English · KJV
H2128

זִיף

Zîyph /zeef/ Ask about this word
Rootfrom the same as זֶפֶת
Meaningflowing; Ziph, the name of a place in Palestine; also of an Israelite
KJV usageZiph.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of Zîyph — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Hebrew word Zîyph, represented by H2128, is defined as flowing; Ziph, the name of a place in Palestine; also of an Israelite; Ziph. It appears 10 times across 9 unique verses in the Bible. This term is used both as a proper name for an individual and, more frequently, as the name of a significant location in the history of Israel.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In the biblical narrative, H2128 primarily designates a place in the territory of Judah. It is most prominent as a key setting in the story of David's flight from King Saul. David sought refuge "in a mountain in the wilderness of Ziph" 1 Samuel 23:14, and Saul pursued him there with thousands of men 1 Samuel 26:2. The location is listed as a city in Judah's inheritance (Joshua 15:24, Joshua 15:55) and as one of the cities fortified by Rehoboam 2 Chronicles 11:8. Less frequently, Ziph is used as a personal name within genealogies, such as a son of Jehaleleel 1 Chronicles 4:16 and a descendant of Caleb 1 Chronicles 2:42.

Related Words & Concepts

Several words describing terrain are closely associated with Ziph, painting a picture of the landscape where David hid:

  • H4057 midbâr (wilderness): The area is repeatedly called the "wilderness of Ziph" 1 Samuel 23:14, a term defined as a pasture or desert. This highlights its remote and undeveloped nature.
  • H2793 chôresh (wood): David found cover within this wilderness, specifically "in a wood" 1 Samuel 23:15. The term denotes a forest, bough, or shroud.
  • H4679 mᵉtsad (strong hold): The narrative notes that David stayed in "strong holds" in the wilderness of Ziph 1 Samuel 23:14. This word signifies a fastness, fort, or castle, indicating a defensible position.

Theological Significance

The significance of H2128 is tied to the events that unfolded there rather than to a theological concept. It represents a place of intense trial and divine deliverance.

  • Divine Providence: The wilderness of Ziph is the setting for a clear statement of God's sovereignty. Though Saul searched for David every day, the scripture states that "God delivered him not into his hand" 1 Samuel 23:14.
  • A Stage for Persecution: Ziph was the backdrop for Saul's relentless pursuit of David, illustrating the severity of the threat against God's chosen future king 1 Samuel 26:2.
  • A Place of Refuge: The geographic features of Ziph, including its mountain 1 Samuel 23:14, wood 1 Samuel 23:15, and strong holds 1 Samuel 23:14, served as the physical sanctuary where David was preserved.

Summary

In summary, H2128 is a proper name with a dual identity in scripture. While it appears in the genealogies of Israel (1 Chronicles 2:42, 1 Chronicles 4:16), its primary importance is as a geographical location. The wilderness of Ziph is not merely a name on a map but the stage for a critical episode in David's life, forever marking it as a place defined by both fierce persecution and undeniable divine protection.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Hebrew Old Testament, this word appears as a noun across 10 occurrences, inflected in 2 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form. Select any form to read what each part of its name means, and to filter the occurrence list to it.

  • זִיף
  • זִיף

Related Words

Related

Other entries the study above points to — each one is drawn from a reference it makes. Follow the trail to see how the words connect.

H4057 מִדְבָּר from דָבַר in the sense of driving; a pasture (i.e. open field, whither cattle are driven); by implication, a desert; al H2793 חֹרֶשׁ from חָרַשׁ; a forest (perhaps as furnishing the material for fabric); bough, forest, shroud, wood. H4679 מְצַד or מְצָד; or (feminine) מְצָדָה; from צוּד; a fastness (as a covert of ambush); castle, fort, (strong) hold, munition.

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

Appears in 9 verses across 4 of the 39 books. Most frequent in 1 Samuel (4 verses); never once in the other 35.

2
Joshua
4
1 Samuel
2
1 Chronicles
1
2 Chronicles

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, by grammatical form, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.