So Yahweh saved Israel that day: and the battle passed over by Beth Aven.
As soon as night fell, the soldiers ate freely. By eating food that was forbidden by God’s law, they showed that, although they feared to break the king’s command, they did not fear to break God’s. Saul was distressed when he heard what the people had done (31-35; cf. Leviticus 17:14). He was even more distressed when he learnt that God would not guarantee him victory in a proposed night attack on the Philistines. Assuming that one of his soldiers was responsible for this hindrance to God’s help, he added to his previous rash curse an equally rash vow to punish the offender (36-39).