Gregory the Great — on 1Sam 14:24 (Commentary on 1 Kings, Book 5, Chapter 4)

“Whence it is also added: (Verse 24.) "And every man of Israel was joined together on that day." Indeed every man is joined to the preacher when no condition of men is left from which those who are converted are not led to a good way of life. But those who are joined to Saul are called men, because whatever we may be in the world, we are admonished to be strong in the service of almighty God. For unless they are men, they are by no means joined to the preachers, because they do not agree with them unless they themselves do the brave deeds which those preachers praise in their teaching. But now that the enemies have been defeated, now that the strong have been joined to him, what the king does must be carefully considered. There follows: (Verse 24.) And Saul adjured the people, saying: Cursed be the man who eats until evening, until I am avenged of my enemies. The enemies of preachers are those about whom the Psalmist pleads, saying: "Deliver me from my enemies, O my God, and free me from those who rise up against me" (Psalm 58:1). The enemies of the saints are rightly called unclean spirits, because the saints detest with great zeal embracing the enticements of the world which those spirits suggest. For whoever still finds something pleasing in the counsels of the evil spirit is certainly not his enemy, because he has not yet learned to hate one whose enticements he does not reject. They are also called enemies of the saints, as is revealed from sacred Scripture. For through everything they suggest, through everything by which they flatter, they strive to destroy those souls whom they pleasingly favor. What then does it mean that he adjures the people not to eat until evening, until he takes vengeance on his enemies? But it should be noted that he was saying these things when the enemies had already been defeated. What indeed is eating for the victors, except to delightfully receive the food of vain praise from a completed work of virtue? "Cursed," he says, "is everyone who eats before evening," because whoever now gladly receives vain praises then loses the eternal praises of the Creator. Therefore the people are adjured not to eat, because they are bound by the precept of the teachers never to glory vainly in a good work. Let one do mighty deeds by living well, but as long as one lives, let one beware of seeking praises for strength, so as not to lose being praised eternally after death. For he who forbade the people to eat before evening certainly granted that they should eat at evening. And because evening is the end of the day, those who can abstain before evening eat at evening, because whoever now disdains being praised for a great deed, when brought to the end of life, is found worthy of eternal praises. This is what the Lord promises He will give to the elect in the Gospel, saying: "Well done, good and faithful servant, because you were faithful in a few things, I will set you over many things; enter into the joy of your Lord" (Matthew 25:23). Hence again, coming to judgment, He says: "Come, blessed of my Father, receive the kingdom which has been prepared for you from the foundation of the world" (Matthew 25:34). Then indeed we take vengeance on our enemies, because all diabolical temptations then vanish. For since the snares of demons no longer harm by tempting, when we die in the flesh we take vengeance on our enemies, whom we no longer fear at all, as though they were slain. Therefore we defer our eating until evening, if we reserve the proclamations of our praise at the end for the coming Judge. Then indeed we must eat, because He who then comes as Judge now as the leader of our army promises His fellow soldiers, saying: "He will make them recline at table, and passing by He will serve them" (Luke 12:37). Then indeed the victors recline at table, because received in the lofty seat of inner rest, they are delighted by the praises of everlasting life, when while they themselves are silent the proclamations of all their good works resound together, and those things are brought forth to glory which here were borne to battle with great virtue.”