1 And Sarah was an hundred and seven and twenty years old: these were the years of the life of Sarah.
2 And Sarah died in Kirjatharba; the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan: and Abraham came to mourn for Sarah, and to weep for her.
3 And Abraham stood up from before his dead, and spake unto the sons of Heth, saying,
4 I am a stranger and a sojourner with you: give me a possession of a buryingplace with you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight.
5 And the children of Heth answered Abraham, saying unto him,
6 Hear us, my lord: thou art a mighty prince among us: in the choice of our sepulchres bury thy dead; none of us shall withhold from thee his sepulchre, but that thou mayest bury thy dead.
7 And Abraham stood up, and bowed himself to the people of the land, even to the children of Heth.
8 And he communed with them, saying, If it be your mind that I should bury my dead out of my sight; hear me, and entreat for me to Ephron the son of Zohar,
9 That he may give me the cave of Machpelah, which he hath, which is in the end of his field; for as much money as it is worth he shall give it me for a possession of a buryingplace amongst you.
10 And Ephron dwelt among the children of Heth: and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the audience of the children of Heth, even of all that went in at the gate of his city, saying,
11 Nay, my lord, hear me: the field give I thee, and the cave that is therein, I give it thee; in the presence of the sons of my people give I it thee: bury thy dead.
12 And Abraham bowed down himself before the people of the land.
13 And he spake unto Ephron in the audience of the people of the land, saying, But if thou wilt give it, I pray thee, hear me: I will give thee money for the field; take it of me, and I will bury my dead there.
14 And Ephron answered Abraham, saying unto him,
15 My lord, hearken unto me: the land is worth four hundred shekels of silver; what is that betwixt me and thee? bury therefore thy dead.
16 And Abraham hearkened unto Ephron; and Abraham weighed to Ephron the silver, which he had named in the audience of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, current money with the merchant.
17 And the field of Ephron which was in Machpelah, which was before Mamre, the field, and the cave which was therein, and all the trees that were in the field, that were in all the borders round about, were made sure
18 Unto Abraham for a possession in the presence of the children of Heth, before all that went in at the gate of his city.
19 And after this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah before Mamre: the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan.
20 And the field, and the cave that is therein, were made sure unto Abraham for a possession of a buryingplace by the sons of Heth.
1 And Sarah H8283 was an hundred H3967 H8141 and seven H7651 H8141 and twenty H6242 years H8141 old: H2416 these were the years H8141 of the life H2416 of Sarah. H8283
2 And Sarah H8283 died H4191 in Kirjatharba; H7153 the same is Hebron H2275 in the land H776 of Canaan: H3667 and Abraham H85 came H935 to mourn H5594 for Sarah, H8283 and to weep H1058 for her.
3 And Abraham H85 stood up H6965 from before H6440 his dead, H4191 and spake H1696 unto the sons H1121 of Heth, H2845 saying, H559
4 I am a stranger H1616 and a sojourner H8453 with you: give H5414 me a possession H272 of a buryingplace H6913 with you, that I may bury H6912 my dead H4191 out of my sight. H6440
5 And the children H1121 of Heth H2845 answered H6030 Abraham, H85 saying H559 unto him,
6 Hear us, H8085 my lord: H113 thou art a mighty H430 prince H5387 among us: H8432 in the choice H4005 of our sepulchres H6913 bury H6912 thy dead; H4191 none H3808 H376 of us shall withhold H3607 from thee his sepulchre, H6913 but that thou mayest bury H6912 thy dead. H4191
7 And Abraham H85 stood up, H6965 and bowed H7812 himself to the people H5971 of the land, H776 even to the children H1121 of Heth. H2845
8 And he communed H1696 with them, saying, H559 If it be H3426 your mind H5315 that I should bury H6912 my dead H4191 out of my sight; H6440 hear H8085 me, and intreat H6293 for me to Ephron H6085 the son H1121 of Zohar, H6714
9 That he may give H5414 me the cave H4631 of Machpelah, H4375 which he hath, which is in the end H7097 of his field; H7704 for as much H4392 money H3701 as it is worth H4392 he shall give it H5414 me for a possession H272 of a buryingplace H6913 amongst you. H8432
10 And Ephron H6085 dwelt H3427 among H8432 the children H1121 of Heth: H2845 and Ephron H6085 the Hittite H2850 answered H6030 Abraham H85 in the audience H241 of the children H1121 of Heth, H2845 even of all that went in H935 at the gate H8179 of his city, H5892 saying, H559
11 Nay, H3808 my lord, H113 hear me: H8085 the field H7704 give I H5414 thee, and the cave H4631 that is therein, I give it H5414 thee; in the presence H5869 of the sons H1121 of my people H5971 give H5414 I it thee: bury H6912 thy dead. H4191
12 And Abraham H85 bowed down H7812 himself before H6440 the people H5971 of the land. H776
13 And he spake H1696 unto Ephron H6085 in the audience H241 of the people H5971 of the land, H776 saying, H559 But if thou wilt give it, I pray thee, H3863 hear H8085 me: I will give H5414 thee money H3701 for the field; H7704 take H3947 it of me, and I will bury H6912 my dead H4191 there.
14 And Ephron H6085 answered H6030 Abraham, H85 saying H559 unto him,
15 My lord, H113 hearken H8085 unto me: the land H776 is worth four H702 hundred H3967 shekels H8255 of silver; H3701 what is that betwixt H996 me and thee? bury H6912 therefore thy dead. H4191
16 And Abraham H85 hearkened H8085 unto Ephron; H6085 and Abraham H85 weighed H8254 to Ephron H6085 the silver, H3701 which he had named H1696 in the audience H241 of the sons H1121 of Heth, H2845 four H702 hundred H3967 shekels H8255 of silver, H3701 current H5674 money with the merchant. H5503
17 And the field H7704 of Ephron, H6085 which was in Machpelah, H4375 which was before H6440 Mamre, H4471 the field, H7704 and the cave H4631 which was therein, and all the trees H6086 that were in the field, H7704 that were in all the borders H1366 round about, H5439 were made sure H6965
18 Unto Abraham H85 for a possession H4736 in the presence H5869 of the children H1121 of Heth, H2845 before all that went in H935 at the gate H8179 of his city. H5892
19 And after H310 this, H3651 Abraham H85 buried H6912 Sarah H8283 his wife H802 in the cave H4631 of the field H7704 of Machpelah H4375 before H6440 Mamre: H4471 the same is Hebron H2275 in the land H776 of Canaan. H3667
20 And the field, H7704 and the cave H4631 that is therein, were made sure H6965 unto Abraham H85 for a possession H272 of a buryingplace H6913 by the sons H1121 of Heth. H2845
1 And the life of Sarah was a hundred and seven and twenty years. These were the years of the life of Sarah.
2 And Sarah died in Kiriath-arba (the same is Hebron), in the land of Canaan. And Abraham came to mourn for Sarah, and to weep for her.
3 And Abraham rose up from before his dead, and spake unto the children of Heth, saying,
4 I am a stranger and a sojourner with you. Give me a possession of a burying-place with you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight.
5 And the children of Heth answered Abraham, saying unto him,
6 Hear us, my lord. Thou art a prince of God among us. In the choice of our sepulchres bury thy dead. None of us shall withhold from thee his sepulchre, but that thou mayest bury thy dead.
7 And Abraham rose up, and bowed himself to the people of the land, even to the children of Heth.
8 And he communed with them, saying, If it be your mind that I should bury my dead out of my sight, hear me, and entreat for me to Ephron the son of Zohar,
9 that he may give me the cave of Machpelah, which he hath, which is in the end of his field. For the full price let him give it to me in the midst of you for a possession of a burying-place.
10 Now Ephron was sitting in the midst of the children of Heth. And Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the audience of the children of Heth, even of all that went in at the gate of his city, saying,
11 Nay, my lord, hear me. The field give I thee, and the cave that is therein, I give it thee. In the presence of the children of my people give I it thee. Bury thy dead.
12 And Abraham bowed himself down before the people of the land.
13 And he spake unto Ephron in the audience of the people of the land, saying, But if thou wilt, I pray thee, hear me. I will give the price of the field. Take it of me, and I will bury my dead there.
14 And Ephron answered Abraham, saying unto him,
15 My lord, hearken unto me. A piece of land worth four hundred shekels of silver, what is that betwixt me and thee? Bury therefore thy dead.
16 And Abraham hearkened unto Ephron. And Abraham weighed to Ephron the silver which he had named in the audience of the children of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, current `money' with the merchant.
17 So the field of Ephron, which was in Machpelah, which was before Mamre, the field, and the cave which was therein, and all the trees that were in the field, that were in all the border thereof round about, were made sure
18 unto Abraham for a possession in the presence of the children of Heth, before all that went in at the gate of his city.
19 And after this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah before Mamre (the same is Hebron), in the land of Canaan.
20 And the field, and the cave that is therein, were made sure unto Abraham for a possession of a burying-place by the children of Heth.
1 And the life of Sarah is a hundred and twenty and seven years -- years of the life of Sarah;
2 and Sarah dieth in Kirjath-Arba, which `is' Hebron, in the land of Caanan, and Abraham goeth in to mourn for Sarah, and to bewail her.
3 And Abraham riseth up from the presence of his dead, and speaketh unto the sons of Heth, saying,
4 `A sojourner and a settler I `am' with you; give to me a possession of a burying-place with you, and I bury my dead from before me.'
5 And the sons of Heth answer Abraham, saying to him,
6 `Hear us, my lord; a prince of God `art' thou in our midst; in the choice of our burying-places bury thy dead: none of us his burying-place doth withhold from thee, from burying thy dead.'
7 And Abraham riseth and boweth himself to the people of the land, to the sons of Heth,
8 and he speaketh with them, saying, `If it is your desire to bury my dead from before me, hear me, and meet for me with Ephron, son of Zoar;
9 and he giveth to me the cave of Machpelah, which he hath, which `is' in the extremity of his field; for full money doth he give it to me, in your midst, for a possession of a burying-place.'
10 And Ephron is sitting in the midst of the sons of Heth, and Ephron the Hittite answereth Abraham in the ears of the sons of Heth, of all those entering the gate of his city, saying,
11 `Nay, my lord, hear me: the field I have given to thee, and the cave that `is' in it, to thee I have given it; before the eyes of the sons of my people I have given it to thee -- bury thy dead.'
12 And Abraham boweth himself before the people of the land,
13 and speaketh unto Ephron in the ears of the people of the land, saying, `Only -- if thou wouldst hear me -- I have given the money of the field -- accept from me, and I bury my dead there.'
14 And Ephron answereth Abraham, saying to him,
15 `My lord, hear me: the land -- four hundred shekels of silver; between me and thee, what `is' it? -- thy dead bury.'
16 And Abraham hearkeneth unto Ephron, and Abraham weigheth to Ephron the silver which he hath spoken of in the ears of the sons of Heth, four hundred silver shekels, passing with the merchant.
17 And established are the field of Ephron, which `is' in Machpelah, which `is' before Mamre, the field and the cave which `is' in it, and all the trees which `are' in the field, which `are' in all its border round about,
18 to Abraham by purchase, before the eyes of the sons of Heth, among all entering the gate of his city.
19 And after this hath Abraham buried Sarah his wife at the cave of the field of Machpelah before Mamre (which `is' Hebron), in the land of Canaan;
20 and established are the field, and the cave which `is' in it, to Abraham for a possession of a burying-place, from the sons of Heth.
1 And the life of Sarah was a hundred and twenty-seven years: [these were] the years of the life of Sarah.
2 And Sarah died in Kirjath-Arba: that is Hebron, in the land of Canaan. And Abraham came to mourn for Sarah, and to weep for her.
3 And Abraham rose up from before his dead, and spoke to the sons of Heth, saying,
4 I am a stranger and a sojourner with you; give me a possession of a sepulchre with you, that I may bury my dead from before me.
5 And the sons of Heth answered Abraham, saying to him,
6 Hear us, my lord: thou art a prince of God among us: in the choicest of our sepulchres bury thy dead: none of us shall withhold from thee his sepulchre for burying thy dead.
7 And Abraham rose up, and bowed down to the people of the land, to the sons of Heth,
8 and spoke to them, saying, If it be your will that I should bury my dead from before me, hear me, and entreat for me Ephron the son of Zohar,
9 that he may give me the cave of Machpelah, which is his, which is at the end of his field; for the full money let him give it to me amongst you for a possession of a sepulchre.
10 And Ephron was dwelling among the sons of Heth. And Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham, in the ears of the sons of Heth, [even] of all that went in at the gate of his city, saying,
11 No, my lord: hear me. The field give I thee; and the cave that is in it, to thee I give it; before the eyes of the sons of my people give I it thee: bury thy dead.
12 And Abraham bowed down before the people of the land;
13 and he spoke to Ephron, in the ears of the people of the land, saying, But if only thou wouldst listen to me, I give the money for the field: take [it] of me, and I will bury my dead there.
14 And Ephron answered Abraham, saying to him,
15 My lord, hearken to me. A field of four hundred shekels of silver, what is that between me and thee? bury therefore thy dead.
16 And Abraham hearkened to Ephron; and Abraham weighed to Ephron the money that he had named in the ears of the sons of Heth -- four hundred shekels of silver, current with the merchant.
17 So the field of Ephron, which was at Machpelah, which was before Mamre, the field, and the cave that was in it, and all the trees that were in the field, that were in all its borders round about,
18 were assured to Abraham for a possession before the eyes of the sons of Heth, before all who went in at the gate of his city.
19 And after this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field at Machpelah, opposite to Mamre: that is Hebron, in the land of Canaan.
20 And the field and the cave that was in it were assured to Abraham for a possession of a sepulchre by the sons of Heth.
1 Sarah lived one hundred twenty-seven years. These were the years of Sarah's life.
2 Sarah died in Kiriath Arba (the same is Hebron), in the land of Canaan. Abraham came to mourn for Sarah, and to weep for her.
3 Abraham rose up from before his dead, and spoke to the children of Heth, saying,
4 "I am a stranger and a foreigner living with you. Give me a possession of a burying-place with you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight."
5 The children of Heth answered Abraham, saying to him,
6 "Hear us, my lord. You are a prince of God among us. In the choice of our tombs bury your dead. None of us will withhold from you his tomb, but that you may bury your dead."
7 Abraham rose up, and bowed himself to the people of the land, even to the children of Heth.
8 He talked with them, saying, "If it be your mind that I should bury my dead out of my sight, hear me, and entreat for me to Ephron the son of Zohar,
9 that he may give me the cave of Machpelah, which he has, which is in the end of his field. For the full price let him give it to me in the midst of you for a possession of a burying-place."
10 Now Ephron was sitting in the midst of the children of Heth. Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the hearing of the children of Heth, even of all who went in at the gate of his city, saying,
11 "No, my lord, hear me. I give you the field, and I give you the cave that is in it. In the presence of the children of my people I give it to you. Bury your dead."
12 Abraham bowed himself down before the people of the land.
13 He spoke to Ephron in the audience of the people of the land, saying, "But if you will, please hear me. I will give the price of the field. Take it from me, and I will bury my dead there."
14 Ephron answered Abraham, saying to him,
15 "My lord, listen to me. What is a piece of land worth four hundred shekels of silver between me and you? Therefore bury your dead."
16 Abraham listened to Ephron. Abraham weighed to Ephron the silver which he had named in the audience of the children of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, according to the current merchants' standard.
17 So the field of Ephron, which was in Machpelah, which was before Mamre, the field, the cave which was therein, and all the trees that were in the field, that were in all the border of it round about, were made sure
18 to Abraham for a possession in the presence of the children of Heth, before all who went in at the gate of his city.
19 After this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah before Mamre (the same is Hebron), in the land of Canaan.
20 The field, and the cave that is therein, were made sure to Abraham for a possession of a burying place by the children of Heth.
1 Now the years of Sarah's life were a hundred and twenty-seven.
2 And Sarah's death took place in Kiriath-arba, that is, Hebron, in the land of Canaan: and Abraham went into his house, weeping and sorrowing for Sarah.
3 And Abraham came from his dead and said to the children of Heth,
4 I am living among you as one from a strange country: give me some land here as my property, so that I may put my dead to rest.
5 And in answer the children of Heth said to Abraham,
6 My lord, truly you are a great chief among us; take the best of our resting-places for your dead; not one of us will keep back from you a place where you may put your dead to rest.
7 And Abraham got up and gave honour to the children of Heth, the people of that land.
8 And he said to them, If you will let me put my dead to rest here, make a request for me to Ephron, the son of Zohar,
9 That he will give me the hollow in the rock named Machpelah, which is his property at the end of his field; let him give it to me for its full price as a resting-place for my dead among you.
10 Now Ephron was seated among the children of Heth: and Ephron the Hittite gave Abraham his answer in the hearing of the children of Heth, and of all those who came into his town, saying,
11 No, my lord, I will give you the field with the hollow in the rock; before all the children of my people will I give it to you for a resting-place for your dead.
12 And Abraham went down on his face before the people of the land.
13 And Abraham said to Ephron, in the hearing of the people of the land, If only you will give ear to me, I will give you the price of the field; take it, and let me put my dead to rest there.
14 So Ephron said to Abraham,
15 My lord, give ear to me: the value of the land is four hundred shekels; what is that between me and you? so put your dead to rest there.
16 And Abraham took note of the price fixed by Ephron in the hearing of the children of Heth, and gave him four hundred shekels in current money.
17 So Ephron's field at Machpelah near Mamre, with the hollow in the rock and all the trees in the field and round it,
18 Became the property of Abraham before the eyes of the children of Heth and of all who came into the town.
19 Then Abraham put Sarah his wife to rest in the hollow rock in the field of Machpelah near Mamre, that is, Hebron in the land of Canaan.
20 And the field and the hollow rock were handed over to Abraham as his property by the children of Heth.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Keil & Delitzsch Commentary » Commentary on Genesis 23
Commentary on Genesis 23 Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
Sarah is the only woman whose age is mentioned in the Scriptures, because as the mother of the promised seed she became the mother of all believers (1 Peter 3:6). She died at the age of 127, thirty-seven years after the birth of Isaac, at Hebron, or rather in the grove of Mamre near that city (Genesis 13:18), whither Abraham had once more returned after a lengthened stay at Beersheba (Genesis 22:19). The name Kirjath Arba, i.e., the city of Arba, which Hebron bears here and also in Genesis 35:27, and other passages, and which it still bore at the time of the conquest of Canaan by the Israelites (Joshua 14:15), was not the original name of the city, but was first given to it by Arba the Anakite and his family, who had not yet arrived there in the time of the patriarchs. It was probably given by them when they took possession of the city, and remained until the Israelites captured it and restored the original name. The place still exists, as a small town on the road from Jerusalem to Beersheba, in a valley surrounded by several mountains, and is called by the Arabs, with allusion to Abraham's stay there, el Khalil , i.e., the friend (of God), which is the title given to Abraham by the Mohammedans. The clause “ in the land of Canaan ” denotes, that not only did Sarah die in the land of promise, but Abraham as a foreigner acquired a burial-place by purchase there. “ And Abraham came ” (not from Beersheba, but from the field where he may have been with the flocks), “ to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her, ” i.e., to arrange for the customary mourning ceremony.
He then went to the Hittites, the lords and possessors of the city and its vicinity at that time, to procure from them “a possession of a burying-place.” The negotiations were carried on in the most formal style, in a public assembly “of the people of the land,” i.e., of natives (Genesis 23:7), in the gate of the city (Genesis 23:10). As a foreigner and sojourner, Abraham presented his request in the most courteous manner to all the citizens (“all that went in at the gate,” Genesis 23:10, Genesis 23:18; a phrase interchangeable with “all that went out at the gate,” Genesis 34:24, and those who “go out and in,” Jeremiah 17:19). The citizens with the greatest readiness and respect offered “the prince of God,” i.e., the man exalted by God to the rank of a prince, “the choice” ( מבחר , i.e., the most select) of their graves for his use (Genesis 23:6). But Abraham asked them to request Ephron, who, to judge from the expression “his city” in Genesis 23:10, was then ruler of the city, to give him for a possession the cave of Machpelah , at the end of his field, of which he was the owner, “for full silver,” i.e., for its full worth. Ephron thereupon offered to make him a present of both field and cave. This was a turn in the affair which is still customary in the East; the design, so far as it is seriously meant at all, being either to obtain a present in return which will abundantly compensate for the value of the gift, or, what is still more frequently the case, to preclude any abatement in the price to be asked. The same design is evident in the peculiar form in which Ephron stated the price, in reply to Abraham's repeated declaration that he was determined to buy the piece of land: “a piece of land of 400 shekels of silver, what is that between me and thee” (Genesis 23:15)? Abraham understood it so ( ישׁמע Genesis 23:16), and weighed him the price demanded. The shekel of silver “current with the merchant,” i.e., the shekel which passed in trade as of standard weight, was 274 Parisian grains, so that the price of the piece of land was £52, 10s.; a very considerable amount for that time.
“ Thus arose ( ויּקם ) the field...to Abraham for a possession; ” i.e., it was conveyed to him in all due legal form. The expression “the field of Ephron which is at Machpelah” may be explained, according to Genesis 23:9, from the fact that the cave of Machpelah was at the end of the field, the field, therefore, belonged to it. In Genesis 23:19 the shorter form, “cave of Machpelah,” occurs; and in Genesis 23:20 the field is distinguished from the cave. The name Machpelah is translated by the lxx as a common noun, τὸ σπήλαιον τὸ διπλοῦν , from מכפּלה doubling; but it had evidently grown into a proper name, since it is sued not only of the cave, but of the adjoining field also (Genesis 49:30; Genesis 50:13), though it undoubtedly originated in the form of the cave. The cave was before, i.e., probably to the east of, the grove of Mamre, which was in the district of Hebron. This description cannot be reconciled with the tradition, which identifies Mamre and the cave with Ramet el Khalil , where the strong foundation-walls of an ancient heathen temple (according to Rosenmüller's conjecture, an Idumaean one) are still pointed out as Abraham's house, and where a very old terebinth stood in the early Christian times; for this is an hour's journey to the north of modern Hebron, and even the ancient Hebron cannot have stretched so far over the mountains which separate the modern city from Rameh , but must also, according to Genesis 37:14, have been situated in the valley (see Robinson's later Biblical Researches , pp. 365ff.). There is far greater probability in the Mohammedan tradition, that the Harem, built of colossal blocks with grooved edges, which stands on the western slope of the Beabireh mountain, in the north-western portion of the present town, contains hidden within it the cave of Machpelah with the tomb of the patriarchs (cf. Robinson, Pal. ii. 435ff.); and Rosen. is induced to look for Mamre on the eastern slope of the Rumeidi hill, near to the remarkable well Ain el Jedid .
The repetition of the statement, that the field with the cave in it was conveyed to Abraham by the Hittites for a burial-place, which gives the result of the negotiation that has been described with, so to speak, legal accuracy, shows the great importance of the event to the patriarch. The fact that Abraham purchased a burying-place in strictly legal form as an hereditary possession in the promised land, was a proof of his strong faith in the promises of God and their eventual fulfilment. In this grave Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah, were buried; there Jacob buried Leah; and there Jacob himself requested that he might be buried, thus declaring his faith in the promises, even in the hour of his death.