Charles Ellicott Commentary 1 Samuel 14:19

"And it came to pass, while Saul talked unto the priest, that the tumult that was in the camp of the Philistines went on and increased: and Saul said unto the priest, Withdraw thy hand." — 1 Samuel 14:19 (ASV)

Withdraw thine hand. —The general's instinct, as we should expect from Saul's character, soon overcame his initial desire for Divine guidance. His watchful eye saw that the confusion in the Philistine camp was increasing. Now was the moment for his small, compact force to throw itself into the melee.

So he immediately commanded Ahijah, the priest of the Lord, to set aside the Urim and Thummim and no longer seek higher counsel, for the hour had come to fight rather than to pray.

This has been the general interpretation of Saul’s action here. Wordsworth quotes Bishop Andrewes, saying, “There are some who with Saul will call for the Ark, and will soon cry ‘Away with it!’ That is, they will begin their prayers and break them off in the middle on every occasion.” And Bishop Hall wrote: “Saul will consult the Ark; hypocrites, when they have leisure, will perhaps be holy. But when the tumult was aroused, Saul’s piety decreased. ‘Withdraw thine hand,’ he said; the Ark must yield to arms.”