in response to what they said and how they disrespected him, (Keil and Delitzsch) say, “But Saul was “as being deaf,” i.e., he acted as if he had not heard.” See Eccl 7:21 note spurgeons lecture on this (https://www.monergism.com/thethreshold/articles/onsite/The-Blind-Eye-and-the-Deaf-Ear.pdf)