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Ziph - location profile

Location and Setting

Ziph was located four miles southeast of Hebron on one of the routes into the Hill Country from the Wilderness of Judea. It is probably to be identified with Tell Zif, a hill 2,890 feet above sea level. From this location, the city had a commanding view of the surrounding territory.
The barren desert surrounding the city was known as the Wilderness of Ziph.
Another site named Ziph existed in the Negev area of Judah on the border with Edom, about twenty-five miles southwest of the Dead Sea (Josh 15:24; 1 Chr 2:42; 4:16).

Ziph was a city assigned to the tribe of Judah after the Conquest (Josh 15:55).
David hid from Saul in the wilderness areas surrounding Ziph. When Ziphites betrayed David’s hiding place to Saul, he pursued David. Although Saul almost surrounded him, he was called away because of the report of a Philistine attack at another location (1 Sam 23:14-28).
When the Ziphites betrayed David’s location to Saul a second time, he returned to the Wilderness of Ziph to find David. While Saul slept, David crept into his camp and took Saul’s spear and water jug, but he refused to take this opportunity to kill the one who was seeking to kill him. He told Saul, ". . . for the Lord delivered you into my hand today, but I refused to stretch out my hand against the Lord’s anointed" (1 Sam 26:23). When Saul realized that David had spared his life, he confessed his sin of seeking to kill David and actually blessed him. They then parted, never to meet again (1 Samuel 26).
Psalm 54 is traditionally understood to refer to David’s experience in the Wilderness of Ziph.
Rehoboam fortified Ziph to defend Judah from attack by enemies from the east and south (2 Chr 11:5-12).

Lockyer, Sr., Herbert, ed. Nelson’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary. Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1986.
Thompson, J. Arthur. "Ziph, Ziphites." The Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible. Ed. Merrill C. Tenney. 5 vols. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1976.