שמואל א, פרק י״ד, פסוק ל״ה

Constructing an altar to God serves as a profound act of thanksgiving, commemorating a miraculous victory while correcting a spiritual misstep the people made during the heat of battle. This monument is deeply intertwined with the ongoing military campaign, reflecting a strong desire to thank God for His kindness and rescue from the enemy.

The construction itself unfolded in stages, dictated by the urgency of the moment. The foundation of this new altar was the very same large stone used earlier to properly slaughter the captured spoils [מצודת ציון]. Saul used this stone as the base to begin the building process [מלבי״ם, מצודת דוד, רלב״ג, ביאור שטיינזלץ, אברבנאל]. Driven by a pressing need to continue pursuing the enemy through the night, he could only start the work at that time. He turned the stone into the beginning of an altar through the act of slaughtering upon it, and only later added more stones to complete the structure properly as a lasting monument of gratitude to God [מלבי״ם, מצודת דוד, רלב״ג, אברבנאל].

Alternatively, the start of this altar can be viewed as a historical milestone. This was the very first altar Saul constructed since ascending to the throne, as his previous offerings at Gilgal were made on a structure that was already built [רש״י, רד״ק, ביאור שטיינזלץ, אברבנאל]. Some view this as an even broader achievement, marking Saul as the first king of Israel to build an altar [רד״ק, אברבנאל].

The initiation of the altar also highlights the king's personal involvement. Saul laid the very first stone with his own hands, leaving the rest of the construction to the builders [רד״ק, אברבנאל]. In a deeper sense, he is credited with starting the altar because of his intense dedication to enforcing the strict laws of slaughtering, an act that laid the essential groundwork for bringing offerings to God [אברבנאל].