Zuph

Honeycomb, a Kohathite Levite, ancestor of Elkanah and Samuel (1 Sam. 1:1); called also Zophai (1 Chr. 6:26).

a Kohathite Levite, ancestor of Elkanah and Samuel. (1 Samuel 1:1; 1 Chronicles 6:35) In (1 Chronicles 6:26) he is called Zophai. (honeycomb), The land of, a district at which Saul and his servant arrived after passing through the possessions of Shalisha, of Shalim and of the Benjamites. (1 Samuel 9:5) only. It evidently contained the city in which they encountered Samuel, ver. 6, and that again was certainly not far from the “tomb of Rachel.” It may perhaps be identified with Soba, a well-known place about seven miles due west of Jerusalem.

ZUPH (honeycomb), a Kohathite Levite, an ancestor of Samuel the prophet. 1 Sam 1:1; 1 Chr 6:35.

ZUPH (flag, sedge). Deut 1:1, margin. From the Hebrew Suph, signifying a kind of sea-weed, and the Hebrew name for the Red Sea, which see.

that beholds, observes, watches; roof; covering

ZUPH, THE LAND OF, the farthest point of the journey of Saul, and where he encountered Samuel at a certain city, the name of which is not given. 1 Sam 9:5-6. The whole of this journey has been a curious puzzle in Scripture topography, "for the starting-point is unknown, the point to which he returned doubtful," and the intermediate places have not been satisfactorily identified. Some resemblance to Zuph was thought to be found in Sola, 7 miles west of Jerusalem and 5 miles southwest of Neby Samwil. Conder notes that the Targum on the passage connects the name "Zuph" with the root zephah, meaning "to shine," and hence "to be conspicuous," whence come the words "Zephathah," "Zophim," "Zephir," and "Mizpeh." In other Targums the words "Zophira " and "Mizpeh" are used indiscriminately in speaking of one place, both words being applicable to a "watch-tower" or city in an elevated situation. "Zuph" was, however, also the name of a man, and it is not impossible that the land of Zuph may have been named after him. 1 Sam 1:1. In the first case the city in the land of Zuph would possibly be Shufa: in the second it would be Bethlehem, the home of Zuph. See Mizpeh.