שופטים, פרק כ׳, פסוק כ״ז

As the Israelites seek direction for their upcoming battle, the presence of the Ark of the Covenant and the Priest who asks for guidance suddenly comes into focus. In their earlier inquiries, these sacred elements were completely absent.

There is a specific reason why the Ark and the Priest are only mentioned at this later stage. During their first attempts, the Israelites did not properly examine their own actions and intentions, which directly caused their earlier failures in battle. Because they lacked this vital self-reflection, any mention of the Ark and the Priest was deliberately held back until now [מצודת דוד].