דברי הימים א, פרק י׳, פסוק י״ד

The end of Saul's reign and the fall of his dynasty serve as a historical transition, setting the stage for a new king. Rather than recounting Saul's life and family history, the narrative skips directly to his death in battle. This intentional focus serves to elevate David, illustrating how God transferred the kingdom to him only after Saul proved unworthy and lost the crown through sin [מלבי״ם, ביאור שטיינזלץ].

A question arises regarding the claim that Saul failed to seek God, as earlier historical accounts explicitly state that he did ask God but received no answer. The primary approach among commentators is that this is not a contradiction, but rather a deeper evaluation of Saul's actions. When faced with divine silence, he should have persisted in prayer, engaged in complete repentance, and continually sought God's presence. Because he quickly despaired and abandoned his efforts, his initial attempt is viewed as though he never sought God at all [מצודת דוד, רד״ק, ביאור שטיינזלץ].

Furthermore, his failure to receive an answer led him to compound his guilt by consulting a medium. By turning to impure forces, he essentially equated seeking God with seeking the dark arts. This grave action retroactively erased his initial attempt to reach out to God, entirely justifying the assertion that he never truly sought Him [רד״ק, חומת אנך].

Ultimately, it was this culmination of sins that led to Saul's death, prompting God to take the kingdom from him and transfer the rule directly to David [מלבי״ם].