מלכים א, פרק כ״ב, פסוק ל״ג

In the heat of battle, a targeted pursuit abruptly ends when the true identity of a fleeing king is revealed. The Aramean army commanders close in on their target, only to discover that the man they are chasing is not the enemy they were sent to destroy. They realize that the man surrounded by their forces is actually the King of Judah, rather than the King of Israel.

The commanders come to this realization through specific clues. One perspective suggests that they recognize his true identity the moment they hear his voice [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Another approach explains that the commanders observe the dynamics of the battlefield. By noticing that only the soldiers of Judah rush to his rescue, they immediately deduce that he cannot be the King of Israel [מצודת דוד].

Once the mistaken identity becomes clear, the pursuit stops entirely. The commanders had received strict and explicit orders to kill only the King of Israel. Because they have no directive or interest in harming the King of Judah, they simply turn around and leave him alone, abandoning the chase to seek out their true target [ביאור שטיינזלץ].