Bible Strands
1 Samuel 23:19
Then the Ziphites came up to Saul at Gibeah and said, “Is not David hiding among us in the strongholds at Horesh, on the hill of Hachilah south of Jeshimon?
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The Ziphites approach King Saul at Gibeah to report David’s hiding place. They deliver this information immediately after David’s covenant with Jonathan and his retreat into the wilderness strongholds.
The words — The verb וַ/יַּעֲל֤וּ (va/i.ya.'a.Lu) literally means “and they went up,” denoting the Ziphites’ physical ascent to the royal camp. The particle הֲ/ל֣וֹא (ha./Lo') acts as a rhetorical “is it not,” framing their statement as a factual confirmation rather than a new discovery.
The thread — This intelligence report recurs in 1 Samuel 26:1, where the Ziphites again identify David’s position at Hachilah, and is directly referenced in Psalm 54:1 as the historical trigger for David’s psalm.
Why it lands — The text records how localized geographic knowledge enables royal pursuit without depicting combat or divine action at this moment. It requires the reader to note how human betrayal relies on precise location data, leaving the narrative’s resolution entirely to subsequent events.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
Then came up the Ziphites to Saul to Gibeah, saying, Doth not David hide himself with us in strong holds in the wood, in the hill of Hachilah, which is on the south of Jeshimon?
Cross-references
- 1 Samuel 26:1 Then the Ziphites came to Saul at Gibeah and said, “Is not David hiding on the hill of Hachilah, opposite Jeshimon?”
- 1 Samuel 26:3 Saul camped beside the road at the hill of Hachilah opposite Jeshimon, but David was living in the wilderness. When he realized that Saul had followed him there,
- Psalms 54:1 For the choirmaster. With stringed instruments. A Maskil of David. When the Ziphites went to Saul and said, “Is David not hiding among us?” Save me, O God, by Your name, and vindicate me by Your might!
- 1 Samuel 22:7 Then Saul said to his servants, “Listen, men of Benjamin! Is the son of Jesse giving all of you fields and vineyards and making you commanders of thousands or hundreds?
- Proverbs 29:12 If a ruler listens to lies, all his officials will be wicked.