שמואל א, פרק י׳, פסוק י״ד

Following a profound spiritual elevation, Saul encounters his uncle, his father's brother [מצודת ציון], who some identify as Ner [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. The exact setting of this meeting is understood in two ways. The uncle might have approached Saul immediately upon his arrival at the high place [מצודת דוד, רד״ק]. Alternatively, the narrative may be condensing the timeline; Saul might have already returned to his hometown, where his uncle was simply the first person to greet him and ask about his travels [רד״ק].

When asked where he and his servant had gone, Saul explains that they had set out to search for their lost donkeys. After realizing the animals were completely missing and could not be found, they decided to approach Samuel for guidance in locating them [מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ].

On the surface, this appears to be a mundane exchange, raising the question of why such a simple conversation is recorded at all. The underlying reason is that the uncle actually noticed a profound change in Saul. Seeing his nephew suddenly acting as a prophet, the uncle understood that such a spiritual shift does not happen without a cause. He suspected that Saul had drawn this divine spirit directly from Samuel, much like one candle being lit from another, which prompted him to investigate exactly where Saul had been. In his response, Saul confirms that he was indeed with Samuel. However, he carefully emphasizes that the meeting was entirely accidental, driven solely by the practical search for the missing donkeys. By doing so, Saul hints that a mere random visit to a prophet is not enough on its own to explain his sudden transformation [מלבי״ם].