Genesis 23
23
Sarah’s Burial
1Now Sarah lived 127 years; these were all the years of her life. 2Sarah died in Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron#Gn 35:27; Jos 14:15; 15:13; 21:11; Jdg 1:10) in the land of Canaan, and Abraham went in to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her.
3When Abraham got up from beside his dead wife, he spoke to the Hethites: 4“I am an alien residing among you.#Gn 17:8; Lv 25:23; 1Ch 29:15; Ps 39:12; 105:12; Heb 11:9,13 Give me burial property among you so that I can bury my dead.”#23:4 Lit dead from before me#Gn 49:30; Ac 7:16
5The Hethites replied to Abraham,#23:5 Lit Abraham, saying to him 6“Listen to us, my lord. You are a prince of God#23:6 Or a mighty prince among us. Bury your dead in our finest burial place.#23:6 Or finest graves None of us will withhold from you his burial place for burying your dead.”
7Then Abraham rose and bowed down to the Hethites, the people of the land. 8He said to them, “If you are willing for me to bury my dead, listen to me and ask Ephron son of Zohar on my behalf 9to give me the cave of Machpelah that belongs to him; it is at the end of his field. Let him give it to me in your presence, for the full price, as burial property.”
10Ephron was sitting among the Hethites. So in the hearing#23:10 Lit ears, also in vv. 13,16 of all the Hethites who came to the gate of his city,#Gn 34:20,24; Ru 4:1 Ephron the Hethite answered Abraham: 11“No, my lord. Listen to me. I give you the field, and I give you the cave that is in it. I give it to you in the sight#23:11 Lit in the eyes of the sons of my people. Bury your dead.”
12Abraham bowed down to the people of the land 13and said to Ephron in the hearing of the people of the land, “Listen to me, if you please. Let me pay the price of the field. Accept it from me, and let me bury my dead there.”
14Ephron answered Abraham and said to him, 15“My lord, listen to me. Land worth four hundred shekels of silver#Ex 30:13; Ezk 45:12 — what is that between you and me? Bury your dead.” 16Abraham agreed with Ephron, and Abraham weighed out to Ephron the silver that he had agreed to in the hearing of the Hethites: four hundred standard shekels#23:16 Lit 400 shekels passing to the merchant of silver.#Jr 32:9; Zch 11:12 17So Ephron’s field#Gn 25:9; 49:29–32; 50:13 at Machpelah near Mamre — the field with its cave and all the trees anywhere within the boundaries of the field — became 18Abraham’s possession in the sight of all the Hethites who came to the gate of his city. 19After this, Abraham buried his wife Sarah in the cave of the field at Machpelah near Mamre (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan. 20The field with its cave passed from the Hethites to Abraham#Jr 32:10–14 as burial property.
© 2017 Holman Bible Publishers
Genesis 23
23
Sarah Dies
1Sarah lived to be 127 years old. 2She died in the city of Kiriath Arba (Hebron) in the land of Canaan. Abraham was very sad and cried for her there. 3Then he left his dead wife and went to talk to the Hittites. He said, 4“I am only a foreigner staying in your country. I have no place to bury my wife. Please give me some land so that I can bury her.”
5The Hittites answered Abraham, 6“Sir, you are a great leader#23:6 great leader Literally, “God’s prince.” among us. You can have the best place we have to bury your dead. You can have any of our burying places that you want. None of us will stop you from burying your wife there.”
7Abraham got up and bowed to the people. 8He said to them, “If you really want to help me bury my dead wife, speak to Ephron the son of Zohar for me. 9I would like to buy the cave of Machpelah, which belongs to Ephron. It is at the end of his field. I will pay him the full price. I want all of you to be witnesses that I am buying it as a burial place.”
10Ephron was sitting there among the people. He answered Abraham, 11“No, sir. Here in front of my people, I give you that land and the cave on it so that you can bury your wife.”
12Abraham bowed before the Hittites. 13He said to Ephron before all the people, “But I want to give you the full price for the field. Accept my money, and I will bury my dead.”
14Ephron answered Abraham, 15“Sir, listen to me. Ten pounds#23:15 Ten pounds Literally, “400 shekels” (4.6 kg). Also in verse 16. of silver mean nothing to you or me. Take the land and bury your dead wife.”
16Abraham understood that Ephron was telling him the price of the land.#23:16 Abraham understood … the land Literally, “Abraham heard.” So Abraham paid him for the land. He weighed out ten pounds of silver for Ephron and gave it to the merchant.#23:16 merchant Someone who earns their living by buying and selling things. Here, this is probably a person who was helping Abraham and Ephron write the contract in verses 17 and 18.
17-18So the field of Ephron changed owners. This field was in Machpelah, near Mamre. Abraham became the owner of the field, the cave in it, and all the trees in the field. Everyone in the city saw the agreement between Ephron and Abraham. 19After this, Abraham buried his wife Sarah in the cave of that field near Mamre (Hebron) in the land of Canaan. 20Abraham bought the field and the cave in it from the Hittites. So this became his property to be used as a burial place.
© 1987, 2004 Bible League International