Samuel rose early to meet Saul in the morning; and it was told Samuel, saying, Saul came to Carmel, and, behold, he set him up a monument, and turned, and passed on, and went down to Gilgal.
Chapters 12-15 present the negative side of Saul’s character, whereas chapters 8-11 emphasize Saul’s positive traits. The writer structured these sections parallel to each other to make the contrast striking.