hachilah Summary and Overview

the darksome hill, one of the peaks of the long ridge of el-Kolah, running out of the Ziph plateau, "on the south of Jeshimon" (i.e., of the "waste"), the district to which one looks down from the plateau of Ziph (1 Sam. 23:19). After his reconciliation with Saul at Engedi (24:1-8), David returned to Hachilah, where he had fixed his quarters. The Ziphites treacherously informed Saul of this, and he immediately (26:1-4) renewed his pursuit of David, and "pitched in the hill of Hachilah." David and his nephew Abishai stole at night into the midst of Saul's camp, when they were all asleep, and noiselessly removed the royal spear and the cruse from the side of the king, and then, crossing the intervening valley to the height on the other side, David cried to the people, and thus awoke the sleepers. He then addressed Saul, who recognized his voice, and expostulated with him. Saul professed to be penitent; but David could not put confidence in him, and he now sought refuge at Ziklag. David and Saul never afterwards met. (1 Sam. 26:13-25).

HACH'ILAH , HILL OF (the darksome hill), a place in Judah near Ziph, and where David with his 600 followers hid. 1 Sam 23:19; comp. 1 Sam 23:14-15, 1 Sam 23:18; 1 Sam 26:3. Conder was inclined to locate it at the ruins now called Yekin: "The hill Yekin is a bold promontory standing just at the edge of the plateau. It looks over the whole desert; the cliffs of En-gedi, the Dead Sea, and the heights of Moab are in full view. Just beneath the crest of the hill is a hollow, with another knoll beyond. It is the head of a great valley, which soon becomes precipitous, running down into the desert. In this hollow are a spring and a cave. This I imagine is what is meant by the 'trench.' 1 Sam 26:5. David is said to have crossed over to the other side, and we may imagine him standing on one or other of the hill-tops and looking down on the king and his sleeping party in the hollow."