Matthew 10:5 kjv
These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not:
Matthew 10:5 nkjv
These twelve Jesus sent out and commanded them, saying: "Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter a city of the Samaritans.
Matthew 10:5 niv
These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: "Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans.
Matthew 10:5 esv
These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them, "Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of the Samaritans,
Matthew 10:5 nlt
Jesus sent out the twelve apostles with these instructions: "Don't go to the Gentiles or the Samaritans,
Matthew 10 5 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Initial Limited Mission to Israel | ||
| Mt 15:24 | He answered, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel." | Jesus affirms His primary mission focus. |
| Mk 6:7 | He called the twelve and began to send them out two by two... | Parallel account of the sending out. |
| Lk 9:2 | And He sent them to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. | Parallel account, showing the commission. |
| Acts 3:26 | God, having raised up His Servant, sent Him to you first, to bless you... | Emphasizes God's "Israel first" priority. |
| Rom 1:16 | ...for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. | Highlights the principle of "Jew first." |
| Acts 13:46 | ...It was necessary that the word of God be spoken to you first... | Paul's practice of preaching to Jews first. |
| The Lost Sheep of Israel Theme | ||
| Ezek 34:5-6 | So they were scattered because there was no shepherd, and they became food for all the wild beasts... | Israel described as scattered sheep. |
| Jer 50:6 | "My people have been lost sheep. Their shepherds have led them astray..." | Prophecy describing Israel's spiritual state. |
| Isa 53:6 | All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way... | Universal human condition of lostness. |
| Psa 119:176 | I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek Your servant... | A plea for divine searching, echoing lostness. |
| Later Expansion to Gentiles and Samaritans (The Great Commission & Fulfillment) | ||
| Mt 28:19-20 | "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them..." | The later, expanded "Great Commission." |
| Lk 24:47 | and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. | Broadening of the gospel's reach post-resurrection. |
| Acts 1:8 | "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." | The explicit scope of later global mission. |
| Mk 16:15 | And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature." | The universal command after resurrection. |
| Acts 8:4-8 | Therefore those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word... Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ to them. | Philip's successful ministry in Samaria. |
| Jn 4:39-41 | Many of the Samaritans of that city believed in Him because of the word of the woman... | Jesus Himself engaged with Samaritans. |
| Gentile Inclusion in God's Plan | ||
| Isa 49:6 | "Indeed He says, ‘It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also give You as a light to the Gentiles, that You may bring My salvation to the end of the earth.’" | Prophecy of Messiah's role for Gentiles. |
| Acts 10:34-35 | Then Peter opened his mouth and said: “In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality. But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him." | Peter's realization of Gentile acceptance. |
| Acts 11:18 | When they heard these things they became silent; and they glorified God, saying, “Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life.” | The Jerusalem church's acceptance of Gentile believers. |
| Gal 3:28 | There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. | Unity in Christ transcends ethnic boundaries. |
| Eph 2:14-16 | For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation... | Christ breaking down the barrier between Jews and Gentiles. |
Matthew 10 verses
Matthew 10 5 Meaning
Matthew 10:5 details Jesus' initial and specific instructions to the twelve disciples as He sent them forth on their first missionary journey. The command explicitly limited their scope: they were not to minister in Gentile territories nor enter any Samaritan city. This was a targeted mission, primarily focused on the Jewish people, the "lost sheep of the house of Israel." It signifies a divinely ordered sequence in God's redemptive plan, beginning with His covenant people before extending to all nations.
Matthew 10 5 Context
Matthew chapter 10 marks a pivotal moment in Jesus' earthly ministry, transitioning from primarily teaching and healing Himself to commissioning His disciples for evangelistic work. Prior to this, Matthew 9:35-38 describes Jesus' compassion upon the crowds, whom He saw as "sheep without a shepherd," leading Him to instruct His disciples to pray for laborers. Chapter 10 immediately follows with Jesus granting the twelve apostles authority over unclean spirits and to heal diseases (Mt 10:1), identifying them by name (Mt 10:2-4), and then issuing specific directives for their mission. Verse 5, therefore, sets a critical geographical and ethnic boundary for this initial mission. This was a temporary directive, strategically designed to focus the gospel on the "lost sheep of the house of Israel" first, acknowledging God's redemptive historical order. Historically and culturally, deep animosity existed between Jews and Samaritans, stemming from mixed religious and ethnic heritage, and Gentiles were seen as outside the covenant people. This command underscored a Jewish-centric phase of the mission, laying the groundwork before the gospel's eventual worldwide proclamation.
Matthew 10 5 Word analysis
- These twelve: Refers specifically to the named disciples in Matthew 10:2-4: Simon Peter, Andrew, James son of Zebedee, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot. This signifies the specific recipients of this unique commission.
- Jesus sent out: The Greek word here is apostellō (ἀποστέλλω), meaning "to send forth," "to dispatch," or "to send with a commission." This is the root of the term "apostle," signifying someone sent as an authoritative representative, a delegate with a specific purpose. It highlights the divine authority behind their mission.
- and commanded them: The Greek word is paraggellō (παραγγέλλω), meaning "to give orders," "to instruct," "to command," often with a military or official connotation. This implies an authoritative directive, not merely advice or suggestion. Their mission was under strict, binding guidelines.
- saying: Introduces the specific instructions, setting them apart as crucial.
- "Do not go: A direct and strong prohibition using the negative particle mē (μή) with the present imperative, implying "stop going" or "do not even begin to go." It is an absolute command for this particular mission.
- into the way of the Gentiles,: The Greek word for "Gentiles" is ethnōn (ἐθνῶν), which often means "nations" or "foreign peoples," distinct from Israel. "The way of the Gentiles" indicates the regions or roads leading to and through areas inhabited predominantly by non-Jews. This reflects the immediate restriction on crossing specific cultural and ethnic boundaries. This was not a theological rejection of Gentiles, but a strategic ordering of God's redemptive plan.
- and do not enter: Another strong prohibition, parallel to "Do not go," reinforcing the exclusion.
- a city of the Samaritans;": The Samaritans (Samareitēs - Σαμαρεῖται) were a people group with a mixed Israelite and foreign heritage, inhabiting central Palestine (Samaria). They practiced a form of Yahwism but were rejected by mainstream Judaism, leading to centuries of deep animosity and separation. The exclusion highlights the severe Jewish-Samaritan rift at the time and the concentrated focus on those undeniably identified as "Israel."
Words-group analysis:
- "These twelve Jesus sent out and commanded them,": Emphasizes the selective, authoritative, and commissioned nature of this particular ministry. It was a formal sending forth with divine power and explicit instructions. This highlights Jesus' role as the one who authorizes and directs the mission.
- "Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter a city of the Samaritans;": This paired prohibition underlines the geographical and ethnic boundaries for this initial evangelistic outreach. It reveals a specific, temporary strategy rooted in the progression of salvation history, ensuring the message was brought to Israel first before extending to the broader world. This was a phase, not a permanent exclusion, a pragmatic limitation given the disciples' nascent understanding and the Spirit not yet being fully poured out (Acts 2).
Matthew 10 5 Bonus section
This command from Jesus reflects a "Jewish first" principle, a divinely ordained order of events in salvation history. It's not about exclusive salvation for Jews but about the sequential unfolding of God's plan, where the gospel message begins within the historical and covenantal framework of Israel before radiating outwards. This also relates to the concept of Israel as God's instrument for blessing all nations (Gen 12:3), meaning that salvation had to proceed through Israel to reach the world. The disciples' subsequent ministry in Samaria and to Gentiles (e.g., Acts 8, Acts 10) demonstrates the temporary nature of this initial restriction. This specific prohibition ensured the immediate and undivided attention was given to those to whom the promises were first made, validating Jesus' Messiahship within Israel.
Matthew 10 5 Commentary
Matthew 10:5 is a critical verse for understanding the phased nature of Jesus' mission and the disciples' early ministry. This was a specific, temporary commission limited to Israel, particularly the "lost sheep of the house of Israel" (Mt 10:6). This restriction was not an eternal theological barrier but a strategic, redemptive-historical prioritization. First, it reinforced the covenant priority given to Israel, demonstrating that salvation originates "from the Jews" (Jn 4:22) and was offered to God's chosen people first. Second, it prepared the disciples for the larger, universal mission that would come after Jesus' resurrection and the giving of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8, Mt 28:19). At this stage, the disciples were still maturing in their faith and understanding, not yet ready for the complexities of a multi-ethnic mission, which would also challenge deeply ingrained Jewish prejudices against Gentiles and Samaritans. The immediate focus on Jewish towns provided them a familiar cultural context for their training. It taught them reliance on God and honed their proclamation skills within a structured environment. This limitation ceased with the Great Commission, marking a significant transition in God's plan to reconcile all nations through Christ.