Ziklag

In Bible versions:

Ziklag: NET AVS NIV NRSV NASB TEV

a town in SE Judah; home of the Shime-i Clan of Simeon

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Google Maps: Ziklag (31° 22´, 34° 52´)

Hebrew

Strongs #06860: glqu Tsiqlag or glqyu Tsiyq@lag (\\#1Ch 12:1,20\\)

Ziklag = "winding"

1) a town in the south of Judah, later allotted to Simeon; noted for
its having been the city of David given to him by king Achish of
Gath and his residence when he was joined by many of his mighty
warriors and when he received word of the death of Saul

6860 Tsiqlag tsik-lag'

or Tsiyqlag (1 Chronicles 12:1,20) {tsee-kel-ag'}; of
uncertain derivation: Tsiklag or Tsikelag, a place in
Palestine:-Ziklag.
see HEBREW for 020

Ziklag [EBD]

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.

Ziklag [NAVE]

ZIKLAG
A city within the territory allotted to the tribe of Judah, Josh. 15:31.
Reallotted to the tribe of Simeon, Josh. 19:5.
David dwells at, 1 Sam. 27:5, 6; 2 Sam. 1:1; 1 Chr. 12:1.
Amalekites destroy, 1 Sam. 30.
Inhabited by the returned exiles of Judah, Neh. 11:28.

ZIKLAG [SMITH]

(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 (Joshua 15:31) and occurs, in the same connection among the places which were allotted out of the territory of Judah to Simeon. (Joshua 19:5) We next encounter it in the possession of the Philistines (1 Samuel 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. (1 Samuel 27:6,7; 30:14,26; 1 Chronicles 12:1,20) It was there he received the news of Saul?s death. (2 Samuel 1:1; 4:10) He then relinquished it for Hebron. (2 Samuel 2:1) Ziklag is finally mentioned as being reinhabited by the people of Judah after their return from captivity. (Nehemiah 11:28) The situation of the town is difficult to determine, and we only know for certain that it was in the south country.

ZIKLAG [ISBE]

ZIKLAG - zik'-lag (tsiqelagh, tsiqelagh (2 Sam 1:1), tsiqelagh (1 Ch 12:1,20); usually in the Septuagint Sekelak, or Sikelag): A town assigned (Josh 19:5; 1 Ch 4:30) to Simeon, but in Josh 15:31 named, between Hornah and Madmannah, as one of the cities of the Negeb of Judah, "toward the border of Edom." It is said (1 Sam 27:6) to have remained a royal city. In Neh 11:28 it is in the list of towns reinhabited by the returning children of Judah. Its chief associations are with David. Achish the Philistine king of Gath gave it to David as a residence (1 Sam 27:6 f; 1 Ch 12:1,20); it was raided by the Amalekites, on whom David took vengeance and so recovered his property (1 Sam 30:14,26); here the messenger who came to announce Saul's death was slain (2 Sam 1:1; 4:10).

The site of this important place is not yet fixed with certainty; Conder proposed Zucheilika, a ruin 11 miles South-Southeast of Gaza, and 4 miles North of Wady es-Sheri'a, which may be the "Brook Besor" (1 Sam 30:9,10,21); Rowland (1842) proposed `Asluj, a heap of ruins South of Beersheba and 7 miles to the East of Bered. Neither site is entirely satisfactory. See Williams, Holy City, I, 463-68; BR, II, 201, PEF, 288, Sh XX.

E. W. G. Masterman