Albert Barnes Commentary Matthew 10:5

"These twelve Jesus sent forth, and charged them, saying, Go not into [any] way of the Gentiles, and enter not into any city of the Samaritans:" — Matthew 10:5 (ASV)

Into the way of the Gentiles. That is, among the Gentiles, or only among the Jews. The full time for preaching the gospel to the Gentiles had not come. It was proper that it should be first preached to the Jews, the ancient covenant people of God, and the people among whom the Messiah was born. He afterwards gave them a charge to go into all the world (Matthew 28:19).

And into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not. The Samaritans occupied the country formerly belonging to the tribe of Ephraim and the half-tribe of Manasseh. This region was situated between Jerusalem and Galilee, so that in passing from one to the other, it was a direct course to pass through Samaria. The capital of the country was Samaria, formerly a large and splendid city. It was situated about fifteen miles to the northwest of the city of Shechem or Sychar (see the notes on John 4:6) and about forty miles to the north of Jerusalem. For a description of this city, see the notes on Isaiah 28:1.

Sychar or Shechem was also a city within the limits of Samaria.

These people were formerly composed of a few of the ten tribes and a mixture of foreigners. When the ten tribes were carried away into captivity to Babylon, the king of Assyria sent people from Cuthah, Ava, Hamath, and Sepharvaim to inhabit their country (2 Kings 17:24; Ezra 4:2–11).

These people at first worshipped the idols of their own nations. But being troubled by lions, which had increased greatly while the country remained uninhabited, they supposed it was because they had not honored the God of the country. A Jewish priest was therefore sent to them from Babylon to instruct them in the Jewish religion. They were instructed partially from the books of Moses but still retained many of their old rites and idolatrous customs, and embraced a religion made up of Judaism and idolatry (2 Kings 17:26–28).

The grounds of difference between the two nations were the following:

1. The Jews, after their return from Babylon, set about rebuilding their temple. The Samaritans offered to aid them. The Jews, however, perceiving that it was not from a love of true religion, but that they might obtain a part of the favors granted to the Jews by Cyrus, rejected their offer. The consequence was that a state of long and bitter animosity arose between them and the Jews.

2. While Nehemiah was engaged in building the walls of Jerusalem, the Samaritans used every artifice to thwart him in his undertaking (Nehemiah 6:1–14).

3. The Samaritans eventually obtained permission from the Persian monarch to build a temple for themselves. This was erected on Mount Gerizim, and they strenuously contended that this was the place designated by Moses as the place where the nation should worship. Sanballat, the leader of the Samaritans, appointed his son-in-law, Manasseh, high priest. The religion of the Samaritans thus became perpetuated, and an irreconcilable hatred arose between them and the Jews (see the notes on John 4:20).

4. Afterwards, Samaria became a refuge for all the outlaws of Judea. They willingly received all the Jewish criminals and refugees from justice. The violators of the Jewish laws, and those who had been excommunicated, took refuge in Samaria for safety, and greatly increased their numbers and the hatred that existed between the two nations.

5. The Samaritans received only the five books of Moses and rejected the writings of the prophets and all the Jewish traditions. From these causes arose an irreconcilable difference between them, so that the Jews regarded them as the worst of the human race (John 8:48) and had no dealings with them (John 4:9).

Our Savior, however, preached the gospel to them afterwards (John 4:6–26), and the apostles imitated his example (Acts 8:25). The gospel was, however, first preached to the Jews.