I Samuel 23:19 · Bible study
1 Samuel 23:19 Commentary: The Betrayal of David
Hebrew · 9 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Why did David's own tribesmen betray him to Saul? Explore the text, context, and spiritual dynamics of this act of treachery.
Research Summary
- Meaning: The Ziphites betray David's hiding place to Saul, an act of treachery by his own tribesmen.
- Key words: hide (H5641, Niphal participle, ‘hiding himself’), strongholds (H4679, mountain fastnesses), Hachilah (H2444, ‘dark’), Jeshimon (H3452, ‘the waste’).
- Main debate: Were the Ziphites motivated by fear of Saul's retaliation, political allegiance, or simple malice? Most agree it was self-serving fear.
- Theological theme: Human treachery cannot thwart God's protection; David's deliverance comes through a divinely orchestrated Philistine raid.
- Best use: A study on betrayal, trust in God's refuge, and the cost of standing with God's anointed.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
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?
WEB World English Bible 2000
Then the Ziphites came up to Saul to Gibeah, saying, “Doesn’t David hide himself with us in the strongholds in the woods, in the hill of Hachilah, which is on the south of the desert?
KJV King James Version 1769
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?
ASV American Standard Version 1901
Then came up the Ziphites to Saul to Gibeah, saying, Doth not David hide himself with us in the strongholds in the wood, in the hill of Hachilah, which is on the south of the desert?
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
And the Ziphites go up unto Saul to Gibeah, saying, `Is not David hiding himself with us in fortresses, in the forest, in the height of Hachilah, which is on the south of the desolate place?
Darby Darby Bible 1890
And the Ziphites came up to Saul to Gibeah, saying, Does not David hide himself with us in strongholds in the wood, on the hill of Hachilah, which is on the south of the waste?
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
And the Ziphites went up to Saul, in Gabaa, saying: Lo, doth not David lie hid with us in the strong holds of the wood, in mount Hachila, which is on the right hand of the desert.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Y subieron los de Ziph á decir á Saúl en Gabaa: ¿ No está David escondido en nuestra tierra en las peñas del bosque, en el collado de Hachîla que está á la mano derecha del desierto?
E subiram os de Zife a dizer a Saul em Gibeá: Não está Davi escondido em nossa terra nas penhas do bosque, no morro de Haquilá que está à direita do deserto?
Les Ziphiens montèrent auprès de Saül à Guibea, et dirent: David n’ est-il pas caché parmi nous dans des lieux forts, dans la forêt, sur la colline de Hakila, qui est au midi du désert?
Aber die Siphiter zogen hinauf zu Saul gen Gibea und sprachen: Ist nicht David bei uns verborgen an sicherem Ort in der Heide, auf dem Hügel Hachila, der zur Rechten liegt an der Wüste?
Toen togen de Zifieten op tot Saul naar Gibea, zeggende: Heeft zich niet David bij ons verborgen in de vestingen in het woud, op den heuvel van Hachila, die aan de rechterhand der wildernis is?
Or gli Zifei salirono da Saul a Ghibea e gli dissero: “Davide non sta egli nascosto fra noi, ne’ luoghi forti della foresta, sul colle di Hakila che è a mezzogiorno del deserto?
Tedy przyszli Zyfejczycy do Saula do Gabaa, powiadając: Azaż Dawid nie kryje się u nas po miejscach obronnych w lesie na pagórku Hachila, który jest po prawej stronie Jesymona?
И пришли Зифеи к Саулу в Гиву, говоря: вот, Давид скрывается у нас в неприступных местах, в лесу, на холме Гахила, что направо от Иесимона;
西弗人 上到 基比亞 見 掃羅，說：「大衛 不是 在我們 那裡的樹林裡 山寨中、 曠野 南邊 的哈基拉 山 藏著嗎？
Then the Ziphites came up to Gibeah to see Saul, and said, Is not David living secretly among us in the strong places in Horesh, in the hill of Hachilah to the south of the waste land?
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · I Samuel 23:19
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree the Ziphites acted as informants, betraying David's hiding place to Saul. As Cambridge Bible notes, 'The treachery of the Ziphites forms a striking contrast to Jonathan's treatment of David.' Keil and Delitzsch emphasize that the Ziphites, though of the same tribe as David, chose to report his location out of self-preservation or loyalty to the current king. Matthew Henry highlights the irony: David had put confidence in these people of his own tribe, yet they offered to deliver him up. The geographical precision in the verse matches actual terrain; the hill of Hachilah and the wilderness of Jeshimon are real locations in Judah. Gill suggests the Ziphites were terrified by Saul's massacre at Nob and sought to secure their own safety. Though the Ziphites likely saw themselves as good subjects of Saul, the narrative presents their act as betrayal, David later calls them 'strangers' in Psalm 54. The consensus frames this as a low point in human loyalty, yet one that sets the stage for divine deliverance.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Political pragmatism: The Ziphites chose to support the reigning king for safety, given Saul's recent massacre of the priests (Gill, Matthew Henry).
- Loyalty to the throne: The Ziphites may have seen Saul as the legitimate king and felt no obligation to a fugitive (Keil).
- Simple malice: Wesley calls their behavior 'unnatural' since David was their kinsman; they acted from pure self-interest.
What is clear: The Ziphites acted to hand David over to Saul, despite David being God's anointed and a fellow Judahite; the biblical text treats this as treachery.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Motivation of the Ziphites | All sources agree the Ziphites acted to betray David to Saul, an act of treachery. | Some see fear of Saul (after Nob) as primary (Gill, Matthew Henry); others think they were acting as loyal subjects of the king (Keil); a few attribute simple malice (Wesley). |
| Identification of Jeshimon | All agree Jeshimon means 'the waste' or desert, not a proper place-name. | Debate concerns whether it refers to the wilderness near Ziph or more broadly to the area east of the Dead Sea (Barnes vs. Cambridge Bible). |
| Relationship to 1 Samuel 26 | Both chapters involve Ziphites informing Saul about David's location on the hill of Hachilah. | Some scholars think 1 Samuel 26 is a duplicate account; others hold they are separate incidents that happened similarly (Cambridge Bible notes the difficulty). |
| Timing of Jonathan's visit | Jonathan strengthened David immediately before this event (vv.16-18). | Gill notes that some interpreters (e.g., Kimchi) place the Ziphites' betrayal before Jonathan's visit, reading the verb as pluperfect ('had come up'). |
Historical & Cultural Context
The Ziphites were inhabitants of Ziph, a town in the hill country of Judah (Joshua 15:55). David was a fellow Judahite, making their betrayal especially painful. The surrounding region was rugged wilderness, ideal for hiding but dangerous for an outlaw with a band of men.
Gibeah, where Saul was staying, sat on higher ground, hence 'came up to Saul.' The hill of Hachilah (meaning 'dark') and Jeshimon ('the waste' or desert) are toponyms that match the arid landscape southeast of Hebron. Nineteenth-century explorers like Conder identified Hachilah with the ridge el-Kolah, part of the Ziph plateau. From Tell Ziph, as JFB notes drawing on Van de Velde, 'a panorama of the whole surrounding district is to be seen', the Ziphites could spot David's movements.
Politically, Saul had recently massacred the priests at Nob (1 Samuel 22), showing he would punish anyone suspected of aiding David. The Ziphites likely acted from fear: better to hand David over than risk the king's wrath. Besides loyalty to David, they had no reason to protect him. His anointing by Samuel was not public knowledge among all tribes, and to the Ziphites he was a fugitive rebel against the established king. Yet the text underscores that they were David's own people, 'our part will be to deliver him up into the king's hand' (v.20). Jonathan, by contrast, had just strengthened David's hand in God (v.16). The contrast could not be sharper.
The setting also highlights David's vulnerability. He was at the mercy of local informants. Only divine intervention, in the form of a Philistine raid that called Saul away, would save him (v.27-28).
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for this verse. The Hebrew text is stable across the major manuscripts. The differences among English translations (e.g., 'woods' vs 'Horesh', 'south' vs 'right side') reflect interpretive choices about the proper nouns Jeshimon and Horesh, not underlying textual discrepancies.
Reception History
This verse soon found a home in Israel's worship. The superscription of Psalm 54 explicitly links the psalm to 'when the Ziphites came and said to Saul, “Isn’t David hiding himself among us?”' Early Christian readers saw in the Ziphites a type of betrayal similar to Judas's, fellow countrymen who handed over the Lord's anointed. John Chrysostom and others used the passage to encourage believers facing persecution from within their own communities. In later tradition, the Ziphites became proverbial for faithless friends who sacrifice loyalty for safety. The event also colors the reading of Psalm 54, where David appeals for vindication against 'strangers' (v.3). The phrase 'hide himself' (Niphal of satar) echoes throughout the Psalms as a plea for God to hide the psalmist in His protection, inverting the Ziphites' betrayal.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- Betrayal from within. The Ziphites were David's own tribesmen, yet they turned him over to Saul. This reminds us that the deepest wounds often come from those closest to us, family, friends, or church community.
- Fear drives compromise. The Ziphites feared Saul more than they trusted God. In a world of shifting allegiances, the temptation to protect ourselves by siding with power is ever present.
- God is not outmaneuvered. Though betrayal exposed David, the Philistine attack that saved him was not coincidence. God's protection does not prevent betrayal; it works through it to fulfill His purposes.
Five-point outline
- Setting the stage: David was in the wilderness of Ziph after Jonathan's visit, strengthened by covenant (vv.15-18).
- The informants: The Ziphites came to Saul offering to deliver David, using knowledge of the terrain against him.
- Saul's response: He blessed them, not from faith but as a tactical move, and sent them to confirm the details.
- David's vulnerability: He had no standing army, only a small band. His safety depended on secrecy and local support.
- Divine intervention: A Philistine raid forced Saul to withdraw, and David escaped (vv.27-28).
Illustration hooks
- A workplace where colleagues monitor your every mistake to report to the boss, wanting to stay in favor. The Ziphites acted similarly: they saw David's hiding as a way to earn points with Saul.
- A family divided over a will; one sibling secretly informs the lawyer about the other's financial errors. Betrayal by blood hurts most, exactly what David experienced.
- In a small town, everyone knows everyone's business. The Ziphites used that local knowledge to track David. There is no hiding when the whole community turns against you.
Questions your congregation is asking
- How do I respond when people I trust betray me or side with my enemies?
- Am I more afraid of human authority or of God? The Ziphites feared Saul, what fears drive my decisions?
- Can God protect me even when my situation seems hopeless and others are working against me?
Leading a Discussion
This passage shows how fear and self-preservation can lead even a person's own people to betray them. As you discuss, notice the sharp contrast between Jonathan's sacrificial loyalty (vv.16-18) and the Ziphites' calculated betrayal. Think about how you would have felt in David's shoes, or in the Ziphites'. The chapter ends with God providing a way out, a reminder that human treachery does not derail His plan.
Discussion questions
- Read verses 15-18 first. How did Jonathan's visit prepare David for what came next? What does this teach us about the importance of godly friendship in hard times?
- Why do you think the Ziphites volunteered to inform Saul? List possible motives: fear, loyalty to the king, personal gain, indifference to David.
- In what ways are we tempted to 'inform' on others to protect our own position, in the church, workplace, or family?
- Saul says the Ziphites 'had compassion on me' (v.21). Does he really believe they care for him, or is he just manipulating them? What does his response say about his character?
- Psalm 54 is linked to this event (see its title). Read Psalm 54:1-7. How does David's prayer reframe the betrayal? What does he ask for, and how does he express trust?
- God delivered David through an unexpected Philistine attack (vv.27-28). Have you ever experienced an unexpected 'out' from a situation that seemed hopeless? How did it shape your view of God's provision?
- What can we learn from this chapter about waiting on God's timing when people oppose us unjustly?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| I Samuel 22:7 | Saul said to his servants who stood around him, “Hear now, you Benjamites! Will the son of Jesse give everyone of you fields and vineyards? Will he make you all captains of thousands and captains of hundreds? |
| I Samuel 22:8 | Is that why all of you have conspired against me, and there is no one who discloses to me when my son makes a treaty with the son of Jesse, and there is none of you who is sorry for me, or discloses to me that my son has stirred up my servant against me, to lie in wait, as it is today?” |
| I Samuel 26:1 | The Ziphites came to Saul to Gibeah, saying, “Doesn’t David hide himself in the hill of Hachilah, which is before the desert?” |
| I Samuel 26:3 | Saul encamped in the hill of Hachilah, which is before the desert, by the way. But David stayed in the wilderness, and he saw that Saul came after him into the wilderness. |
| Psalms 54:1 | For the Chief Musician. On stringed instruments. A contemplation by David, when the Ziphites came and said to Saul, “Isn’t David hiding himself among us?” Save me, God, by your name. Vindicate me in your might. |
| Psalms 54:3 | For strangers have risen up against me. Violent men have sought after my soul. They haven’t set God before them. Selah. |
| Psalms 54:7 | For he has delivered me out of all trouble. My eye has seen triumph over my enemies. |
| Proverbs 29:12 | If a ruler listens to lies, all of his officials are wicked. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
9 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes identifies Hachilah as the ridge called El Kolah, following Conder's research, and points to the marginal note and Numbers 21:20 for the location of Jeshimon. His focus is on clarifying the physical geography behind the verse.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The Cambridge Bible Schools commentary clarifies that Jeshimon is not a proper place name but a descriptive term meaning "the Waste," referring to the barren district below the Ziph plateau. It also notes that Hachilah cannot be identified with certainty, though Lieutenant Conder proposed linking it to the ridge of El Kolah.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
Then came vp the Ziphims to Saul to Gibeah, saying, Doeth not Dauid hide himselfe by vs in holdes, in the wood in the hill of Hachilah, which is on the right side of Ieshimon?
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill stresses that the Ziphites were from David's own tribe yet betrayed him out of self-preservation, terrified by what Saul had done to the priests at Nob. He notes that this incident likely prompted David to write Psalm 54, a plea for deliverance from those who did not have God before them.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB notes that from the high tell of Ziph the entire surrounding country is visible. This panoramic view explains how the Ziphites spotted David moving across the mountains of the wilderness and reported his location on the hill of Hachilah to Saul.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil and Delitzsch highlight the stark contrast between Jonathan's loyal covenant with David and the Ziphites' immediate betrayal. They note that the hill of Ziph offered a panoramic view, allowing the Ziphites to track David's movements and report his hiding place to Saul. This geographical detail underscores the calculated nature of the treachery.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange emphasizes that David did not act on his own but sought divine authorization for every move, including the rescue of Keilah. This repeated inquiry through the high priest's ephod shows a leader who submits unconditionally to God's will. Even when human reason objected, God's direct guidance gave David clarity and victory.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry notes the irony that David placed special confidence in the Ziphites because they were his own tribesmen,
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley highlights the irony that the Ziphites belonged to David's own tribe, yet their treacherous behavior made them act like strangers. David therefore calls them strangers, marking family as enemies through unfaithfulness.