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

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ZIPH, now tell Ziph, 3 1/2 ms. s.s.e. of Hebron, and only ruins, 2882 ft. above the Mediterranean, 21 ms. s. from Jerusalem. The "wood of Ziph" may mean the city near Ziph, as the word "wood" is "Khoresh," in the Hebrew, and the remains of a town very nearly of that name, Koreisa, are still here and it appears that a forest may once have been in existence near at hand. Josh. 15:55, 1 Sam. 23: and 26.H2128: Ziph

a son of Judah, also a city Southeast of Hebron and a city in S. Judah