Ziph
Fausset's Bible Dictionary [1]
1. In southern Judah ( Negeb
2. Midbar 1 Samuel 26:2). On both occasions the Ziphites discovered him to Saul. The last interview of David and Jonathan was in the wood here. A round hill, 100 ft. high, about three miles S. of Hebron, is still called Tell Zif. Three miles further S. is Kurmul (Carmel), and between them to the W. of the road is Yutta (Juttah). Rehoboam fortified Ziph (2Ch_11:8), probably Tell Ziph.
Half a mile off eastward are ruins at the head of two small wadies running off toward the Dead Sea. Lieut. Conder disputes the existence of a wood at Ziph; there are no springs of any size, and the soil is chalky. Septuagint and Josephus substitute "the new place" for "the wood of Ziph." The village Khirbet Khoreisa, one mile S. of Ziph, answers to "the wood of Ziph" as KJV translates; the difference between the Hebrew Choresh and the Septuagint reading is a difference merely of points; the Choresh of Ziph was a village belonging to the larger town at Tell Ziph.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia [2]
zif ( זיף , zı̄ph ; Ὀζείβ , Ozeı́b , or Ζίφ , Zı́ph ):
(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 , 1 Samuel 23:15 , 1 Samuel 23:24; 1 Samuel 26:2 ); the Ziphites ( 1 Samuel 23:19; 1 Samuel 26:1; compare Psalm 54:1-7 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 1 Chronicles 4:23 ) it is noticeable that Ziph is one of the four names occurring on the Hebrew stamped jar handles with the added למלך , la - melekh , "to the king."
The site is Tell Zı̂f , 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.
