Matthew 10:5-7
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
Jesus isn't just telling them where not to go, but why: this restricted mission was about prioritizing the "lost sheep of the house of Israel" first, setting the stage for a future, broader inclusion of all nations. This initial focus acknowledges a divine order and prepares the disciples for a bigger vision beyond their immediate cultural divides.
These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them, “Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of the Samaritans, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And proclaim as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus is commissioning his twelve disciples for a specific mission, sending them out to proclaim the kingdom of God. This initial outreach is deliberately limited to the "lost sheep of the house of Israel," deliberately excluding Gentiles and Samaritans due to the ongoing intense animosity and the strategic priority of reaching the Jewish people first.
Jesus' disciples were commissioned for a specific, initial mission. Why the surprising restrictions on where they could go?
A Strategic First Step
Jesus' instructions to his disciples in Matthew 10:5 reveal a strategic, phased approach to spreading the Gospel. The immediate mission was not to the Gentiles (non-Jews) or the Samaritans (a mixed ethnic and religious group with a history of animosity with the Jews).
Why the Limitation?
Ask a follow-up
Jesus calls the people of Israel 'lost sheep.' What does this poignant image reveal about their spiritual condition and the disciples' urgent task?
A Shepherd's Heart for a Scattered Flock
Jesus uses the imagery of "lost sheep" (Matthew 10:6) to describe the people of Israel. This wasn't a casual remark; it was a profound diagnosis of their spiritual state.
Understanding 'Lost Sheep'
Understand the original words
ethnos · Greek Noun
All non-Jewish people; biblically, it refers to the nations of the world who were outside the covenant promises given to Israel prior to the gospel's expansion.
Samareitēs · Greek Noun
A people group living in the region between Galilee and Judea who were viewed with hostility by many Jews due to their mixed ethnic heritage and divergent religious practices.
probaton · Greek Noun
Refers to the people of God, often highlighting their vulnerability, straying from God's guidance, and their need for a Shepherd. In the context of Israel, it highlights their covenantal status but also their spiritual wandering.
apollumi · Greek Adjective/Participle
Refers to the state of being spiritually ruined or astray from God. It describes the condition of humanity separated from God, needing divine intervention for restoration.
basileia tou ouranou · Greek Noun
The sovereign reign and rule of God. It signifies the breaking in of God's redemptive power and authority into history, calling for repentance and submission.
engizo · Greek Verb/Adjective
A term denoting that an event or state is immediate, imminent, or has drawn very near. It indicates that the arrival of God's reign is no longer a distant future hope but a present reality.
This specific instruction to avoid Samaritans highlights the strategic, phased approach of Jesus' mission, prioritizing the 'lost sheep of Israel' first, even though he himself had previously ministered there. It sets the stage for the eventual, wider outreach to all nations after His resurrection.
c. 722 BC
Fall of the Northern Kingdom
The Assyrian Empire conquers the Northern Kingdom of Israel (Samaria), deporting many Israelites and repopulating the land with foreigners. This event marks the beginning of the deep animosity between Jews and Samaritans.
c. 518 BC
Rebuilding of Jerusalem's Temple
Samaritans offer to help rebuild the Jerusalem Temple, but their offer is rejected by the Jewish leaders. This rejection fuels further hatred and leads the Samaritans to build their own temple on Mount Gerizim.
c. 129 BC
Destruction of Samaritan Temple
John Hyrcanus, a Jewish leader, destroys the Samaritan temple on Mount Gerizim. This act intensifies the bitter rivalry between the two groups.
c. 30 AD
Jesus' Ministry Begins
Jesus begins his public ministry, including interactions with Samaritans, notably the encounter at Jacob's well (John 4). His disciples are initially focused on ministering to Jews.
c. 30 AD— this verse
First Mission of the Twelve
Jesus sends out his twelve apostles on a limited mission, specifically instructing them to go only to the 'lost sheep of the house of Israel' and to avoid Gentiles and Samaritans.
c. 33 AD
Stephen's Ministry and Martyrdom
Stephen, one of the early deacons, preaches powerfully in Jerusalem. His ministry and subsequent martyrdom mark the beginning of a wider scattering of believers.
c. 33-35 AD
Philip's Ministry in Samaria
Following Stephen's martyrdom and a wave of persecution, Philip the evangelist boldly preaches Christ in Samaria, leading to many conversions there.
This passage shows Jesus giving a similar commission to the seventy disciples, but it includes a directive to enter Samaria, highlighting the specific, limited scope of the twelve's initial mission.
Acts 8:5-25This shows the apostles, particularly Philip, later ministering in Samaria, illustrating how the mission expanded beyond the initial restrictions as the Gospel progressed.
John 4:4-42This account of Jesus ministering in Samaria demonstrates His own willingness to break down social and ethnic barriers, setting a precedent for His disciples' future ministry.
Matthew 28:19-20This later, Great Commission directly contrasts with the limited mission in Matthew 10, revealing the ultimate, global scope of the Gospel that would eventually include Gentiles and Samaritans.
Romans 1:16This verse emphasizes the Gospel's power to save 'everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek,' underscoring the strategic, phased approach Jesus took in His ministry.
barnesMatthew 10:5: "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:"
Into the way of the Gentiles - That is, among the Gentiles, or nowhere but among the Jews. The full time for preaching the gospel to the Gentiles was 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. Afterward he gave them a charge t…
vincentMatthew 10:5: "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:"
Judas Iscariot (ὁ Ἰσκαριώτης)The article distinguishes him from others of the name of Judas (compare John 14:22). Iscariot is usually explained as a compound, meaning the man of Kerioth, with reference to his native town, which is given in Joshua (Joshua 15:25) as one of the uttermost cities of Judah toward the coast of Edom southwa…
Jesus isn't just telling them where not to go, but why: this restricted mission was about prioritizing the "lost sheep of the house of Israel" first, setting the stage for a future, broader inclusion of all nations. This initial focus acknowledges a divine order and prepares the disciples for a bigger vision beyond their immediate cultural divides.
Jesus is commissioning his twelve disciples for a specific mission, sending them out to proclaim the kingdom of God. This initial outreach is deliberately limited to the "lost sheep of the house of Israel," deliberately excluding Gentiles and Samaritans due to the ongoing intense animosity and the strategic priority of reaching the Jewish people first.
Jesus is commissioning his twelve disciples for a specific mission, sending them out to proclaim the kingdom of God. This initial outreach is deliberately limited to the "lost sheep of the house of Israel," deliberately excluding Gentiles and Samaritans due to the ongoing intense animosity and the strategic priority of reaching the Jewish people first.
"These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them, “Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of the Samaritans, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And proclaim as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’" — Jesus isn't just telling them where not to go, but why: this restricted mission was about prioritizing the "lost sheep of the house of Israel" first, setting the stage for a future, broader inclu…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026
