1 Samuel 9:4,5

Saul's route cannot be traced with any certainty. He started from his home at Gibeah apparently in a N.W. direction (1) through "Mount Ephraim" (see 1 Samuel 1:1, note); (2) through "the land of Shalisha," perhaps the district round Baal-shalisha (2 Kings 4:42), which lay about 12 miles N. of Lydda; (3) then turning S. he traversed "the land of Shalim" (foxes), perhaps in the neighbourhood of Shaalabbin (Joshua 19:42) in Dan; (4) then striking E. he searched the western part of the "land of Benjamin," till he reached (5) "the land of Zuph," in which lay Samuel's city Ramah. The search occupied parts of three days (1 Samuel 9:20). It seems best to suppose that the unnamed city of 1 Samuel 9:6 ff. is Ramah, for (a) the servant speaks of it as the prophet's regular residence (1 Samuel 9:6); (b) it is natural to connect "the land of Zuph," in which it was situated, with the name Ramathaim-Zophim (1 Samuel 1:1, note); (c) the difficulty raised by the description of Saul's return in ch. 1 Samuel 10:2 (see note) may be solved by supposing that he did not go straight home, but was sent by the prophet out of his way in order to meet the men who were looking for him.