1 Samuel 11:9
And they said unto the messengers that came, Thus shall ye say unto the men of Jabesh-gilead, To morrow, by that time the sun be hot, ye shall have help. And the messengers came and shewed it to the men of Jabesh; and they were glad. And they said unto the messengers that came, Thus shall ye say unto the men of Jabesh-gilead, To morrow, by that time the sun be hot, ye shall have help. And the messengers came and shewed it to the men of Jabesh; and they were glad.
The men of Jabesh-gilead were besieged and facing the threat of the Ammonites, and Saul's messengers assured them that help would arrive the next day by the time the sun grew hot. That morrow was the very day on which they were to yield up their eyes to the Ammonites. When the messengers came and reported the promise, the men of Jabesh were glad.
Behind the promise stood 330,000 men gathered on the plain of Bezek under Saul's command. Saul fulfilled it by marching all night to appear with his army before Jabesh-gilead in the morning, then dividing his force into three companies that approached the camp of the Ammonites from different sides in a sudden and vigorous attack. The attack completely routed them with great slaughter, so that those who escaped were scattered and no two could be found together.
The deliverance of Jabesh-gilead was a victory in which Saul displayed energy and military skill. The Lord wrought the deliverance through Saul as His agent. At first Saul ascribed the glory to God, but afterward he took the honor to himself. The whole nation extolled Saul for the victory and in their enthusiasm forgot that God had delivered them by him.