John Gill Commentary 1 Samuel 14:23

"So Jehovah saved Israel that day: and the battle passed over by Beth-aven." — 1 Samuel 14:23 (ASV)

So the Lord saved Israel that day ,
And a wonderful salvation it was, that two men should throw such a vast army into confusion, which issued in the utter rout and destruction of them; this only could be of the Lord, to whom it is justly ascribed, and was the effect of his sovereign good will and pleasure, and of his unmerited goodness; a free favour bestowed on an undeserving prince, who had behaved ill to his prophet at Gilgal, and now to him and his high priest at Gibeah:

and the battle passed over unto Bethaven ;
the men of battle or war; those that made war, as the Targum, these pursued and went as far as Bethaven, or rather "passed Bethaven" ^F17 ; they not only, went as far as that, but "from" it, as Ben Gersom and Abarbinel interpret it; they passed that place, and went on from there in pursuit of the Philistines; for their camp at Michmash was eastward from this place, and had it on the east, (1 Samuel 13:5) .

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FOOTNOTES:

• F17: (Nwa tyb ta hrbe) "transiit Bethaven", Montanus, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator; "vel, beliatores transierunt Bethaven", Pagninus, Vatablus, Drusius.