שמואל א, פרק ט׳, פסוק כ״ו

The morning of Samuel and Saul's parting is filled with tension and anticipation regarding Saul's royal destiny. A restless night leaves both men awake long before the sun rises. Samuel spends the dark hours preoccupied with how exactly to anoint Saul, while Saul lies awake, his mind racing over the hints of his future kingship and the great honor he received at the previous day's feast. Because of this shared sleeplessness, both men rise from their beds while it is still completely dark [אברבנאל].

It is only at the break of dawn, the very first sparkling light before sunrise [מצודת ציון], that Samuel approaches Saul. He calls up to the upper room where Saul is staying [מלבי״ם] to initiate their departure, offering to escort him on his journey [מצודת ציון]. The deliberate movement of the men heading outside exposes a highly calculated plan by Samuel. He intends to anoint Saul as king in absolute secrecy. This caution ensures that when Saul is eventually chosen by a public lottery, the people will recognize the outcome as the clear will of God, without any suspicion that Samuel rigged the results beforehand.

To achieve this privacy, Samuel initially calls Saul to the upper room merely for a conversation, hoping Saul's servant will stay behind. However, the mention of hitting the road prompts the servant to fulfill his duties and join his master. Seeing the servant approach, Samuel adjusts his strategy. Rather than directly sending the servant away and causing him embarrassment, Samuel decides to lead both men out of the city together. His new plan is to wait until they are on the road to instruct the servant to walk on ahead, finally securing the private moment needed to anoint Saul [אלשיך].