Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.
Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? - not altogether refusing, yet wondering at so unusual a request from a Jew, as His dress and dialect would at once discover Him to be, to a Samaritan.
For the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans - or better without the article, as in the original, 'Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.' Not absolutely none, for the disciples at this very time had gone to buy of the Sycharites, and brought their purchase with them. But the reference is to friendly dealings, such as exchange of hospitalities and acts of kindness. It is this national antipathy that gives point to the parable of The Good Samaritan (Luke 10:30, etc.), and to the thankfulness of the Samaritan leper, when he found himself cured by the Lord Jesus (Luke 17:16; Luke 17:18). Robinson says the Samaritans 'still maintain their ancient hatred against the Jews, and neither eat, nor drink, nor marry, nor associate with the Jews; but only trade with them.'