Saul said to his uncle, He told us plainly that the donkeys were found. But concerning the matter of the kingdom, of which Samuel spoke, he didn't tell him.
The question, "Who is their father?" (1 Samuel 10:12) inquired about the source of the behavior of all the prophets including Saul. Their conduct was indeed an evidence of God’s presence and working in their lives. [Note: Keil and Delitzsch, pp. 104-5.] The proverb that evolved from this incident (cf. 1 Samuel 19:24) was derogatory. Some of the people felt that the behavior of prophets was inappropriate, especially for their king (cf. 2 Samuel 6:13-16). Ironically their question did not express doubt that Saul was a prophet but confidence that God had empowered him. Another view is that the question expressed a negative opinion such as, "Saul is no prophet." [Note: See John Sturdy, "The Original Meaning of ’Is Saul Also Among the Prophets?’ (1 Samuel X 11, 12; XIX 24)," Vetus Testamentum 20:2 (April 1970):210.] 