"Do not destroy the conqueror. Is justice truly mute? As Solomon said (Proverbs 21:8), "The way of a man may be straight in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the heart." The "crooked" ones are the wicked who do not stand by their words, saying and then annulling them.
This is how Saul was "crooked." Just last night he said to David (1 Samuel 24:18), "You are more righteous than I, for you have rewarded me good, whereas I have rewarded you evil. And you have declared this day how you have dealt well with me; for when the Lord gave me into your hand, you did not kill me. For if a man finds his enemy, will he let him go away safe?
Therefore may the Lord reward you with good for what you have done to me this day. And now, behold, I know that you shall surely be king, and that the kingdom of Israel shall be established in your hand." This is what it means (Proverbs 12:26), "The righteous is more excellent than his neighbor." His neighbor refers to Saul, as it is said (1 Samuel 24:11), "And you are seeking to take my life."
The righteous one is David, who said to Saul (1 Samuel 24:22-23), "Swear now therefore unto me by the Lord, that you will not cut off my seed after me, and that you will not destroy my name out of my father's house." So Saul swore to David. As soon as Saul had departed, his men said to him, "Behold, we see that the king is in your hands, and that you did not kill him. Therefore now be content and let your heart rejoice."
David replied (1 Samuel 26:9), 'Do not destroy him; for who can stretch forth his hand against the Lord's anointed, and be guiltless?' (1 Samuel 26) And David said, 'As the Lord lives, surely the Lord shall strike him; or his day shall come to die; or he shall descend into battle, and perish.' Why did he mention the name of the Lord twice? To tell him, 'By the life of the Lord, do not kill him; and if you kill him, by the life of the Lord, I will kill you.'
Another explanation is that he swore an oath against the evil inclination and rebuked it. (1 Samuel 12) And David took the spear and the jug of water. (1 Samuel 26) And David called to the people, 'You should answer, Abner.' He said to him, 'What do you have to answer? You spoke about the matter of the cave - if someone would harm you, we would enter there and cut him to pieces. Or speak about the incident with the water jug and spear - what do you have to answer?'
Abner had nothing to say, so he remained silent. Therefore, David said to them, 'You should speak with righteousness and judge with fairness. In righteousness, you pursued him, as the Torah says (Deuteronomy 16:20), "Justice, justice shall you pursue." Or, you judged with righteousness, as it is written (Leviticus 19:15), "You shall judge your neighbor with righteousness."'
Well done, that you do so with fairness. Therefore, speak righteousness even in your hearts." You shall cast out the wicked from your womb. You shall cast out the wicked from your heart.
This heart was created only for truth, as it is said (Psalm 15:2), "He who speaks the truth in his heart." But you were not like this; even in your heart, you acted wickedly. And the Holy Spirit says through Jeremiah (Jeremiah 1:5), "Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you." And likewise, Isaiah says (Isaiah 49:1), "The Lord called me from the womb."
And the wickedness in the womb is evident, as you see in Esau, who struggled with his brother in his mother's womb, as it is said (Genesis 25:22), "And the children struggled together within her." For he was crushing with his brother in his mother's womb. He said, "You also have cast out the wicked. Cast out the wicked from your heart.
Why do you rage like the rage of a serpent, which does not listen to the voice of enchanters, however skilled they may be?" He said to them, "Do you not know what the Holy One, blessed be He, did to the serpent, which broke its teeth and now eats dust? Thus the Holy One, blessed be He, will do to you who have put out your tongue against Him." He said to them, "The Holy One, blessed be He, said, 'You spoke evil speech; you will fall into Gehenna, and fire will consume you,' as it is said (Psalm 58:9), 'Like the snail that melts away as it goes.'"
Do you not see that the sun always shines, but only the righteous (Malachi 3:20) "will be glad when they see the vengeance"? And likewise, it is said (Proverbs 24:17), "Do not rejoice when your enemy falls."