Rebbetzin Chava Kuperman
So, those present rejoice and shout, “Long live the king!” Samuel proclaims the laws of a constitutional monarchy. After that, everyone can go home.
When Saul went home to Gibeah (up the hill), he was accompanied by those men whose hearts, as we are told, the Almighty had touched (those who feared G-d). Since G-d had chosen Saul as king, they considered it their duty to serve him.
Interestingly, both Samuel and Saul lived in geographically distinctive places. David, for example, lives in one town or another, and nowhere are we told whether it is in a valley, on a plain, or on a mountain. With Saul and Samuel, things are different. Samuel's home is in Ramah (a plateau), that is, on high ground covering a broad area. Saul's home is on the hill of Gibeah. This place, too, is high and prominent, but small in area. Samuel's spiritual level is exceptionally high, and the prophet tries to raise the people to his level (remember how he travels from place to place, speaks with the Jews, judges them, and teaches them). Saul, too, stands above everyone else physically and spiritually, but he finds it difficult, virtually impossible, to raise his subjects to his level.
There will be times when he tries to raise the people to his level too abruptly. Nothing will come of it. The people cannot do it that way. They need a gradual process.
In addition, among the Jewish people there are people “without a yoke” (plainly speaking, scoundrels). They have no fear of G-d, they are ungrateful, and they are precisely the ones who are far from delighted that Saul has been chosen: “What is this?! We wanted someone self-reliant and independent, and we got the prophet Samuel's shadow! He looks at the Urim and Thummim, and does what the High Priest tells him!”
They were so disappointed and indignant that they refused to show the king respect and would not present him with any gift. Strangely, the anointed king does not react at all. He remains silent. Why?
There is a difference of opinion here.
Of course, we know that his silence is characteristic of Rachel's descendants, but can Saul remain silent now—is he permitted to?
According to one opinion, Saul is behaving incorrectly—a king is entitled to no less respect than parents are (in accordance with the commandment written in the Torah). The difference is that parents have room to maneuver: they are entitled to demand respect—a child must stand when they enter; but they also have the right to spare the child punishment if he has failed to fulfill the commandment. If the child has not stood up, the parents may allow him to remain seated, absolving him of guilt. A king has no room to maneuver. If Saul has accepted that the Almighty has chosen him as king, and someone fails to respect him, he is obliged to punish that person, because he is a king chosen by G-d.
Another opinion holds that to become a king, a person must feel himself to be king. For that to happen, he must be recognized by the entire people.
But at the time of the events described, not all the people recognize Saul yet, and he does not yet see himself as king. At the coronation, some of the people say: we will not crown you. For now, there is nothing he can do about it.
Saul's coronation has four stages.
The first stage takes place in secret, between Saul and Samuel.
The second takes place before the people, when not everyone accepts him.
The third stage (ch. 11) comes when Saul performs a deed after which all the people will agree with him and accept him.
And the final, fourth stage comes when Saul becomes king of the land of Israel.
Without land, a king is not a king; he is merely the head of a tribe, a clan, or the like...
But we will discuss that later.