And when Samuel rose early to meet Saul in the morning, it was told Samuel, saying, Saul came to Carmel, and, behold, he set him up a place, and is gone about, and passed on, and gone down to Gilgal.
When Samuel got up early in the morning to meet Saul, someone told Samuel, 'Saul went to Carmel and set up a monument for himself, then he traveled around and went down to Gilgal.'
The writer is showing us that Saul built a monument to celebrate himself before meeting with Samuel, revealing his pride and self-focus.
📚 Historical Context
This occurs after Saul's incomplete obedience in destroying the Amalekites - he was supposed to destroy everything but kept the best livestock and spared King Agag. Carmel was a town in Judah where Saul erected a monument to commemorate his 'victory,' while Gilgal was a significant place where Samuel typically met with Saul for important conversations about his kingship.
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