Bible Map: Ziph

Ziph and surrounding area

Joshua 15:55 Maon, Carmel, Ziph, Jutah,

1 Samuel 23:14 David stayed in the wilderness in the strongholds, and remained in the hill country in the wilderness of Ziph. Saul sought him every day, but God didn't deliver him into his hand.

1 Samuel 23:15 David saw that Saul had come out to seek his life. David was in the wilderness of Ziph in the wood.

1 Samuel 23:24 They arose, and went to Ziph before Saul: but David and his men were in the wilderness of Maon, in the Arabah on the south of the desert.

1 Samuel 26:2 Then Saul arose, and went down to the wilderness of Ziph, having three thousand chosen men of Israel with him, to seek David in the wilderness of Ziph.

2 Chronicles 11:8 and Gath, and Mareshah, and Ziph,

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ZIPH (1)

zif (ziph; Ozeib, or Ziph):

(1) A town in the hill country of Judah, mentioned along with Maon, Carmel and Jutah (Joshua 15:55). It is chiefly celebrated in connection with the earlier history of David: "David.... remained in the hill-country in the wilderness of Ziph" (1 Samuel 23:14, 15, 24; 1 Samuel 26:2); the Ziphites (1 Samuel 23:19; 1 Samuel 26:1; compare Psalm 54 title) sought to betray him to Saul, but David escaped. Ziph was fortified by Rehoboam (2 Chronicles 11:8). The name also occurs in 1 Chronicles 2:42; 1 Chronicles 4:16. In connection with this last (compare 4:23) it is noticeable that Ziph is one of the four names occurring on the Hebrew stamped jar handles with the added la-melekh, "to the king."

The site is Tell Zif, 4 miles Southeast of Hebron, conspicuous hill 2,882 ft. above sea-level; there are cisterns and, to the East, some ruins (PEF, III, 312, 315).

(2) A town in the Negeb of Judah (Joshua 15:24), site unknown.

E. W. G. Masterman

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

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