The Illustrated Bible Dictionary: Zilpah..Ziph

Zilpah..Ziph


Zilpah drooping, Leah's handmaid, and the mother of Gad and Asher (Gen. 30:9-13).

Zilthai shadow (i.e., protection) of Jehovah. (1.) A Benjamite (1 Chr. 8:20). (2.) One of the captains of the tribe of Manasseh who joined David at Ziklag (1 Chr. 12:20).

Zimmah mischief. (1.) A Gershonite Levite (1 Chr. 6:20).

(2.) Another Gershonite Levite (1 Chr. 6:42).

(3.) The father of Joah (2 Chr. 29:12).

Zimran vine-dressers; celebrated, one of the sons of Abraham by Keturah (Gen. 25:2).

Zimri praise-worthy. (1.) A son of Salu, slain by Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, because of his wickedness in bringing a Midianitish woman into his tent (Num. 25:6-15).

(2.) Murdered Elah at Tirzah, and succeeded him on the throne of Israel (1 Kings 16:8-10). He reigned only seven days, for Omri, whom the army elected as king, laid siege to Tirzah, whereupon Zimri set fire to the palace and perished amid its ruins (11-20). Omri succeeded to the throne only after four years of fierce war with Tibni, another claimant to the throne.

Zin a low palm-tree, the south-eastern corner of the desert et-Tih, the wilderness of Paran, between the Gulf of Akabah and the head of the Wady Guraiyeh (Num. 13:21). To be distinguished from the wilderness of Sin (q.v.).

Zina ornament, one of the sons of Shimei (1 Chr. 23:10).

Zion sunny; height, one of the eminences on which Jerusalem was built. It was surrounded on all sides, except the north, by deep valleys, that of the Tyropoeon (q.v.) separating it from Moriah (q.v.), which it surpasses in height by 105 feet. It was the south-eastern hill of Jerusalem.

When David took it from the Jebusites (Josh. 15:63; 2 Sam. 5:7) he built on it a citadel and a palace, and it became "the city of David" (1 Kings 8:1; 2 Kings 19:21, 31; 1 Chr. 11:5). In the later books of the Old Testament this name was sometimes used (Ps. 87:2; 149:2; Isa. 33:14; Joel 2:1) to denote Jerusalem in general, and sometimes God's chosen Israel (Ps. 51:18; 87:5).

In the New Testament (see SION ¯T0003448) it is used sometimes to denote the Church of God (Heb. 12:22), and sometimes the heavenly city (Rev. 14:1).

Zior littleness, a city in the mountains of Judah (Josh. 15:54); the modern Si'air, 4 1/2 miles north-north-east of Hebron.

Ziph flowing. (1.) A son of Jehaleleel (1 Chr. 4:16).

(2.) A city in the south of Judah (Josh. 15:24), probably at the pass of Sufah.

(3.) A city in the mountains of Judah (Josh. 15:55), identified with the uninhabited ruins of Tell ez-Zif, about 5 miles south-east of Hebron. Here David hid himself during his wanderings (1 Sam. 23:19; Ps. 54, title).

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