They Meet Samuel Who Is Informed By YHWH That This Is The Man Of His Choice To Be Permanent War-leader Of Israel (1 Samuel 9:14-17).
‘ And they went up to the city, and as they came within the city, behold, Samuel came out toward them, to go up to the high place.'
So they continued up to the city, and on entering the gateway (1 Samuel 14:18) met up with Samuel, whom they did not recognise, coming towards them on the way to the high place, which was seemingly on a hill outside the city.
‘ Now YHWH had revealed to Samuel a day before Saul came, saying, “ Tomorrow about this time I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin, and you will anoint him to be prince (nagid) over my people Israel, and he will save my people out of the hand of the Philistines. For I have looked on my people, because their cry has come to me.”
We now learn that on the previous day YHWH had revealed the fact of Saul's coming to Samuel, informing him that a Benjaminite would arrive whom he was immediately to anoint as war-leader (nagid) over His people Israel, in view of the recent Philistine invasion. It was he now who would save the people out of the hands of the Philistines, and was being provided immediately because YHWH had heard His people's cry. We note that here he is to be anointed as war-leader and not king. It would yet be some time before he would be established as king (1 Samuel 11:15). YHWH was proving by this that if only they had trusted in Him He could have provided them with a suitable war-leader when necessary, one who would prove himself against Nahash, king of Ammon (1 Samuel 11:1-13). But in spite of this they would still insist on a king (1 Samuel 12:12).
‘ And when Samuel saw Saul, YHWH said to him, “Look, the man of whom I spoke to you! This same will have authority over my people.” '
So when Samuel saw Saul YHWH said to him, “look, here is the man of whom I spoke to you. He will be able to have authority over My people.” (There is at this stage no mention of him as king. The hope was that once they had seen Saul in action the people would withdraw their request for a king. Just as the hope had been that they would do so when they had heard what having a king would be like in 1 Samuel 8:11-20. God was giving them every opportunity to change their minds before it was too late).