שמואל א, פרק י״ד, פסוק ל״א

The victorious pursuit of the Philistines takes a severe physical toll on the Israelite army, pushing the soldiers to the brink of total collapse. The military campaign begins at Michmash, the site of the Philistine camp [מצודת דוד, אברבנאל]. From there, the Israelites chase and strike down the enemy all the way to Aijalon, a city within the territory of the tribe of Dan on the western border of the Land of Israel, just outside Philistine territory [רלב״ג, מלבי״ם]. By the end of this relentless chase, the fighters are completely drained and weakened, reaching a state of absolute exhaustion [רלב״ג, ביאור שטיינזלץ].

Commentators offer two different explanations for this extreme fatigue. One approach suggests that the sheer physical exertion of fighting and running over a massive distance from Michmash to Aijalon is what drains the army [רלב״ג, מלבי״ם]. However, another perspective argues that the geographic distance between these two locations is actually relatively short. According to this view, the true cause of their collapse is not the journey or the battle itself, but rather severe hunger from a lack of food. This reality ultimately proves Jonathan right, as he had warned earlier about the disastrous consequences of denying the soldiers food during the fight [אברבנאל].