Mourning usually followed the death of a loved one. In this case, mourning precedes Saul’s death and serves to show the strong sorrow that Samuel experienced following the termination of Saul’s monarchy.1 Samuel had high hopes for Saul, and he was sad to see him turn his back on the Lord and be rejected as king.2 It is not clear how long he was in mourning before the Lord spoke to him and gave him a new command.3
1 The LORD said to Samuel, “How long will you grieve over Saul, since I have rejected him from being king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and go. I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for myself a king among his sons.”