Lexical Summary Ziph: Ziph Original Word: זִיף Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Ziph From the same as zepheth; flowing; Ziph, the name of a place in Palestine; also of an Israelite -- Ziph. see HEBREW zepheth NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originof uncertain derivation Definition a son of Judah, also a city S.E. of Hebron and a city in S. Judah NASB Translation Ziph (10). Brown-Driver-Briggs זִיף proper name 1. proper name, of a location a. city south east from Hebron, Joshua 15:55; 1 Chronicles 2:42; 2Chronicles 11:8, modern Tell Zîf; RobBR i. 492, 498 GuérinJudée iii. 159 ff.: ׳מִדְבַּרזֿ 1 Samuel 23:14,15; 1 Samuel 26:2 (twice in verse); with ה locative, זִ֫יפָה 1 Samuel 23:24. b. city of southern Judah Joshua 15:24, site unknown. 2. proper name, masculine a son of יְהַלֶּלְאֵל of Judah 1 Chronicles 4:16, whether related to proper name, of a location above does not appear. ᵐ5 Ζαφα, Ζιφ(αι). (1 Chronicles 2:42 see above) Topical Lexicon Geographical Setting Ziph designates two separate locations within the tribal allotment of Judah. One lies in the southern Negev near Arad (Joshua 15:24), while the other is in the hill-country south-east of Hebron (Joshua 15:55). The latter gave its name to “the Wilderness of Ziph,” a sparsely-wooded plateau overlooking the Dead Sea rift. The elevated terrain, pierced by wadis and dotted with caves, offered natural strongholds ideal for fugitives and troops alike. Modern identification favors Tell Zif (about five miles south-east of Hebron) for the hill-country site. Occurrences in Joshua’s Territorial List • Joshua 15:24 records Ziph among the southern towns allotted to Judah, underscoring Israel’s full possession of the Negev after the conquest. David’s Refuge and the Ziphite Betrayal The wilderness of Ziph forms the backdrop for one of Scripture’s most dramatic cat-and-mouse pursuits. 1 Samuel 23:14–15: “David stayed in the wilderness strongholds and in the hill country of the Wilderness of Ziph… Saul searched for him every day, but God did not deliver David into his hand.” Here David tasted both the strain of hiding and the assurance of divine preservation. Verse 19 records that “the Ziphites went up to Saul… saying, ‘Is not David hiding among us?’” Betrayal by fellow Judahites sharpened the test. Again, in 1 Samuel 26:2, Saul musters three thousand chosen men and descends “to the Wilderness of Ziph to seek David there.” On that very night David infiltrates Saul’s camp, takes the spear and water jug, and proves his innocence while sparing the king’s life. The twin episodes frame Ziph as a theater for themes of loyalty, restraint, and the sovereignty of God over human schemes. Psalm 54’s superscription, “When the Ziphites went to Saul,” preserves the spiritual soundtrack of these events, turning geography into doxology: “Surely God is my helper; the Lord is the upholder of my life” (Psalm 54:4). Rehoboam’s Defensive Network After the kingdom divided, Rehoboam fortified a string of cities to secure Judah’s frontiers. “He built up… Ziph” (2 Chronicles 11:8). The town’s elevation and proximity to the eastern wilderness made it a natural watchtower against Edomite or desert incursions and a rallying point for the new southern monarchy. Genealogical Notes Ziph also appears as a personal or clan name within the Calebite lineage: These notices root the place-name in family history, suggesting that the town may have originated as an estate of Caleb’s descendants or that the clan derived its identity from the settlement. Ministry and Devotional Significance 1. Trust under Betrayal: David’s experience in Ziph teaches believers to cling to God when falsely accused or abandoned by their own kinsmen. Archaeological and Historical Observations Tell Zif shows Iron-Age walls, cisterns, and pottery contemporary with the United Monarchy, lending material support to the biblical portrayal of a fortified site in Rehoboam’s day. The view eastward takes in the Dead Sea and Moabite highlands, explaining its strategic value as both lookout and refuge. Summary Ziph intertwines topography, history, and theology: a Judahite town, a Calebite clan seat, a wilderness proving ground for the future king, and a bulwark of Judah’s later defenses. From Joshua’s conquest lists to Rehoboam’s forts, and from David’s plaintive psalm to modern archaeological trenches, Ziph stands as a witness that the Lord guides, protects, and chastens His people amid the deserts—literal or figurative—through which they must pass. Forms and Transliterations וָזִ֥יף וזיף זִ֑יף זִ֔יף זִ֖יף זִ֖יפָה זִ֣יף זִ֥יף זִֽיף׃ זיף זיף׃ זיפה vaZif wā·zîp̄ wāzîp̄ zî·p̄āh zif Zifah zîp̄ zîp̄āhLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Joshua 15:24 HEB: זִ֥יף וָטֶ֖לֶם וּבְעָלֽוֹת׃ NAS: Ziph and Telem and Bealoth, KJV: Ziph, and Telem, and Bealoth, INT: Ziph and Telem and Bealoth Joshua 15:55 1 Samuel 23:14 1 Samuel 23:15 1 Samuel 23:24 1 Samuel 26:2 1 Samuel 26:2 1 Chronicles 2:42 1 Chronicles 4:16 2 Chronicles 11:8 10 Occurrences |
    |