Samuel died; and all Israel gathered themselves together, and lamented him, and buried him in his house at Ramah. David arose, and went down to the wilderness of Paran.
Critical scholars complain that this verse is an insertion by some later hand, but there is no solid evidence whatever to back up such opinions.  Keil remarked that, "The death of Samuel is inserted here, because it occurred at that time."[1]  Also, present-day scholars of the highest rank confirm that understanding.  "Chronologically, Samuel died while David and his men were at Engedi,"[2] and this accounts for the fact that, immediately, "David thought that he needed to move farther to the southwest in the fear that Samuel's death might give Saul new stimulus to try to get rid of him."[3]