Saph

Saph is a Philistine of the giant clan slain by Sibbecai the Hushathite during one of David's later wars with the Philistines. He appears under two names: Saph in 2 Samuel and Sippai in the parallel notice in 1 Chronicles.

A Philistine of the Giant Clan

The Samuel notice records the encounter at Gob: "And it came to pass after this, that there was again war with the Philistines at Gob: then Sibbecai the Hushathite slew Saph, who was of the sons of the giant" (2Sa 21:18).

The Chronicler's parallel locates the same battle at Gezer and gives the alternate spelling: "And it came to pass after this, that there arose war at Gezer with the Philistines: then Sibbecai the Hushathite slew Sippai, of the sons of the giant; and they were subdued" (1Ch 20:4).

Both accounts agree on the slayer (Sibbecai the Hushathite) and on the descent of the slain man "of the sons of the giant," placing Saph among the Philistine champions cut down in the cycle of giant-killings that closes the Davidic war narratives.