Then came up the Ziphites to Saul to Gibeah, saying, Doesn't David hide himself with us in the strongholds in the wood, in the hill of Hachilah, which is on the south of the desert?
"Our part shall be to surrender him into the king's hand"  (1 Samuel 23:20).  This, of course, was the Ziphites promise to betray David.  "The reason for the Ziphites betrayal was either their zeal for Saul or the fact that David levied protection money against them as he did against Nabal  (1 Samuel 25)."[17]  Willis pointed out another possible reason, namely, that, "The Ziphites might have feared that Saul would slaughter them, if he discovered that they knew where David was and did not tell him."[18]  The knowledge of what Saul did at Nob was known to all Israel.  Any or all of these reasons might have motivated the Ziphites.  This shameful deed of the Ziphites is mentioned in the superscription of  Psalms 54.