So David proclaims in the 51st Psalm, speaking of Doeg, Saul's evil henchman, or even of Saul himself, for by 1 Samuel 22 we see that Saul has become a legitimately evil king. Not only must David hide himself from Saul's wrath, but he must hide his family. And horrifyingly we see Saul murder hundreds of priests all because one of them helped David flee. The list of crimes in Psalm 51 could all be directed at Saul, for he truly now has become someone who loves evil more than good. He has become unhinged and lacking in all restraint; he is angry, vengeful, frustrated, offended. He has lost his grip on reason and rationality. He wants nothing but to see the virtuous David destroyed.
David, on the other hand, is a model of restraint in these chapters. He knows that he has a divine appointment to be the next king of Israel, yet he has not tried to take the crown by force. He has removed himself from Saul's radar of wrath until God decides Saul's time is done. We see in 1 Samuel 22 that David has a growing legion of followers; in theory he could amass an army and march on Saul. But he doesn't. He waits, bides his time, and in doing so exhibits both restraint and humility. David continues to be everything Saul is not. The latter is a figure of sin and worldly passion, while the former is a saintly model of virtuous living.
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