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1 Samuel 26:1 — Word Study

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WLCוַיָּבֹ֤אוּ הַזִּפִים֙ אֶל־ שָׁא֔וּל הַגִּבְעָ֖תָה לֵאמֹ֑ר הֲל֨וֹא דָוִ֤ד מִסְתַּתֵּר֙ בְּגִבְעַ֣ת הַחֲכִילָ֔ה עַ֖ל פְּנֵ֥י הַיְשִׁימֹֽן׃

BSAThen the ZiphitesZîyphîy [inhabitants of Ziph, a city in Judah] camebôwʼ toʼêl SaulShâʼûwl [Shaul, meaning desired] at GibeahGibʻâh [a city in Palestine, birthplace of King Saul] and saidʼâmar Is notlôʼ DavidDâvid [the youngest son of Jesse, a king of Israel] hidingçâthar [to conceal oneself, keep secret] on the hillgibʻâh [a small elevation] of HachilahChăkîylâh [a place in southern Judah] oppositeʻal [before, in the presence of] Jeshimonyᵉshîymôwn [the wilderness, a desolate place]

Word
Listen & take away1 Samuel 26
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 1 opens the chapter.
Hebrew ↓ Download MP3 The Masoretic text of this chapter, read aloud. Read by Abraham Shmuelof, courtesy of Audio Scriptures International. Chapter divisions by the Academy of Ancient Languages..
Say the word Each Hebrew word carries its transliteration (hay.shi.Mon) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
1 Samuel 26:1quick helps
In a sentenceThe Ziphites inform Saul about David's hiding place.
Who is speakingThe Ziphites, inhabitants of Ziph, addressing Saul.
Where we areAt Gibeah, where Saul is located.
The hard wordמִסְתַּתֵּר
Take awayDavid is hiding to avoid Saul.
8 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause subjectדָּוִד verbבּוֹא The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
How rare are these words?in the Old Testament

Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.

Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.

Deep Study — 1 Samuel 26:1

Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.

Context — The Ziphites Inform Saulgenerated

1Then the Ziphites came to Saul at Gibeah and said, “Is not David hiding on the hill of Hachilah, opposite Jeshimon?”
2So Saul, accompanied by three thousand chosen men of Israel, went down to the Wilderness of Ziph to search for David there.
3Saul 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,
4David sent out spies to verify that Saul had arrived.

1 Samuel 26:1 describes how the Ziphites approached Saul to reveal David's location. This moment is part of the ongoing conflict between Saul and David, where David is evading capture. The Ziphites, as locals, play a crucial role in the narrative, showing their allegiance to Saul while betraying David. This situation sets the stage for further developments in David's story as he navigates the dangers posed by Saul's pursuit.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Joshua 15:24–55Ziph, Telem, Bealoth,
21 Samuel 26:3Saul 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,
31 Samuel 23:19Then 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?
4Psalm 54:1Save me, O God, by Your name, and vindicate me by Your might!

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 4 references, hung on the phrase they belong to


The Key Word מִסְתַּתֵּר, mis.ta.Tergenerated

The word מִסְתַּתֵּר (sa.tar) is a participle in the Hithpael stem, indicating an action performed by the subject upon themselves, in this case, hiding oneself. It conveys the idea of concealment or keeping something secret, which is a central theme in David's life as he often had to evade Saul's attempts to capture him.

The use of this word in the context of David highlights his vulnerability and the lengths he must go to for safety. It reflects the tension of the narrative, as David is not merely hiding but is actively seeking to avoid detection.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

In the Berean Standard Bible, the phrase is rendered as hiding himself, which is consistent across the KJV and ASV.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The verse is structured around a main clause introduced by the verb וַיָּבֹ֤אוּ (and they went), which governs the actions of the Ziphites as they approach Saul. This is followed by a direct speech clause where they pose a question regarding David's whereabouts.

The Hebrew syntax places the subject הַזִּפִים֙ (the Ziphites) before the verb, emphasizing their role as the initiators of the action. The question they ask is structured to draw attention to David's hiding place, highlighting the tension in the narrative.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates מִסְתַּתֵּר as σκεπάζεται, which means 'to cover' or 'to conceal.' This choice reflects an interpretation of David's action as not just hiding, but actively covering himself from view.

This translation choice may suggest a deeper understanding of David's situation, emphasizing the act of concealment as a protective measure against Saul's pursuit.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

1 Samuel 26:1 tells us that the Ziphites came to Saul to inform him that David was hiding on the hill of Hachilah, which is opposite the wilderness of Jeshimon. This verse highlights the ongoing conflict between Saul and David, as the Ziphites reveal David's location to Saul.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

Who are the Ziphites?

The Ziphites are the inhabitants of Ziph, a city in Judah, and they play a role in revealing David's hiding place to Saul.

What does it mean that David is hiding?

David's hiding signifies his attempt to evade Saul's pursuit and protect himself from being captured.

Why is Saul interested in David's whereabouts?

Saul is seeking to capture David, who is seen as a threat to his kingship, leading to ongoing conflict between them.

What is the significance of the hill of Hachilah?

The hill of Hachilah is a geographical location where David sought refuge, illustrating the dangers he faced during his flight from Saul.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. What does this verse reveal about the relationship between Saul and David?
  2. How do the actions of the Ziphites reflect their loyalties?
  3. In what ways does David's hiding illustrate his character and circumstances?
  4. What can we learn from the conflict between Saul and David in our own lives?

Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on 1 Samuel 26:1 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And the Ziphites came unto Saul to Gibeah,.... Of Benjamin, called sometimes Gibeah of Saul, because it was the place of his birth and residence; hither Saul had returned after his last interview

Read John Gill on 1 Samuel 26 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

And the Ziphites came unto Saul to Gibeah, saying, Doth not David hide himself in the hill of Hachilah, which is before Jeshimon? The Ziphites came unto Saul to Gibeah.

Read Robert Jamieson on 1 Samuel 26 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

1 SAMUEL CHAPTER 26 Saul, by the discovery of the Ziphites, cometh to Hachilah against David, ; who cometh with Abishai to Saul’ s camp; stayeth him from killing Saul, but taketh his spear and cruse, . He upbraideth Abner, ; exhorteth Saul, , who acknowledgeth his sin, . Having once betrayed him before, they thought their case desperate with David; and therefore did more strenuously assist Saul in discovering him, in order to his ruin. Doth not David hide himself? he is returned to his former haunt; of which see . This place might be convenient for him, either for its nearness to Abigail’ s estate; or because he might think that Saul was mollified, and the Ziphites cautioned by the…

Read Matthew Poole on 1 Samuel 26 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

1 Samuel 26:1 And the Ziphites came unto Saul to Gibeah, saying, Doth not David hide himself in the hill of Hachilah, [which is] before Jeshimon?Ver. 1. And the Ziphites came unto Saul.] As they had done once before, and therefore being conscious of their former treachery, and in addition desirous to curry favour with Saul, they stir him up to destroy David, whom they ought to have favoured, as being of their own tribe. Doth not David hide himself in the hill of Hachilah?] Is he not, with the hunted hare, returned to his old form? There he had found God appearing for him, as out of an engine, and there he hopeth to find him again. It is not amiss in our daily prayers, to accustom ourselves…

Read John Trapp on 1 Samuel 26 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(1) The Ziphites came unto Saul.—There is grave difficulty connected with the recital contained in this chapter. Is it another account of the incident told in 1 Samuel 24, 26 by a different narrator? This is the opinion of some modern expositors of weight: for instance, Ewald and the Bishop of Bath and Wells in the Speaker’s Commentary. The question at issue is as follows:—We have in this First Book of Samuel, in 1 Samuel 23, 24, 26, two recitals of David sparing his great adversary’s life, at first sight under very similar circumstances. For instance: in both these occurrences (1) it is the same people, the Ziphites, who call Saul’s attention to David’s presence in their neighbourhood; (2)…

Read Charles John Ellicott on 1 Samuel 26 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

CHAPTER XXVI The Ziphites inform Saul of David's hiding place, 1. Saul, with three thousand men, goes in pursuit of him, 2, 3. David sends out spies; and finds where Saul had pitched his camp; and he and Abishai come to the camp by night, find all asleep, and bring away Saul's spear, and the cruse of water that was at his head, 4-12. David goes to the opposite hill; awakes Abner, captain of Saul's host; chides him for being so careless of his master's life; and calls on Saul to send one of his servants for the spear; and severely chides him for his continued hostility to him, 13-24. Saul humbles himself to David; promises to persecute him no more; and returns to his own place, 25. NOTES ON…

Read AdamClarke on 1 Samuel 26 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

Ch. 1 Samuel 26:1-4. Saul’s renewed pursuit of David 1. And the Ziphites came] On the theory that this is only another account of the incidents related in 1 Samuel 23:19 to 1 Samuel 24:22, see Note VII. p. 243. The view there taken that the narratives refer to different events, is assumed in the notes. Psalms 54 is referred by its title either to this occasion or to that of 1 Samuel 23:19 ff. the hill of Hachilah] See on 1 Samuel 23:19. is before Jeshimon] Looketh towards the Waste. See on 1 Samuel 23:19, where the position of the hill of Hachilah is more particularly defined as “on the south of the Waste.”

Read Cambridge on 1 Samuel 26 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The incident related in this chapter of the meeting between Saul and David bears a strong general resemblance to that recorded in 1 Sam. 24, and is of a nature unlikely to have occurred more than once.

Read Albert Barnes on 1 Samuel 26 →

The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company

Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.

Modern formal

BSBBerean Standard Bible2020

Then the Ziphites came to Saul at Gibeah and said, “Is not David hiding on the hill of Hachilah, opposite Jeshimon?”

WEBWorld English Bible2000

The Ziphites came to Saul to Gibeah, saying, “Doesn’t David hide himself in the hill of Hachilah, which is before the desert?”

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

Then the Ziphites came to Saul at Gibeah and said, “Is not David hiding on the hill of Hachilah, opposite Jeshimon?”

NETBNew English Translation2006

The Ziphites came to Saul at Gibeah and said, “Isn’t David hiding on the hill of Hakilah near Jeshimon?”

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

And the Ziphites came unto Saul to Gibeah, saying, Doth not David hide himself in the hill of Hachilah, which is before Jeshimon?

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

And the Ziphites came unto Saul to Gibeah, saying, Doth not David hide himself in the hill of Hachilah, which is before the desert?

RVARevised Version, American1894

And the Ziphites came unto Saul to Gibeah, saying, Doth not David hide himself in the hill of Hachilah, which is before the desert?

NWBWebster's Bible1833

And the Ziphites came to Saul to Gibeah, saying, Doth not David hide himself in the hill of Hachilah, which is before Jeshimon?

GNVGeneva Bible1599

Againe the Ziphims came vnto Saul to Gibeah, saying, Doeth not Dauid hide him selfe in the hill of Hachilah before Ieshimon?

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

And the Ziphites came to Saul to Gibeah, saying, Does not David hide himself in the hill of Hachilah, facing the waste?

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

And the Ziphites come in unto Saul, at Gibeah, saying, 'Is not David hiding himself in the height of Hachilah, on the front of the desert?'

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

And the Ziphites come to Saul at Gibeah, saying, “Is David not hiding himself in the height of Hachilah, on the front of the desert?”

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

And the Ziphites came unto Saul to Gib'ah, saying, Behold, David hideth himself on the hill of Chachilah, before the desert.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

The Ziphites came to Saul at Gibeah and said, “Is not David hiding in the hill of Hakilah, which is before Jeshimon?”

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

And the men of Ziph came to Saul in Gabaa, saying: Behold David is hid in the hill of Hachila, which is over against the wilderness.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

The people of Ziph went to Saul at Gibeah and told him, “David's hiding on the hill of Hakilah, opposite the wastelands.”

BBEBible in Basic English1949

And the Ziphites came to Saul at Gibeah, and said, Is not David waiting secretly near us in the hill of Hachilah, before the waste land?

Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.


The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank

This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.

וַandclauseverbיָּבֹ֤אוּthey.wentnoun phrase · subjectהַtheזִּפִים֙Ziphitesprepositional phrase · prepositionalאֶלtoשָׁא֔וּלSaulnoun phrase · prepositionalהַtonoun phraseגִּבְעָ֖תָ(the)הGibeahprepositional phrase · prepositionalלֵ(cmp)clauseverbאמֹ֑רsayingclauseהֲ?clauseadverbialל֨וֹאnotsubjectדָוִ֤ד[is].Davidverbמִסְתַּתֵּר֙hiding.himselfprepositional phrase · prepositionalבְּonnoun phrasenoun phraseגִבְעַ֣תthe.hillnoun phraseהַof.(the)חֲכִילָ֔הHakilahprepositional phraseעַ֖לonnoun phraseפְּנֵ֥יthe.facenoun phraseהַof.(the)יְשִׁימֹֽןJeshimon

Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.


The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran

The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint are in agreement on the wording of this verse, with all 14 words matched in the Hebrew text. This consistency indicates a strong preservation of the narrative across these textual traditions.

Masoretic TextLeningrad Codex, c. AD 1008 — the text this page is built on

וַיָּבֹ֤אוּ הַזִּפִים֙ אֶל־ שָׁא֔וּל הַגִּבְעָ֖תָה לֵאמֹ֑ר הֲל֨וֹא דָוִ֤ד מִסְתַּתֵּר֙ בְּגִבְעַ֣ת הַחֲכִילָ֔ה עַ֖ל פְּנֵ֥י הַיְשִׁימֹֽן׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
וַיָּבֹ֤אוּἔρξονταιהַזִּפִים֙ζιφαῖοιאֶל־πρὸςשָׁא֔וּלσαουλהַגִּבְעָ֖תָהβουνὸνלֵאמֹ֑רλέγοντεςהֲל֨וֹאἰδοὺדָוִ֤דδαυιδמִסְתַּתֵּר֙σκεπάζεταιבְּגִבְעַ֣תβουνῷהַחֲכִילָ֔הεξελαעַ֖לκατὰפְּנֵ֥יπρόσωπονהַיְשִׁימֹֽן׃ιεσσαιμουν

14 of the 14 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.

Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.


The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with

This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.

1 Samuel 26:1בּוֹאand they weand they wentבּוֹאזִיפִיthe Ziphitethe ZiphitesזִיפִיאֶלtotoאֶלשָׁאוּלSaulSaulשָׁאוּלגִּבְעָהGibeah towaGibeah towardsגִּבְעָהאָמַרsayingsayingאָמַרלֹא¿ not¿ notלֹאדָּוִד[is] David[is] Davidדָּוִדסָתַרhiding himshiding himselfסָתַרגִּבְעָהon [the] hion [the] hill oגִּבְעָהחֲכִילָהHakilahHakilahחֲכִילָהעַלononעַלפָּנֶה[the] face [the] face ofפָּנֶהיְשִׁימוֹןJeshimonJeshimonיְשִׁימוֹןזִיףZiphZiphזִיףגִּבְעָהGibeatGibeatגִּבְעָהפָּנָהCorner (GaCorner (Gate)פָּנָהיָשַׁםbe desolatbe desolateיָשַׁםשָׁאַלto askto askשָׁאַלדּוֹדbelovedbelovedדּוֹדגֶּ֫בַעGebaGebaגֶּ֫בַעחַכְלִילִיdulldullחַכְלִילִיעַלheightheightעַלשֶׁ֫מֶשׁsunsunשֶׁ֫מֶשׁגִּבְעָהGibeahGibeahגִּבְעָהשָׁאוּלShaulShaulשָׁאוּלפָּלַלto prayto prayפָּלַליִרְמְיָ֫הJeremiahJeremiahיִרְמְיָ֫האִישׁ־בֹ֫שֶׁתIsh-boshetIsh-boshethאִישׁ־בֹ֫שֶׁתיְהוֹנָתָןJonathanJonathanיְהוֹנָתָןרָמָהRamahRamahרָמָהבִּנְיָמִין(Gate of) (Gate of) Benjaבִּנְיָמִין
meets it a little oftener than chancemeets it far oftener than chancebuilt from the same roottwo words of the verse share ita word of this versea related word

Lexicons — every word in 1 Samuel 26:1

One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.

Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.

and they went the Ziphites to Saul Gibeah towards saying ¿ not [is] David hiding himself on [the] hill of Hakilah on [the] face of Jeshimon
וַיָּבֹ֤אוּvai.ya.Vo.'u and they went H935 Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine plural
2,573× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This verb means to go or come, and is used in many contexts, such as entering a place or approaching someone, as seen in the book of Genesis. It can also mean to abide or apply, and is translated in various ways in the KJV Bible. This term is related to the name Lebo Hamath.
Tyndale gloss
Lebo
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

בּוֹא (bo) is a Hebrew verb meaning to come or go in, with a wide range of applications including entering, arriving, and bringing in. It can refer to both physical movement and abstract concepts like events coming to pass. The verb appears in various forms, such as Qal (to come), Hiphil (to cause to come), and Hophal (to be brought). There is no significant disagreement among lexicons regarding its meanings.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

בּוֹא 2569 vb. come in, come, go in, go

Qal

come in

come (approach, arrive)

go, i.e. walk, associate with

go from speaker, but with limit of motion given

Hiph.

cause to come in, bring in (conduct, lead, obj. persons and animals)

cause to come, bring, bring near, etc. (animate obj.)

Hoph.

be brought in (of pers. and things)

be brought

be introduced, put

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H935 בּוֹא come in, come, go in, go .. come in

. come (approach, arrive)

. go, i.e. walk, associate with

. go from speaker, but with limit of motion given

. . cause to come in, bring in (conduct, lead, obj. persons and animals)

. cause to come, bring, bring near, etc. (animate obj.)

. . be brought in (of pers. and things)

. be brought

. be introduced, put

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

935 bow' bo

a primitive root; to go or come (in a wide variety of

applications):--abide, apply, attain, X be, befall, +

besiege, bring (forth, in, into, to pass), call, carry, X

certainly, (cause, let, thing for) to come (against, in, out,

upon, to pass), depart, X doubtless again, + eat, + employ,

(cause to) enter (in, into, -tering, -trance, -try), be

fallen, fetch, + follow, get, give, go (down, in, to war),

grant, + have, X indeed, (in-)vade, lead, lift (up), mention,

pull in, put, resort, run (down), send, set, X (well) stricken

(in age), X surely, take (in), way.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בּוֹא (bo) — to come (in): come.

: come/go_in

1) to go in, enter, come, go, come in

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to enter, come in

1a2) to come

1a2a) to come with

1a2b) to come upon, fall or light upon, attack (enemy)

1a2c) to come to pass

1a3) to attain to

1a4) to be enumerated

1a5) to go

1b) (Hiphil)

1b1) to lead in

1b2) to carry in

1b3) to bring in, cause to come in, gather, cause to come, bring near, bring against, bring upon

1b4) to bring to pass

1c) (Hophal)

1c1) to be brought, brought in

1c2) to be introduced, be put

לְב֥וֹא (bo) — Lebo-(Hamath).

This name means to go in, enter

Combined with cha.mat (חֲמָת "Hamath" H2574)

בּוֹא (bo) — to come (in): towards.

: towards/entrance

1) to go in, enter, come, go, come in

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to enter, come in

1a2) to come

1a2a) to come with

1a2b) to come upon, fall or light upon, attack (enemy)

1a2c) to come to pass

1a3) to attain to

1a4) to be enumerated

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3mp — Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine plural
Hc/Vqw3mp
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and they went the Ziphites to Saul Gibeah towards saying ¿ not [is] David hiding himself on [the] hill of Hakilah on [the] face of Jeshimon
הַזִּפִים֙ha.zi.Fim the Ziphites H2130 Particle · noun gentilic masculine plural absolute
3× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
A Ziphite refers to an inhabitant of Ziph, a city in Judah. The name Ziphite means smelter, possibly indicating the city's involvement in metalwork. In 1 Samuel 23:14-15, David hid in the wilderness of Ziph, where the Ziphites lived.
Amplified meaning
inhabitants of Ziph, a city in Judah
Tyndale gloss
Ziphite
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

זִיפִי (zi.phi) refers to a Ziphite, an inhabitant of Ziph. The word is derived from זִיף (ziyp), which means 'smelters.' It primarily appears in the plural form as a proper gentilic noun. The entries indicate that this term is closely linked to the location Ziph.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[זִיפִי] adj.gent.; only mpl. as n.pr.gent.

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H2130 זִיפִי

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

2130 Ziyphiy zee-fee'

patrial from 2128; a Ziphite or inhabitant of Ziph:--Ziphim,

Ziphite.

see HEBREW for 02128

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

זִיפִי (zi.phi) — Ziphite.

Group of ziph (זִיף "Ziph" H2128H)

§ Ziphites = "smelters"

an inhabitant of Ziph

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Art | Ngmpa — Particle · noun gentilic masculine plural absolute
HTd/Ngmpa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

zif'-its.

See ZIPH.

The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and they went the Ziphites to Saul Gibeah towards saying ¿ not [is] David hiding himself on [the] hill of Hakilah on [the] face of Jeshimon
אֶל־'el- to H413 Preposition
5,518× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means 'to' or 'toward', showing direction or movement. It appears in many books, including Genesis and Exodus, to indicate where someone is going. The KJV translates it in various ways, like 'about', 'according to', or 'against'.
Tyndale gloss
to(wards)
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word אֶל (el) is primarily a preposition indicating motion towards or direction to a person or place. It can also imply entering a limit, presence at a location, or a hostile direction (against). Additionally, it may express concepts such as concerning, in addition to, or according to. The entries highlight its versatility in both physical and metaphorical contexts.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֶל (nearly always followed by Makkeph),

prep. denoting motion to or direction towards (whether physical or mental).of motion to or unto a person or place

Where the limit is actually entered, into

Of direction towards anything

Where the motion or direction implied appears from the context to be of a hostile character, אֶל = against

Unto sometimes acquires from the context the sense of in addition to

Metaph. in regard to, concerning, on account of

Of rule or standard according to (rare)

Expressing presence at a spot, against, at, by, not merely after verbs implying motion

Prefixed to other preps. it combines with them the idea of motion or direction to

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H413 אֶל (nearly always followed by Makkeph), . of motion to or unto a person or place

. Where the limit is actually entered, into

. Of direction towards anything

. Where the motion or direction implied appears from the context to be of a hostile character, אֶל = against

. Unto sometimes acquires from the context the sense of in addition to

. Metaph. in regard to, concerning, on account of

. Of rule or standard according to (rare)

. Expressing presence at a spot, against, at, by, not merely after verbs implying motion

. Prefixed to other preps. it combines with them the idea of motion or direction to

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

413 'el ale

(but only used in the shortened constructive form sel {el});

a primitive particle; properly, denoting motion towards, but

occasionally used of a quiescent position, i.e. near, with or

among; often in general, to:--about, according to ,after,

against, among, as for, at, because(-fore, -side), both...and,

by, concerning, for, from, X hath, in(- to), near, (out) of,

over, through, to(-ward), under, unto, upon, whether,

with(-in).

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֶל (el) — to(wards).

1) to, toward, unto (of motion)

2) into (limit is actually entered)

2a) in among

3) toward (of direction, not necessarily physical motion)

4) against (motion or direction of a hostile character)

5) in addition to, to

6) concerning, in regard to, in reference to, on account of

7) according to (rule or standard)

8) at, by, against (of one's presence)

9) in between, in within, to within, unto (idea of motion to)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep — Preposition
HR
and they went the Ziphites to Saul Gibeah towards saying ¿ not [is] David hiding himself on [the] hill of Hakilah on [the] face of Jeshimon
שָׁא֔וּלsha.'Ul Saul H7586 Noun proper masculine
407× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Shaul is a personal name meaning desired, given to several individuals in the Bible, including a Benjamite who became the first king of Israel and a Levite living during the time of the Divided Monarchy. He is mentioned in 1 Chronicles and 1 Samuel.
Amplified meaning
Shaul, meaning desired
Tyndale gloss
Shaul
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

שָׁאוּל (Sha'uwl) means 'asked' and is associated with several figures in the Old Testament, most notably Saul, the first king of Israel from the tribe of Benjamin. The entries indicate that the name can refer to multiple individuals, including an early king of Edom and a Levite. The name is derived from a passive participle form, suggesting a connection to the act of asking.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שָׁאוּל n.pr.m. (= asked)

397 1st king of Isr.

a king of Edom

a son of Simeon

a Levite

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7586 שָׁאוּל (= asked)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7586 Sha'uwl shaw-ool'

passive participle of 7592; asked; Shaul, the name of an

Edomite and two Israelites:--Saul, Shaul.

see HEBREW for 07592

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שָׁאוּל (sha.ul) — Saul.

A king of the tribe of Benjamin living at the time of United Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Sa.9.2;

son of: Kish (H7027); married to Ahinoam (H0293) and Rizpah (H7532);

father of: Jonathan (H3083H), Abinadab (H0041H), Malchi-shua (H4444), Merab (H4764), Michal (H4324), Ish-bosheth (H0378), Armoni (H0764), Mephibosheth (H4648H)

§ Saul or Shaul = "desired"

1) a Benjamite, son of Kish, and the 1st king of Israel

2) an early king of Edom and a successor of Samlah

3) a son of Simeon

4) a Levite, son of Uzziah

שָׁאוּל (sha.ul) — Shaul.

A man of the tribe of Simeon living at the time of Egypt and Wilderness, first mentioned at Gen.46.10;

son of: Simeon (H8095) and Canaanite_woman (H3669);

brother of: Jemuel (H3223), Jamin (H3226), Ohad (H0161), Jachin (H3199) and Zerah (H2226L);

father of: Shallum (H7967K)

Also named: sha.u.li (שָׁאוּלִי "Shaulite" H7587)

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-proper — Noun proper masculine
HNpm
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

sol (sha'ul; Saoul):

(1) The first king of Israel.

I. EARLY HISTORY

1. Name and Meaning

2. Genealogy

3. Home and Station

4. Sources for Life

5. Election as King

6. Reasons for It

II. REIGN AND FALL

1. His First Action

2. Army Reorganized

3. Battle of Michmash

4. Defeats the Amalekites

5. Deposition Pronounced

6. David Introduced to Saul

7. Two Accounts

8. Saul's Envy of David

9. Attempts to Get Rid of David

10. David Spares Saul

11. Saul's Divided Energies

12. Consults a Necromancer

13. Battle of Gilboa

14. Double Accounts

15. Saul's Posterity

III. CHARACTER

1. Book of Chronicles

2. Saul's Failings

3. His Virtue

4. David's Elegy

I. Early History.

1. Name and Meaning:

The name Saul is usually regarded as simply the passive participle of the verb "to ask," and so meaning "asked" (compare 1Sa 8:4 ff), but the gentilic adjective sha'uli (

Saul

Asked for. (1.) A king of Edom (Gen. 36:37, 38); called Shaul in 1 Chr. 1:48.

(2.) The son of Kish (probably his only son, and a child of prayer, “asked for”), of the tribe of Benjamin, the first king of the Jewish nation. The singular providential circumstances connected with his election as king are recorded in 1 Sam. 8-10. His father’s she-asses had strayed, and Saul was sent with a servant to seek for them. Leaving his home at Gibeah (10:5, “the hill of God,” A.V.; lit., as in R.V. marg., “Gibeah of God”), Saul and his servant went toward the north-west over Mount Ephraim, and then turning north-east they came to “the land of Shalisha,” and thence eastward to the land of Shalim, and at length came to the district of Zuph, near Samuel’s home at Ramah (9:5-10). At this point…

Smith's Bible Dictionary

(desired), more accurately Shaul. One of the early kings of Edom, and successor of Samlah. (Genesis 36:37,38; 1 Chronicles 1:48) (B.C. after 1450.) The first king of Israel, the son of Kish, and of the tribe of Benjamin. (B.C, 1095-1055.) His character is in part illustrated by the fierce, wayward, fitful nature of the tribe and in part accounted for by the struggle between the old and new systems in which he found himself involved. To this we must add a taint of madness. which broke out in violent frenzy at times leaving him with long lucid intervals. He was remarkable for his strength and activity, (2 Samuel 1:25) and, like the Homeric heroes, of gigantic stature, taller by head and shoulders than the rest of the people, and…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

The son of Kish, of the tribe of Benjamin, the first king of the Israelites, anointed by Samuel, B. C. 1091, and after a reign of forty years filled with various events, slain with his sons on Mount Gilboa. He was succeeded by David, who was his son-in-law, and whom he had endeavored to put to death. His history is contained in 1Sa 10:1-31:13. It is a sad and admonitory narrative. The morning of his reign was bright with special divine favors, both providential, and spiritual, 1Sa 9:20 10:1-11,24,25. But he soon began to disobey God, and was rejected as unworthy to found a line of kings; his sins and misfortunes multiplied, and his sun went down in gloom. In his first war with the Ammonites, God was with him; but then follow his presumptuous sacrifice, in the absence of Samuel…

and they went the Ziphites to Saul Gibeah towards saying ¿ not [is] David hiding himself on [the] hill of Hakilah on [the] face of Jeshimon
הַגִּבְעָ֖תָהha.giv.'A.tah Gibeah towards H1390 Particle · noun proper · suffix
45× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Gibeah was a city in Palestine, specifically in the region of Benjamin, and was the birthplace of King Saul. The name means hill, and it is mentioned in various KJV translations as Gibeah or the hill.
Amplified meaning
a city in Palestine, birthplace of King Saul
Tyndale gloss
Gibeah
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

גִּבְעָה (Gib'ah) means 'hill' and refers to several locations in ancient Palestine, notably a city in the mountainous region of Judah and another in Benjamin, which is recognized as the birthplace of King Saul. The entries indicate that it is derived from a similar word, גִּבְעָה (H1389), emphasizing its geographical significance.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

גִּבְעָה n.pr.loc. (hill)

a city of Judah

city of Benj.

a city of Ephraim

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1390 גִּבְעָה (hill)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1390 Gib`ah ghib-aw'

the same as 1389; Gibah; the name of three places in

Palestine:--Gibeah, the hill.

see HEBREW for 01389

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

גִּבְעָה (giv.ah) — Gibeah.

§ Gibeah = "hill"

a city in the mountain district of Judah

גִּבְעָה (giv.ah) — Gibeah.

§ Gibeah = "hill"

a city of Benjamin, birthplace of king Saul

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Art | N-proper | Suff — Particle · noun proper · suffix
HTd/Npl/Sd
and they went the Ziphites to Saul Gibeah towards saying ¿ not [is] David hiding himself on [the] hill of Hakilah on [the] face of Jeshimon
לֵאמֹ֑רle.Mor saying H559 Preposition · verb qal infinitive construct common
5,309× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means to say or speak, and it's used in many different ways in the Bible. It can mean to command, promise, or think, and it's translated in the KJV as 'answer', 'appoint', or 'command'.
Tyndale gloss
to say
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אָמַר (amar) is a Hebrew verb meaning 'to say' or 'to utter,' with a broad range of uses including to promise, command, or even boast. It appears in various forms, such as in the Qal (to say), Niphal (to be told), and Hiphil (to avow). The entries highlight its versatility in both spoken and internal contexts, though no specific verse is noted.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אָמַר 5287 vb. utter, say

Qal

Say

Say in the heart (= think)

Promise

Command (esp. late)

Niph. be said, told

Hiph. avow, avouch (lit. cause to declare)

Hithp. act proudly, boast

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H559 אָמַר utter, say .. Say

. Say in the heart (= think)

. Promise

. Command (esp. late)

. be said, told

. avow, avouch (lit. cause to declare)

. act proudly, boast

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

559 'amar aw-mar'

a primitive root; to say (used with great

latitude):--answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call,

certify, challenge, charge, + (at the, give) command(-ment),

commune, consider, declare, demand, X desire, determine, X

expressly, X indeed, X intend, name, X plainly, promise,

publish, report, require, say, speak (against, of), X still, X

suppose, talk, tell, term, X that is, X think, use (speech),

utter, X verily, X yet.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אָמַר (a.mar) — to say.

1) to say, speak, utter

1a) (Qal) to say, to answer, to say in one's heart, to think, to command, to promise, to intend

1b) (Niphal) to be told, to be said, to be called

1c) (Hithpael) to boast, to act proudly

1d) (Hiphil) to avow, to avouch

Aramaic equivalent: a.mar (אֲמַר "to say" H0560)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | V-Qal-Inf-a — Preposition · verb qal infinitive construct common
HR/Vqcc
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and they went the Ziphites to Saul Gibeah towards saying ¿ not [is] David hiding himself on [the] hill of Hakilah on [the] face of Jeshimon
הֲל֨וֹאha.Lo' ¿ not H3808 Particle · particle
5,170× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for not or no is used to indicate absence or negation, as when God says no to the Israelites' requests, or when they disobey His commands.
Tyndale gloss
not
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

לֹא (lo') is a Hebrew word meaning 'not' or 'no.' It serves as a simple negation and can imply absence or prohibition. The word can also be used in various contexts, often combined with other particles for emphasis or clarification. Its Aramaic equivalent is לָא (la), which also means 'not.'

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

לֹא or לוֹא adv. not

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3808 לֹא or לוֹא not

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3808 lo' lo

or lowi {lo}; or loh (Deut. 3:11) {lo}; a primitive particle;

not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often

used with other particles (as follows):--X before, + or else,

ere, + except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never,

no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), (X as though...,(can-), for) not (out

of), of nought, otherwise, out of, + surely, + as truly as, +

of a truth, + verily, for want, + whether, without.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

לֹא (lo) — not.

1) not, no

1a) not (with verb-absolute prohibition)

1b) not (with modifier-negation)

1c) nothing (subst)

1d) without (with particle)

1e) before (of time)

Aramaic equivalent: la (לָא "not" H3809)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Part | Part — Particle · particle
HTi/Tn
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and they went the Ziphites to Saul Gibeah towards saying ¿ not [is] David hiding himself on [the] hill of Hakilah on [the] face of Jeshimon
דָוִ֤דda.Vid [is] David H1732 Noun proper masculine
1,075× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
David was the youngest son of Jesse and a king of Judah, first mentioned in Ruth 4:17, and an ancestor of Jesus.
Amplified meaning
the youngest son of Jesse, a king of Israel
Tyndale gloss
David
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

דָּוִד (David) refers to the second king of Israel, known as the youngest son of Jesse. The name means 'beloved' and is associated with a significant lineage, including many siblings and notable descendants like Solomon. The entries highlight his familial connections and historical context, with no significant disagreement among the lexicons.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

דָּוִד, דָּוִיד 1066 n.pr.m. David

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1732 דָּוִד, דָּוִיד David

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1732 David daw-veed'

rarely (fully); Daviyd {daw-veed'}; from the same as 1730;

loving; David, the youngest son of Jesse:--David.

see HEBREW for 01730

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

דָּוִד (da.vid) — David.

A king of the tribe of Judah living at the time of United Monarchy, first mentioned at Rut.4.17;

son of: Jesse (H3448) and Nahash (H5176I);

brother of: Eliab (H0446I), Abinadab (H0041I), Shimeah (H8093), Zeruiah (H6870), Abigail (H0026H)(?), Nethanel (H5417H), Raddai (H7288), Ozem (H0684) and Elihu (H0453J); married to Michal (H4324), Abigail (H0026), Ahinoam (H0293H), Maacah (H4601I), Haggith (H2294), Abital (H0037), Eglah (H5698) and Bathsheba (H1339);

father of: Amnon (H0550), Chileab (H3609), Absalom (H0053), Adonijah (H0138), Shephatiah (H8203), Ithream (H3507), Shammua (H8051H), Shobab (H7727), Nathan (H5416), Solomon (H8010), Ibhar (H2984), Elishua (H0474), Nepheg (H5298H), Japhia (H3309I), Elishama (H0476H), Eliada (H0450), Eliphelet (H0467), Tamar (H8559H), Elpelet (H0467I), Nogah (H5052) and Jerimoth (H3406N)

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-proper — Noun proper masculine
HNpm
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

da'-vid (dawidh, or dawidh, "beloved"; Daueid, also in New Testament, Dauid, Dabid; see Thayer's Lexicon):

I. NAME AND GENEALOGY

II. EARLY YEARS

1. Shepherd

2. Slinger

3. Harpist

4. Poet

5. Psalmist

6. Tribesman

III. IN THE SERVICE OF SAUL

1. David First Meets Saul

2. His First Exploit

3. Envy of Saul and Flight of David

4. Jonathan and David

IV. DAVID IN EXILE

1. David as Outlaw

2. David Joins the Philistines

V. DAVID AS KING

1. Civil War

2. Conquests Abroad

3. Political Situation

4. The Ark

VI. DOMESTIC LIFE

1. His Wives and Children

2. Domestic Troubles

VII. HIS OFFICIALS

1. Prophets

2. Priests

3. Military Officers

4. Other Officials

5. Mutual Rivalry

VIII. PERSONAL CHARACTER OF DAVID

1. Chronicles

2. Psalms

3. Complex Character

4. Physical Courage

5. Moral Courage

6. Prudence

7. Strategy

8. Nobility

9. David in Relation to His Family

10. David in Relation to His Friends

11. His Success

12. His Foreign Friends

13. Nemesis

Easton's Bible Dictionary

David

Beloved, the eighth and youngest son of Jesse, a citizen of Bethlehem. His father seems to have been a man in humble life. His mother’s name is not recorded. Some think she was the Nahash of 2 Sam. 17:25. As to his personal appearance, we only know that he was red-haired, with beautiful eyes and a fair face (1 Sam. 16:12; 17:42).

His early occupation was that of tending his father’s sheep on the uplands of Judah. From what we know of his after history, doubtless he frequently beguiled his time, when thus engaged, with his shepherd’s flute, while he drank in the many lessons taught him by the varied scenes spread around him. His first recorded exploits were his encounters with the wild beasts of the field. He mentions that with his own unaided hand he slew a lion and also a…

Smith's Bible Dictionary

(well-beloved), the son of Jesse. His life may be divided into three portions: His youth before his introduction to the court of Saul; His relations with Saul; His reign. The early life of David contains in many important respects the antecedents of his future career. It appears that David was the youngest son, probably the youngest child, of a family of ten, and was born in Bethlehem B.C. 1085. The first time that David appears in history at once admits us to the whole family circle. The annual sacrificial feast is being held when Samuel appears, sent by God to anoint one of Jesse’s sons as they pass before him, (1 Samuel 16:6-10) Samuel sends for the youngest, David, who was "keeping the sheep," and anoints him. (1 Samuel 16:11-13) As David stood before Samuel we are enabled to…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

Beloved, the youngest son of Jesse, of the tribe of Judah, born in Bethlehem B. C. 1085; one of the most remarkable men in either sacred of secular history. His life is fully recorded in 1Sa 16:1 1Ki 2:46. He was "the Lord’s anointed," chosen by God to be king of Israel instead of Saul, and consecrated to that office by the venerable prophet Samuel long before he actually came to the throne, 1Sa 16:1-13, for which God prepared him by the gift of his Spirit, and a long course of vicissitudes and dangers. In his early pastoral life he distinguished himself by his boldness, fidelity, and faith in God; and while yet a youth was summoned to court, as one expert in music, valiant, prudent in behavior, and comely in person. He…

and they went the Ziphites to Saul Gibeah towards saying ¿ not [is] David hiding himself on [the] hill of Hakilah on [the] face of Jeshimon
מִסְתַּתֵּר֙mis.ta.Ter hiding himself H5641 Verb · Hithpael · participle (active) masculine singular
81× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word means to hide or conceal something, like covering it up. It can also mean to keep something secret or hidden from others, as in Psalm 27:5.
Amplified meaning
to conceal oneself, keep secret
Tyndale gloss
to hide
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

סָתַר (sa.tar) is a Hebrew verb meaning to hide or conceal. It encompasses various forms, including hiding oneself, being hidden, and carefully concealing something or someone. The entries indicate its use in different grammatical aspects, such as the Niphal, Piel, Pual, Hiphil, and Hithpael stems. The Aramaic equivalent is noted as סְתַר.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

סָתַר vb. hide, conceal

Niph.

hide oneself

be hid, concealed

Pi. Imv. carefully hide (i.e. shelter) the outcasts

Pu. Pt. love carefully concealed

Hithp. hide oneself carefully

Hiph. conceal, hide

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5641 סָתַר hide, conceal . . hide oneself

. be hid, concealed

. Imv. carefully hide (i.e. shelter) the outcasts

. Pt. love carefully concealed

. hide oneself carefully

. conceal, hide

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5641 cathar saw-thar'

a primitive root; to hide (by covering), literally or

figuratively:--be absent, keep close, conceal, hide (self),

(keep) secret, X surely.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

סָתַר (sa.tar) — to hide.

1) to hide, conceal

1a) (Niphal)

1a1) to hide oneself

1a2) to be hidden, be concealed

1b) (Piel) to hide carefully

1c) (Pual) to be hidden carefully, be concealed

1d) (Hiphil) to conceal, hide

1e) (Hithpael) to hide oneself carefully

Aramaic equivalent: se.tar (סְתַר "to hide" H5642A)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Hithpael — Verb · Hithpael · participle (active) masculine singular
HVtrmsa
and they went the Ziphites to Saul Gibeah towards saying ¿ not [is] David hiding himself on [the] hill of Hakilah on [the] face of Jeshimon
בְּגִבְעַ֣תbe.giv.'At on [the] hill of H1389 Preposition · noun common feminine singular construct
68× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Gibeat refers to a small hill, with the name meaning hill, and is another spelling of Gibeah. It appears in various KJV translations as hill or little hill.
Amplified meaning
a small elevation
Tyndale gloss
Gibeat
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

גִּבְעָה (gib'ah) means 'hill' and refers to a small elevation of land. It can denote a place of worship or be used in place names, often associated with illicit worship. The word is feminine and is derived from a related term for a hillock. It appears in various contexts, including poetic uses.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

גִּבְעָה n.f. hill

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1389 גִּבְעָה hill

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1389 gib`ah ghib-aw'

feminine from the same as 1387; a hillock:--hill, little

hill.

see HEBREW for 01387

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

גִּבְעָה (giv.ah) — Gibeath-(elohim).

Gibeath - a place or worship

This name means hill

1a) hill

גִּבְעָה (giv.ah) — Gibeath-(haaraloth).

This name means hill

Another name of gil.gal (גִּלְגָּל "Gilgal" H1537G)

גִּבְעָה (giv.ah) — hill.

1) hill

1a) hill (lower than a mountain)

1b) as a place of illicit worship

1c) poetic for mountain

1d) used in place names

גִּבְעָה (giv.ah) — Gibeat.

This name means hill

Another spelling of giv.ah (גִּבְעָה "Gibeah" H1390H)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | N-fs — Preposition · noun common feminine singular construct
HR/Ncfsc
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ov:

(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.

English usagewhat the translators’ English meant
Webster's Dictionary (1828), Webster's Unabridged (1913), Webster's Dictionary (1806)

OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]

1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.

I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.

For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.

It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.

Lamentations 3:1.

The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.

Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.

That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.

Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…

and they went the Ziphites to Saul Gibeah towards saying ¿ not [is] David hiding himself on [the] hill of Hakilah on [the] face of Jeshimon
הַחֲכִילָ֔הha.cha.khi.Lah Hakilah H2444 Particle · noun proper
3× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Hachilah is a place in the Bible, a hill in southern Judah where David hid from King Saul, as told in 1 Samuel. It's a significant location in the story of David's life and reign.
Amplified meaning
a place in southern Judah
Tyndale gloss
Hachilah
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

חֲכִילָה (Chakiylah) refers to a location, specifically a hill in southern Judah near the wilderness of Ziph. The name is associated with the meaning 'dark' and is derived from a related term. The entries consistently identify it as a geographical feature without significant disagreement.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

חֲכִילָה n.pr.loc. (dark) a hill in southern Judah, edge of wilderness of Ziph

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H2444 חֲכִילָה

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

2444 Chakiylah khak-ee-law'

from the same as 2447; dark; Chakilah, a hill in

Palestine:--Hachilah.

see HEBREW for 02447

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

חֲכִילָה (cha.khi.lah) — Hachilah.

§ Hachilah = "dark"

a hill is southern Judah, on the edge of the wilderness of Ziph

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Art | N-proper — Particle · noun proper
HTd/Npl
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and they went the Ziphites to Saul Gibeah towards saying ¿ not [is] David hiding himself on [the] hill of Hakilah on [the] face of Jeshimon
עַ֖ל'al on H5921 Preposition
5,774× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means on or above something, like a physical object or a situation. It can also imply a sense of responsibility or accountability, as in being on behalf of someone.
Amplified meaning
before, in the presence of
Tyndale gloss
upon
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word עַל (*al*) is a preposition meaning 'upon' and encompasses a wide range of meanings, including 'on account of,' 'beside,' 'above,' and 'against.' It can indicate physical placement, emotional burdens, or duties imposed on a person. The entries also note its use in idiomatic expressions and with verbs of motion. There is a mention of its function as a conjunction in certain contexts.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

כִּי עַל כֵּן forasmuch as

base

עַל, עָ֑ל

subst. height

As prep. upon, and hence on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against

Upon, of the substratum upon which an object in any way rests, or on which an action is performed

of clothing, etc., which any one wears

With verbs of covering or protecting, even though the cover or veil be not over or above the thing covered, but around or before it

Of what rests heavily upon a person, or is a burden to him

Of a duty, payment, care, etc., imposed upon a person, or devolving on him

על is used idiom. to give pathos to the expression of an emotion, by emphasizing the person who is its subject, and who, as it were, feels it acting upon him

חָיָה עַל to live upon (as upon a foundation or support)

Read the full entry →
Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5921a עַל, עָ֑ל . As prep. upon, and hence on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against . Upon, of the substratum upon which an object in any way rests, or on which an action is performed . — . of clothing, etc., which any one wears

. With verbs of covering or protecting, even though the cover or veil be not over or above the thing covered, but around or before it

. Of what rests heavily upon a person, or is a burden to him

. Of a duty, payment, care, etc., imposed upon a person, or devolving on him

. על is used idiom. to give pathos to the expression of an emotion, by emphasizing the person who is its subject, and who, as it were, feels it acting upon him

. חָיָה עַל to live upon (as upon a foundation or support)

Read the full entry →
Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5921 `al al

properly, the same as 5920 used as a preposition (in the

singular or plural often with prefix, or as conjunction with a

particle following); above, over, upon, or against (yet always

in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great

variety of applications (as follow):--above, according

to(-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, X as, at, because

of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, X both

and, by (reason of), X had the charge of, concerning for, in

(that), (forth, out) of, (from) (off), (up-)on, over, than,

through(-out), to, touching, X with.

see HEBREW for 05920

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עַל (al) — upon.

prep

1) upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against

1a) upon, on the ground of, on the basis of, on account of, because of, therefore, on behalf of, for the sake of, for, with, in spite of, notwithstanding, concerning, in the matter of, as regards

1b) above, beyond, over (of excess)

1c) above, over (of elevation or pre-eminence)

1d) upon, to, over to, unto, in addition to, together with, with (of addition)

1e) over (of suspension or extension)

1f) by, adjoining, next, at, over, around (of contiguity or proximity)

1g) down upon, upon, on, from, up upon, up to, towards, over towards, to, against (with verbs of motion)

1h) to (as a dative)

[כִּי] עַל [כֵּן] ([ki] al [ken]) — as.

conj

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep — Preposition
HR
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
Easton's Bible Dictionary

On

Light; the sun, (Gen. 41:45, 50), the great seat of sun-worship, called also Bethshemesh (Jer. 43:13) and Aven (Ezek. 30:17), stood on the east bank of the Nile, a few miles north of Memphis, and near Cairo, in the north-east. The Vulgate and the LXX. Versions have “Heliopolis” (“city of the sun”) instead of On in Genesis and of Aven in Ezekiel. The “city of destruction” Isaiah speaks of (19:18, marg. “of Heres;” Heb. ‘Ir-ha-heres, which some MSS. read Ir-ha-heres, i.e., “city of the sun”) may be the name given to On, the prophecy being that the time will come when that city which was known as the “city of the sun-god” shall become the “city of destruction” of the sun-god, i.e., when idolatry shall cease, and the worship…

Smith's Bible Dictionary

(abode or city of the sun), a town of lower Egypt, called BETH-SHEMESH in (Jeremiah 43:13) On is better known under its Greek name Heliopolis. It was situated on the east side of the Pelusiac branch of the Nile, just below the point of the Delta, and about twenty miles northeast of Memphis. The chief object of worship at Heliopolis was the sun, whose temple, described by Strabo, is now only represented by the single beautiful obelisk, of red granite so feet 2 inches high above the pedestal which has stood for more than 4000 years, having been erected by Usirtesen, the second king of the twelfth dynasty. Heliopolis was anciently famous for its learning, and Eudoxus and Plato studied under its priests. The first mention of this place in the Bible is in the history of Joseph, to whom we read Pharaoh gave "to wife Asenath the daughter…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

See HELIOPOLIS.

Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary

pain; force; iniquity

The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and they went the Ziphites to Saul Gibeah towards saying ¿ not [is] David hiding himself on [the] hill of Hakilah on [the] face of Jeshimon
פְּנֵ֥יpe.Nei [the] face of H6440 Noun common · masculine plural construct
2,127× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word means face or presence, like being in front of someone or something. It's used in many contexts, like in Genesis, Exodus, and Psalms, to describe interactions and relationships.
Tyndale gloss
face
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word פָּנֶה (*pāneh*) is a noun meaning 'face' or 'presence,' and it appears in various contexts, including the faces of seraphim and animals, as well as the surface of the ground. It can also function as an adverb meaning 'before' or 'in front of.' The word is built from a root that suggests turning or facing, and it encompasses a wide range of applications, both literal and figurative.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[פָּנֶה], pl. פָּנִים 2123 n.m. face, also faces

face, faces

presence, person

technically, see one's face, i.e. appear before one, in one's presence

face of seraphim

face of animals

face (= surface) of ground

as adv.loc. before

for other phrases

with prepositions

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6440 פָּנֶה, pl. פָּנִים face, also faces . . face, faces

. . presence, person

. technically, see one's face, i.e. appear before one, in one's presence

. face of seraphim

. face of animals

. face (= surface) of ground

. as adv. loc. before

. for other phrases

. with prepositions

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6440 paniym paw-neem'

plural (but always as singular) of an unused noun (paneh

{paw-neh'}; from 6437); the face (as the part that turns);

used in a great variety of applications (literally and

figuratively); also (with prepositional prefix) as a

preposition (before, etc.):--+ accept, a-(be- )fore(-time),

against, anger, X as (long as), at, + battle, + because (of),

+ beseech, countenance, edge, + employ, endure, + enquire,

face, favour, fear of, for, forefront(-part), form(-er

time, -ward), from, front, heaviness, X him(-self), +

honourable, + impudent, + in, it, look(-eth) (- s), X me, +

meet, X more than, mouth, of, off, (of) old (time), X on,

open, + out of, over against, the partial, person, + please,

presence, propect, was purposed, by reason of, + regard, right

forth, + serve, X shewbread, sight, state, straight, + street,

X thee, X them(-selves), through (+ - out), till, time(-s)

Read the full entry →
Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

פָּנֶה (pa.neh) — face: before.

: before/to/front

1) face

1a) face, faces

1b) presence, person

1c) face (of seraphim or cherubim)

1d) face (of animals)

1e) face, surface (of ground)

1f) as adv of loc/temp

1f1) before and behind, toward, in front of, forward, formerly, from beforetime, before

1g) with prep

1g1) in front of, before, to the front of, in the presence of, in the face of, at the face or front of, from the presence of, from before, from before the face of

פָּנֶה (pa.neh) — face.

: face

1) face

1a) face, faces

1b) presence, person

1c) face (of seraphim or cherubim)

1d) face (of animals)

1e) face, surface (of ground)

1f) as adv of loc/temp

1f1) before and behind, toward, in front of, forward, formerly, from beforetime, before

1g) with prep

1g1) in front of, before, to the front of, in the presence of, in the face of, at the face or front of, from the presence of, from before, from…

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HNcmpc — Noun common · masculine plural construct
HNcmpc
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ov:

(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.

English usagewhat the translators’ English meant
Webster's Dictionary (1828), Webster's Unabridged (1913), Webster's Dictionary (1806)

OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]

1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.

I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.

For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.

It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.

Lamentations 3:1.

The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.

Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.

That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.

Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…

The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and they went the Ziphites to Saul Gibeah towards saying ¿ not [is] David hiding himself on [the] hill of Hakilah on [the] face of Jeshimon
הַיְשִׁימֹֽן׃hay.shi.Mon Jeshimon H3452 Particle · noun proper
13× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Jeshimon, or wilderness, refers to a desolate or empty place, often a desert. It is a place of solitude and emptiness, as described in the Bible.
Amplified meaning
the wilderness, a desolate place
Tyndale gloss
wilderness
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

יְשִׁימוֹן (yshiymown) refers to a desolate or waste area, often translated as wilderness or desert. The word is derived from a root meaning 'to be desolate' and encompasses the idea of a solitary, uninhabited place. It is notably used in the context of desolate regions in the Old Testament.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יְשִׁימוֹן n.m. waste, wilderness

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3452 יְשִׁימוֹן waste, wilderness

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3452 yshiymown yesh-ee-mone'

from 3456; a desolation:--desert, Jeshimon, solitary,

wilderness.

see HEBREW for 03456

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יְשִׁימוֹן (ye.shi.mon) — Jeshimon.

§ waste, wilderness, desert, desolate place

יְשִׁימוֹן (ye.shi.mon) — wilderness.

waste, wilderness, desert, desolate place

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Art | N-ms — Particle · noun proper
HTd/Npl
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

je-she'-mon, jesh'-i-mon (ha-yeshimon, "the desert," and in the Revised Version (British and American) so translated but in the King James Version, Nu 21:20; 23:28; 1Sa 23:19,24; 26:1,3, "Jeshimon" as a place-name. In Numbers, the Septuagint reads he eremos, "the desert"; in 1 Samuel, the Septuagint reads Iessaimon): In these passages probably two districts are referred to:

(1) The "desert" North of the Dead Sea, which was overlooked from Pisgah (Nu 21:20; 23:28). This is the bare and sterile land, saturated with salt, lying on each side of the Jordan North of the Dead Sea, where for miles practically no vegetable life can exist.

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Jeshimon

The waste, probably some high waste land to the south of the Dead Sea (Num. 21:20; 23:28; 1 Sam. 23:19, 24); or rather not a proper name at all, but simply “the waste” or “wilderness,” the district on which the plateau of Ziph (q.v.) looks down.

Smith's Bible Dictionary

(a wilderness), a name which occurs in (Numbers 21:20) and Numb 23:28 In designating the position of Pisgah and Peor; both described as "facing the Jeshimon." Perhaps the dreary, barren waste of hills lying immediately on the west of the Dead Sea.

Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary

solitude; desolation

Sources on this page. Lexicons and dictionaries imported from the CrossWire SWORD modules — Abbott-Smith, Strong's, Dodson, the Intermediate Liddell-Scott-Jones, Robinson and Packard, Webster and Cawdrey. Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (Harper, 1889 — Grimm’s Wilke’s Clavis Novi Testamenti, translated, revised and enlarged by Joseph Henry Thayer) is public domain and is set here from the Internet Archive page scan greekenglishlex00grim; it is uncorrected OCR, marked as such on the entry itself, and the Strong’s numbers — which Thayer’s own edition does not carry — were matched by lemma against the other modules on this page. Trench’s Synonyms of the New Testament (Macmillan, 1880) and Moulton and Milligan’s Vocabulary of the Greek Testament (Hodder & Stoughton, 1930, which entered the United States public domain on 1 January 2026) are set from Internet Archive page scans synonymsofnewtes00treniala and vocabularyofgree00mouluoft, and are likewise uncorrected OCR matched to Strong’s numbers by lemma. Trench treats a group of words at once, so the same essay stands on the page of each word it compares. The Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary is © 1993 and is used here by permission for non-commercial use, www.teknia.com/greek-dictionary. The full Liddell-Scott-Jones and the Hebrew word data (TAHOT) come from STEPBible.org, CC BY 4.0. Brown-Driver-Briggs is the OpenScriptures digitisation, public domain. Syntax analysis is the Nestle 1904 Lowfat treebank (biblicalhumanities.org); the concordance and morphology are built from the tagged Nestle 1904 text. Septuagint occurrences use the Open Scriptures Septuagint lemma index, derived from CCAT (University of Pennsylvania) and the Rahlfs 1935 dataset by Eliran Wong, CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 — used here on a non-commercial ministry site. Greek of Josephus and Barnabas from the Perseus Digital Library, CC BY-SA 4.0. Commentaries and the Ante-Nicene Fathers are public-domain texts hosted on this site. Everyday Greek from the Duke Databank of Documentary Papyri, CC BY 3.0, with dates and provenance from the Heidelberger Gesamtverzeichnis. Philo and the Apostolic Fathers from Open Greek and Latin (First1KGreek), CC BY-SA 4.0. The apparatus and the fifth Greek column are the SBL Greek New Testament, © 2010 SBL and Logos Bible Software, CC BY 4.0. The Latin is the Clementine Vulgate (public domain); the Syriac New Testament is the ETCBC edition (MIT licence). The Hebrew behind the Greek is computed here from the Septuagint index and TAHOT, not taken from any aligned edition. The translation spread and the per-word edition marks come from the Translators Amalgamated Greek NT (STEPBible, CC BY 4.0); clause roles from the Nestle 1904 Lowfat treebank (CC BY-SA 4.0); place identifications and their confidence from OpenBible.info Bible Geocoding (CC BY 4.0), with map tiles © OpenStreetMap contributors. Gospel parallels are computed here from shared uncommon vocabulary, not taken from any printed harmony. Cross references are the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and the subject headings are Nave’s Topical Bible, both public domain. Works under Creative Commons licences are used unchanged apart from markup removal.

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