שמואל א, פרק י״א, פסוק י״א

A sudden, crushing surprise attack shifts the balance of power and establishes the military leadership of the new king. Following a rapid night march, the army prepares for a highly coordinated tactical strike against a complacent enemy confident in its own victory. Saul organizes the forces by dividing the people into three separate battalions [מצודת ציון, ביאור שטיינזלץ].

These units penetrate deep into the camp of Nahash the Ammonite [מצודת דוד] at a highly strategic moment. The strike occurs during the third and final watch of the night, just before dawn [רד״ק, מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. This specific timing echoes the successful military tactics previously employed by Gideon [רד״ק]. The early morning raid catches the Ammonites entirely off guard. The enemy camp had been resting in complete security, arrogant in their assumption that the people of Jabesh Gilead were broken by despair and incapable of putting up any resistance.

Fueled by the element of surprise, the Israelites continue their assault for hours, fighting relentlessly until the heat of the day when the sun reaches its peak [מצודת ציון, ביאור שטיינזלץ, אברבנאל]. The outcome of the battle is absolute. The few who survive the initial slaughter scatter in sheer panic, fleeing for their lives toward the mountains [מצודת דוד, מצודת ציון, רד״ק, אברבנאל]. The Ammonite defeat is so decisive and their terror so overwhelming that the survivors cannot even group up; every single fighter flees alone back to his own land, without even two men managing to escape together [רד״ק, ביאור שטיינזלץ].

This remarkable display of bravery and the salvation God brings about through Saul leaves a profound impact on the nation. The overwhelming victory immediately sparks a public demand to punish anyone who had previously questioned or mocked Saul's authority as king [אברבנאל].