sought the face of the Lord: The Hebrew verb here is the same as when David "begged" for Bathsheba's child's life (2 Samuel 12:16). In these cases, "seeking" was done in a moment of crisis. However, in the Old Testament, "seeking God" usually means daily devotion and obedience to God (for example, Psalms 40:16; 105:4; Proverbs 28:5).
the blood shed by Saul and his family: The famine happened because they broke an oath made before the Lord (Joshua 9:19–20).
he killed the Gibeonites: This event is not recorded elsewhere. Unlawful bloodshed polluted the land, making it bleak and unproductive (compare Genesis 4:10–12; Numbers 35:30–34).