'So when Saul departed with the soldiers...' to His saying: 'except for a few of them.' Al-Kalbi said: When Saul marched with them, he traversed a desert region and they became thirsty. Their prophet said to them: 'Indeed, Allah is testing you'—meaning: examining you—'with a river. So whoever drinks from it is not of me, and whoever does not taste it'—meaning: does not drink from it—'is indeed of me, except he who scoops up a handful with his hand. But they drank from it, except a few of them.' They began drinking from it and were not quenched, while as for the few, the handful sufficed them, and those who disobeyed and drank turned back.