שמואל א, פרק ט׳, פסוק ד׳

Saul embarked on an exhausting journey to recover his father's lost donkeys. This extensive search was no accident, as God deliberately orchestrated events to lead Saul far from home down a long and winding path, even though animals do not typically stray to such distant places [מלבי״ם]. The sheer length and thoroughness of this journey highlight Saul's deep dedication and eagerness to fulfill the commandment of honoring his father. He spared no effort, traveling repeatedly through numerous regions and towns [חומת אנך].

As they traveled, Saul and his servant adjusted their search strategy based on the information they gathered. In areas where they had some leads about the donkeys' whereabouts—such as the region of Mount Ephraim, the southern area known as the land of Shalishah [רד״ק], and the tribal territory and home of the people of Benjamin [ביאור שטיינזלץ]—the two men split up. By taking separate paths, they hoped to cover more ground and make their search as efficient as possible, yet they still found nothing.

However, when they reached the plains and valleys of the land of Shaalim [רד״ק], they had absolutely no leads. Without any clues to guide them, they chose to stay together rather than separate. The search in this region proved completely hopeless, yielding absolutely no trace of the lost animals [מלבי״ם], [מצודת ציון].