2 Samuel 15:20
“Whereas you came but yesterday, should I today make you go up and down with us, since I go where I may? Return, and take back your brothers. Mercy and truth be with you.””
What does 2 Samuel 15:20 mean?
David is speaking to Ittai, a foreigner who has recently joined his forces and now wants to follow him into exile. Rather than accept this loyal gesture, David is gently pushing back, suggesting that Ittai hasn't been with him long enough to deserve being uprooted into an uncertain, dangerous situation. The phrase "go up and down with us" means to wander as a refugee without knowing where they'll end up. What makes this touching is that David isn't rejecting Ittai out of cruelty, but out of care. He's essentially saying, "You don't owe me this sacrifice, especially when you just arrived." The blessing he extends, "Mercy and truth be with you," shows he honors Ittai's willingness even as he tries to release him from it. It's a picture of someone who loves others enough to not take advantage of their devotion, even in his own desperate hour.