דברי הימים א, פרק י׳, פסוק ב׳

The battlefield descended into total chaos as the Israelite military formation collapsed. Soldiers broke apart into scattered groups, desperately fleeing from the advancing enemy. Amidst this confusion, the Philistines were not satisfied with simply routing the army. Instead, they shifted their focus to a highly specific target, aiming to hunt down and eliminate the leadership of the nation [ביאור שטיינזלץ].

The enemy forces relentlessly chased Saul and his sons, eventually catching up and closing in tightly around them [מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. As a direct result of this intense pursuit, the Philistines struck down the royal heirs. Three of the king's sons, Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua, were killed in the fighting. This devastating loss left Saul with only a single surviving son, who would briefly take the throne shortly after the battle [ביאור שטיינזלץ].