שמואל א, פרק י״ד, פסוק כ״ב

A sudden shift in the battlefield and the sight of a fleeing enemy can instantly transform fear into bravery. As news spreads that the Philistines are retreating, a wave of renewed courage sweeps through the Israelites. Men who had previously fled and hidden out of pure terror [מצודת דוד] now emerge from their hiding places. They are joined by others who had not taken any active role in the fighting up to this point, swelling the ranks of the Israelite forces as everyone unites for the battle [מלבי״ם].

The Israelites do not just watch the enemy run away; they launch an intense pursuit to catch up to the retreating forces [מצודת ציון]. This chase is not merely an attempt to follow the enemy from afar. The Israelites push forward relentlessly until they physically overtake the Philistines, completely closing the gap to strike them directly in combat [רד״ק, ביאור שטיינזלץ].