John 4:9

How is it that thou, being. Jew, askest drink of me?

She saw by his dress, appearance, and the direction whence he came that he was of the Jewish race. The antipathy between the Jews and Samaritans was so bitter that, although there might be some trade and they could buy food of each other on. journey, they were never wont to ask any hospitable rite. The woman's reply is not. refusal of the Lord's request, but an expression of astonishment that. Jew should ask. favor of. Samaritan. "The maxims of the Jews respecting intercourse with the Samaritan people varied much at different times and it is not easy to say what rules prevailed at the period with which we are here concerned. One precept in the Talmud approves their mode of preparing the flesh of animals, others commend their unleavened bread, their cheese, their food. Elsewhere, however, we find restrictions; and the wine, vinegar, etc., of the Samaritans were forbidden to every Israelite, their country with its roads and other products only being regarded clean. This narrative shows that it was held lawful to buy food in. Samaritan town, so that the words of this verse must be understood to mean that the Jews had no hospitable intercourse with the Samaritans."-- Milligan. Dr. Robinson says: "If of old the Jews had no dealings with the Samaritans, the latter at the present day reciprocate the feeling, and neither eat, nor &ink, nor marry with the Jews, but only trade with them."