2 Samuel 15:20

“Whereas thou camest [but] yesterday, etc.] From Gath, or from an expedition he and his men had been on: should I this day make thee, go up and down with us? wander up and down from place to place with David, when he was but just come off a journey, weary and fatigued: seeing I go whither I may; where it will be most safe for me, I know not where; may be obliged to flee here and there, which would be very inconvenient to Ittai in his circumstances: return thou, and take back thy brethren; the six hundred men under him, and whom David could ill spare at this time, and yet, consulting their ease, advises to return to Jerusalem with them: mercy and truth [be] with thee; the Lord show mercy and…”

“Thou camest but yesterday - Meaning, “Thou art not a native Israelite, but only a sojourner for a few years, it is not reason therefore that thou shouldst share my calamities. Return to thy place, thy adopted home Jerusalem, and to the king, Absalom” 2 Samuel 15:34-35. return to 'Top of Page'”

“Brethren - Thy countrymen the Gittites, Sa2 15:18. Mercy, &c. - Since I am now unable to recompense thy kindness and fidelity to me, my hearty prayer to God is, that he would shew to thee his mercy, in blessing thee with all sorts of blessings, and his faithfulness in making good all these promises which he had made, not to Israelites only, but to all true hearted proselytes, such as thou art. 2 Kings (2 Samuel) 15:21”

“go up and down: Heb. wander in going, Psa 56:8, Psa 59:15; Amo 8:12; Heb 11:37, Heb 11:38 seeing: Sa1 23:13 mercy: Sa2 2:6; Psa 25:10, Psa 57:3, Psa 61:7, Psa 85:10, Psa 89:14; Pro 14:22; Joh 1:17; Ti2 1:16-18 2 Kings (2 Samuel) 15:21”

“"Thy coming is yesterday (from yesterday), and should I disturb thee to-day to go with us, when I am going just where I go?" i.e., wherever my way may lie (I go I know not whither; Chald.: cf. Sa1 23:13). The Chethib אנוּעך is a copyist's error. The thought requires the Hiphil אניעך (Keri), as נוּע in the Kal has the intransitive meaning, to totter, sway about, or move hither and thither. "Return and take thy brethren back; grace and truth be with thee." It is evidently more in accordance with the train of thought to separate עמּך from the previous clause and connect it with ואמת חסד, though this is opposed to the accents, than to adopt the adverbial interpretation, "take back thy brethren…”