שמואל א, פרק י״ד, פסוק כ״ג

The great victory achieved on that day was fundamentally a result of God's direct providence [מלבי״ם]. Rather than a structured engagement, the conflict unfolded as a highly scattered and disorganized military campaign [ביאור שטיינזלץ].

As the conflict reached the area of Beth-aven, commentators offer two distinct ways to understand how the events played out. One approach suggests a continued, high-speed pursuit. The Israelite soldiers arrived at Beth-aven and pushed onward, relentlessly chasing the Philistines [רד״ק, מצודת דוד]. These pursuing fighters swept past the location, running swiftly and showing immense dedication to the campaign [רלב״ג].

In contrast, another perspective suggests that reaching Beth-aven marked the end of the actual fighting rather than a geographic shift in the battlefront. According to this view, by the time the Israelites arrived at this location, the active combat phase had completely ceased. From that moment on, the enemy forces scattered in every direction and were entirely focused on escaping, meaning no real battle was taking place anymore [מלבי״ם].