The story continues from where Nob’s events ended and is organized in a straightforward way, similar to a court trial: accusation, questioning, verdict, and execution. Details build up to show how terrible the act was: a foreigner denounces them, the accused doesn’t get a fair response, the whole community suffers because of one person’s guilt, and priests are killed by the foreigner himself, while others refuse to harm those devoted to God. Saul tries to eliminate potential support for his rival by setting an example through punishment, but he ends up undermining justice, offending his soldiers, and killing in a sacrilegious way. Saul believes David is plotting against him; so, any cooperation with David is seen as a crime against the state. Additionally, involving God by asking an oracle makes things worse—Saul no longer has a prophetic oracle after breaking with Samuel, and there’s no evidence that he still consults the priestly oracle. The ending compares the scary Saul with the protective David.