1 Samuel 14:35

“And Saul built an altar unto the Lord, etc.] To offer peace offerings upon, in thankfulness for the victory obtained over his enemies, or sin offerings to make atonement for the sin of the people, perhaps both, however the former: the same was the first altar that he built unto the Lord; for though he had offered sacrifice at Gilgal, there was an altar ready built for him: or “he began to build”; he laid the first stone of it, and the builders built upon it; so some others say, that he was the first of the kings that built an altar to the Lord f283; others, the first of the judges that built one; though Gideon built one, it was for his own private use, not for all Israel, as this, so R.…”

“And Saul built ... - i. e., of the great stone which they had rolled to kill the oxen and sheep upon, he began to build an altar to Yahweh (see the margin); but he did not finish it (compare 1 Chronicles 27:24), in his haste to pursue the Philistines that night. return to 'Top of Page'”

“14:35 first of the altars: This altar is the only one mentioned. David later built an altar that would become the site of God’s Temple (2 Sam 24:18-25).”

“built: It is probable that Saul converted the great stone, on which the cattle had been slaughtered, into an altar, on which sacrifices were offered, before the people attempted to proceed any further. This we are told was the first he had built. Samuel, as a prophet and priest, had hitherto erected the altars, but Saul seems to have thought he had sufficient authority to erect one himself, without the prophet, as he had once offered sacrifice without him. Sa1 7:9, Sa1 7:17; Jdg 21:4; Hos 8:14; Ti2 3:5 the same: etc. Heb. that altar he began to build unto the Lord 1 Kings (1 Samuel) 14:36”