שמואל א, פרק כ״ז, פסוק ו׳

The transfer of Ziklag from Philistine control to David's private ownership marks a significant historical and legal turning point. Originally, the Book of Joshua assigned Ziklag to the territory of the Tribe of Judah. The primary approach among commentators explains that during a period of Philistine dominance, they captured portions of Judah's land, including this city. Now, Achish grants the city to David [מצודת דוד, רד״ק, ביאור שטיינזלץ, אברבנאל]. Alternatively, the earlier mention of the city in the Book of Joshua was written looking ahead to its ultimate destiny [רד״ק].

Because Achish gifted the city to David personally, it transformed into his private estate rather than reverting to the public domain of the tribe. Years later, even after the Philistines were defeated and forced out of the region, Ziklag was never redistributed among the families of Judah. Instead, it passed down through inheritance exclusively to the kings of the Davidic dynasty, establishing its permanent status as a royal city [מצודת דוד, רד״ק, ביאור שטיינזלץ, אברבנאל].

This enduring royal status is recorded from a later historical vantage point, reflecting a time long after the initial events occurred. This retrospective perspective indicates that the book was compiled and edited in a subsequent era by an author who gathered the earlier records of Samuel and Nathan the Prophet. Some identify this later compiler as Jeremiah the Prophet [אברבנאל].