Wilderness of Ziph

Biblical Text

The Wilderness of Ziph is the wilderness surrounding the town of Ziph in the hill country of Judah. In 1 Samuel it appears as a place where David hid while fleeing from Saul. Depending on the translation and the passage, Korean Bibles render the name either as "Ziph hwangmuji" or "Ziph gwangya" (both meaning "Wilderness of Ziph").

• 1 Samuel 23:14–18: David stayed in strongholds and in a mountain in the Wilderness of Ziph, and Saul sought him every day but could not capture him. During this time Saul's son Jonathan came to David at Horesh and encouraged him, and the two made a covenant before the LORD.
• 1 Samuel 23:19–24: The Ziphites went to Saul at Gibeah and reported that David was hiding at Horesh on the hill of Hachilah, south of Jeshimon. Meanwhile, David moved south to the Wilderness of Maon.
• 1 Samuel 26: When the Ziphites again reported David's hiding place, Saul went down to the Wilderness of Ziph with three thousand chosen men of Israel. David entered Saul's camp by night and took only the spear and the cruse of water from beside the sleeping king. When Abishai urged him to kill Saul, David refused, saying that he could not strike the LORD's anointed (1 Samuel 26:9–11).
• Psalm 54: The superscription of Psalm 54 in the Psalms states that the psalm was composed when the Ziphites told Saul where David was hiding.

Background

The town of Ziph is listed in Joshua 15:55 among the hill-country towns of the tribe of Judah. Joshua 15:24 mentions another town of the same name in the south. In 2 Chronicles 11:8 it appears among the cities that Rehoboam fortified.

Its location is widely identified with Tell Zif, southeast of Hebron, though this identification is not certain. The Hebrew word midbar, rendered "wilderness," refers not so much to a sandy desert as to pastureland or barren ground unsuitable for farming. The region extends eastward into the Judean Wilderness toward the Dead Sea and is described as terrain well suited for hiding, with many hills, ravines, and caves.

Significance in the Bible as a Whole

The Wilderness of Ziph reflects the period before David became king, when he lived as a fugitive. The Ziphites, fellow members of the tribe of Judah, informed on David, while Jonathan, the son of his enemy Saul, encouraged him. The text sets the two in contrast.

Here David, though given the opportunity for revenge, left judgment to God. The New Testament does not mention the Wilderness of Ziph directly. Many interpreters, however, read this account in connection with the teaching to leave vengeance to God (Romans 12:17–21).

Interpretation and Points of Debate

• One event or two? The incident at En-gedi in 1 Samuel 24 and the incident in the Wilderness of Ziph in chapter 26 are strikingly similar. Traditionally they are read as two separate events that actually occurred. Some critical scholars regard them as two versions of a single event transmitted through different traditions.
• The superscription of Psalm 54: Many conservative interpreters, following the superscription, read the psalm in connection with David's actual experience. Other scholars hold that the superscription was added later.
• The Ziphites' motives: The text does not say why the Ziphites informed on David. Explanations such as a desire to win the king's favor or fear of reprisal are the conjectures of interpreters.

In the Korean Church

The account of David sparing Saul is frequently used in sermons on a faith that refrains from revenge and waits for God's timing. The saying "Do not strike the LORD's anointed" is sometimes cited as grounds for discouraging criticism of church leaders. Critics respond that applying David's personal stance toward King Saul directly to pastors in general is an interpretation that departs from the context of the passage.