שמואל א, פרק י״ג, פסוק ד׳

The assassination of the Philistine governor marks a dramatic shift, escalating a local incident into a full-blown national crisis. Although Jonathan actually carried out the strike, the act was widely attributed to King Saul. The primary approach among commentators is that because Saul was the monarch, Jonathan's strike was viewed as an official state action done under royal authority [מצודת דוד, אברבנאל, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Some suggest the public genuinely believed Saul performed the act himself, or at least assumed he directly ordered it [רד"ק]. Ultimately, Saul’s full support of the attack and his immediate preparations for battle cemented his personal association with the event [מלבי"ם].

The immediate consequence of this royal endorsement was a profound shift in how the Philistines viewed the Israelites. The nation became utterly despised by their enemies, compared to something that gives off a foul, repulsive stench [רש"י, רד"ק, מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Because the assassination was perceived as an official state operation rather than the work of a lone vigilante, the Philistine fury was directed at the entire Israelite population [מלבי"ם]. Any remaining ties between the two peoples were completely severed, making war an absolute certainty [אברבנאל, ביאור שטיינזלץ].

In response to the looming threat, a rallying cry went out, prompting a mass gathering of the Israelites [מצודת ציון]. They assembled around Saul at Gilgal, where he had remained since the celebrations of his renewed kingship [רד"ק, אברבנאל]. By gathering there, Saul was also fulfilling an earlier instruction from the prophet Samuel to go down to Gilgal and wait for him [רש"י]. However, this assembly was overshadowed by immense terror. Facing a massive and powerful Philistine army intent on revenge, the panic was so severe that parts of the nation fled, choosing to hide in caves or escape across the Jordan River [רלב"ג, אברבנאל].