remain; to be left.
שָׁאַר
The verb names the condition that gives rise to a remnant.
she’ar: Remainder; rest.
שְׁאָר
This noun shares the root’s sense of what remains after the rest is gone.
וְהַאֲבַדְתִּי
ve-ha’avaddeti
GROWS FROM
אבד
avad
Be lost, perish; in the causative form, cause to perish.
The verb rendered “destroy” is a causative form of אבד (avad, “perish, be lost”). Its root gives the verse a severe ending: what remains is made to perish.
ALSO GROWS
avad: Perish; be lost.
אָבַד
This is the root verb behind the causative form in the verse.
avedah: A lost thing; something lost.
אֲבֵדָה
This related noun shows the root’s use for what has become lost.
THE PATTERN
The LORD’s hand is active reach: when it extends over a people, the act that follows changes their condition.
And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I stretch forth mine hand upon Egypt, and bring out the children of Israel from among them.Therefore is the anger of the LORD kindled against his people, and he hath stretched forth his hand against them, and hath smitten them: and the hills did tremble, and their carcases were torn in the midst of the streets. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thee, and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a season. And immediately there fell on him a mist and a darkness; and he went about seeking some to lead him by the hand.THE THREAD
For I will rise up against them, saith the LORD of hosts, and cut off from Babylon the name, and remnant, and son, and nephew, saith the LORD.Isaiah pairs the root כרת (karat, “cut off”) with שְׁאָר (she’ar, “remainder”), from the same שאר (sha’ar, “remain”) root family as Ezekiel’s “remnant.” The cutting reaches what is left over.
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