God's Spirit came on Saul in the sense that He stirred up his spirit (cf. 10:6, 10). His response to the messengers' news was appropriate indignation since non-Israelites were attacking God's covenant people (Gen. 12:3). Saul may have had a personal interest in Jabesh-gilead since some of his ancestors evidently came from there (cf. 31:11-13). Following the civil war in Israel, during which many Benjamites had died, many who remained alive had taken wives from the women of Jabesh-gilead and the women of Shiloh (Judg. 21).
Saul did something drastic to impress the gravity of the Ammonite siege on his fellow Israelites. He followed the example of the Levite whose concubine had died in Saul's hometown (Judg. 19:29-30). Later another plowman, Elisha, would slaughter a pair of oxen and host a meal for his friends as he began his ministry as a prophet (1 Kings 19:21).
"Saul's slaughter and dissection of his oxen is reminiscent of the Levite's treatment of his murdered concubine and clearly is designed to connect the commencement of his reign with the historical event which accounts for his Jabesh-Gilead maternal roots."120
Saul linked himself with Samuel because Samuel was the recognized spiritual leader of the nation. The Israelites probably dreaded both Saul's threatened reprisals for not responding to his summons and the Ammonite threat.
"In Saul's energetic appeal the people discerned the power of Jehovah, which inspired them with fear, and impelled them to immediate obedience."121
The response of the Israelites constituted the greatest show of military strength since Joshua's day (assuming elephmeans "thousand"here). Bezek lay about 16 miles west of Jabesh-gilead on the Jordan's western side (cf. Judg. 1:4-5). The division of the soldiers into Israelites and Judahites probably reflects the division of the nation that existed when the writer wrote this book. There is no evidence that such a division existed when the event recorded here happened.
The messengers returned to Jabesh-gilead with the promise that their town would be free by noon the next day. The leaders of Jabesh-gilead used a play on words as they cleverly led the Ammonites into self-confidence that they would win. The Ammonites had threatened to put out the right eyes of the men of Jabesh (v. 2). The Jabeshites now told the Ammonites to do whatever seemed good literally "in their eyes"(cf. 14:36).
Saul wisely divided his troops into three companies. He attacked the beseiging Ammonites early in the morning. The morning watch was the last of three night watches, and it lasted from about 2:00 to 6:00 a.m.122The Ammonites did not expect the other Israelites to show so much support for the Jabeshites. Saul thoroughly surprised and defeated them.123
