שמואל א, פרק י״א, פסוק ד׳

Messengers bearing heavy news from the city of Jabesh-Gilead arrive at their destination, seeking urgent help. They deliberately travel to Gibeah of Saul, a city within the territory of the tribe of Benjamin named after the newly appointed leader [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Their arrival in this specific location is no accident. The messengers intentionally target this city because they know Saul has been crowned and recognize it as the seat of the king [מלבי״ם, אברבנאל].

Upon hearing the harsh message, the local people are overcome with despair and begin to weep. This intense reaction is born out of a profound sense of helplessness in the face of the crisis [ביאור שטיינזלץ].

Although the messengers specifically came to the royal city to find the king, Saul is not there to receive them. At this early stage of his reign, he has not yet adopted the formal customs of royalty. Because certain groups had previously shown contempt for his appointment, Saul quietly continued his ordinary agricultural work in the fields. As a result of his absence, the urgent news is initially shared only with the general public. It is only later, when Saul returns from his work in the fields and hears the sound of the people weeping with their families, that he asks what has happened and finally learns of the emergency [אברבנאל].