ziklag Summary and Overview

a town in the Negeb, or south country of Judah (Josh. 15:31), in the possession of the Philistines when David fled to Gath from Ziph with all his followers. Achish, the king, assigned him Ziklag as his place of residence. There he dwelt for over a year and four months. From this time it pertained to the kings of Judah (1 Sam. 27:6). During his absence with his army to join the Philistine expedition against the Israelites (29:11), it was destroyed by the Amalekites (30:1, 2), whom David, however, pursued and utterly routed, returning all the captives (1 Sam. 30:26-31). Two days after his return from this expedition, David received tidings of the disastrous battle of Gilboa and of the death of Saul (2 Sam. 1:1-16). He now left Ziklag and returned to Hebron, along with his two wives, Ahinoam and Abigail, and his band of 600 men. It has been identified with 'Asluj, a heap of ruins south of Beersheba. Conder, however, identifies it with Khirbet Zuheilikah, ruins found on three hills half a mile apart, some seventeen miles north-west of Beersheba, on the confines of Philistia, Judah, and Amalek.

(winding), a place which possesses a special interest from its having been the residence and the private property of David. It is first mentioned in the catalogue of the towns of Judah in #Jos 15:31| and occurs, in the same connection among the places which were allotted out of the territory of Judah to Simeon. #Jos 19:5| We next encounter it in the possession of the Philistines #1Sa 27:6| when it was, at David's request, bestowed upon him by Achish king of Gath. He resided there for a year and four months. #1Sa 27:6,7; 30:14,26; 1Ch 12:1,20| It was there he received the news of Saul's death. #2Sa 1:1; 4:10| He then relinquished it for Hebron. #2Sa 2:1| Ziklag is finally mentioned as being reinhabited by the people of Judah after their return from captivity. #Ne 11:28| The situation of the town is difficult to determine, and we only know for certain that it was in the south country.

ZIK'LAG (outpouring of a fountain?), a city in the South of Judah, Josh 15:31; afterward given to Simeon. Isa 19:5. It was at times held by the Philistines. Achish, king of Gath, gave it to David, and it subsequently belonged to Judah. Its chief interest is in connection with the life of David. 1 Sam 27:6; 1 Sam 30:1, 1 Sam 30:14, 1 Sam 30:26; 2 Sam 1:1; 2 Sam 4:10; 1 Chr 4:30; 1 Chr 12:1-20. It was also inhabited after the return from the Captivity. Neh 11:28. Wilton suggested its identification with 'Aslaj, or Kanluj, in a deep valley among the hills of the south country, some 12 miles south of Beer-sheba. Conder suggested its identification with Zaheilikah, 11 miles south of east from Gaza, and 19 miles south-west of Neit Jibrin. The site is in the open, rolling plain, some distance from the low, open hills of the Shefalah. The ruins occur on three small hills, in the form of an equilateral triangle, nearly half a mile apart. There is a number of ancient ruined cisterns, of which the stones have been removed and the sites ploughed over. Neither of the above has been accepted as the site of Ziklag.

A city in southern Judah, associated with Chesil and Hormah (Joshua 15:31; Joshua 19:5; 1 Chronicles 4:30). Lieut. Conder identifies it with Zehleika or Khirbet Zuheilikah in the middle of the plain N. of Beersheba, 200 miles square, just where the narrative concerning David would lead us to look for it. The ruins are on three small hills, forming an equilateral triangle, almost half a mile apart; among the ruins are several cisterns. Simeon possessed it. Assigned by Achish king of Gath to David, for the Philistines had taken it. Thence David went up against the Geshurites, Gezrites, and Amalekites (1 Samuel 27:8-9; 1 Samuel 30:14; 1 Samuel 30:26), for these tribes occupied the plateau overhanging the Philistine plain to the W. and wady Murreh to the S. He resided there a year and four months; it was there he received daily new accessions of forces (1 Chronicles 12:1-20), and heard of Saul's death (2 Samuel 1:1; 2 Samuel 4:10); thence he went to Hebron (2 Samuel 2:1). Thus Ziklag lay at the confines of Philistia, Judah, and Amalek. Its position probably was in the open country, pastoral and amble, reached from the S. after passing out of wady er Ruheibeh. The term used in 1 Samuel 30:11 is "the field (sadeh) of the Philistines"; sadeh is applied to the country of Amalek (Genesis 14:7). Reoccupied after the Babylonian captivity by the men of Judah (Nehemiah 11:28).