And he said to David, Thou art more righteous than I: for thou hast rewarded me good, whereas I have rewarded thee evil.

And he said to David, Thou art more righteous than I; for thou hast rendered unto me good, whereas I have rendered unto thee evil.

And he said to David: Thou art more just than I: for thou hast done good to me, and I have rewarded thee with evil.

And he saith unto David, 'More righteous thou art than I; for thou hast done me good, and I have done thee evil;

And he said to David, You are right and I am wrong: for you have given me back good, but I have given you evil.

And he said to David: "You are more just than I am. For you have distributed good to me, but I have repaid evil to you.

And he said to David, thou art more righteous than I,.... By which it appears he thought himself righteous, though David was more so; the righteousness of David was so glaring, that his enemy himself being judge acknowledges it, but will not confess his own wickedness, having no true sense of sin, nor real sorrow for it:
for thou hast rewarded me good; in times past, and now; heretofore in killing Goliath, fighting his battles for him against the Philistines, driving the evil spirit from him, by playing on the harp before him, and now by sparing his life, only cutting off the skirt of his garment, when he could with equal ease have cut off his head:
whereas I have rewarded thee evil: in seeking to take away his life at various times, by casting a javelin at him more than once, sending messengers to kill him, and hunting after him from place to place, to take him and slay him.

More righteous than I - He ingenuously acknowledges David's integrity, and his own iniquity.