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
In the sweat H2188 of thy face H639 shalt thou eat H398 bread, H3899 till H5704 thou return H7725 unto the ground; H127 for out of it wast thou taken: H3947 for dust H6083 thou H859 art, and unto dust H6083 shalt thou return. H7725
And his sons H1121 Isaac H3327 and Ishmael H3458 buried H6912 him in the cave H4631 of Machpelah, H4375 in the field H7704 of Ephron H6085 the son H1121 of Zohar H6714 the Hittite, H2850 which is before H6440 Mamre; H4471 The field H7704 which Abraham H85 purchased H7069 of the sons H1121 of Heth: H2845 there was Abraham H85 buried, H6912 and Sarah H8283 his wife. H802
And Jacob H3290 came H935 unto Isaac H3327 his father H1 unto Mamre, H4471 unto the city of Arbah, H7153 which is Hebron, H2275 where Abraham H85 and Isaac H3327 sojourned. H1481 And the days H3117 of Isaac H3327 were an hundred H3967 H8141 and fourscore H8084 years. H8141 And Isaac H3327 gave up the ghost, H1478 and died, H4191 and was gathered H622 unto his people, H5971 being old H2205 and full H7649 of days: H3117 and his sons H1121 Esau H6215 and Jacob H3290 buried H6912 him.
But I will lie H7901 with my fathers, H1 and thou shalt carry H5375 me out of Egypt, H4714 and bury H6912 me in their buryingplace. H6900 And he said, H559 I will do H6213 as thou hast said. H1697
And he charged H6680 them, and said H559 unto them, I am to be gathered H622 unto my people: H5971 bury H6912 me with my fathers H1 in the cave H4631 that is in the field H7704 of Ephron H6085 the Hittite, H2850 In the cave H4631 that is in the field H7704 of Machpelah, H4375 which is before H6440 Mamre, H4471 in the land H776 of Canaan, H3667 which Abraham H85 bought H7069 with the field H7704 of Ephron H6085 the Hittite H2850 for a possession H272 of a buryingplace. H6913 There they buried H6912 Abraham H85 and Sarah H8283 his wife; H802 there they buried H6912 Isaac H3327 and Rebekah H7259 his wife; H802 and there I buried H6912 Leah. H3812 The purchase H4735 of the field H7704 and of the cave H4631 that is therein was from the children H1121 of Heth. H2845
For his sons H1121 carried H5375 him into the land H776 of Canaan, H3667 and buried H6912 him in the cave H4631 of the field H7704 of Machpelah, H4375 which Abraham H85 bought H7069 with the field H7704 for a possession H272 of a buryingplace H6913 of Ephron H6085 the Hittite, H2850 before H6440 Mamre. H4471
And Joseph H3130 took an oath H7650 of the children H1121 of Israel, H3478 saying, H559 God H430 will surely H6485 visit H6485 you, and ye shall carry up H5927 my bones H6106 from hence. H2088
For I know H3045 that thou wilt bring H7725 me to death, H4194 and to the house H1004 appointed H4150 for all living. H2416
If a man H376 beget H3205 an hundred H3967 children, and live H2421 many H7227 years, H8141 so that the days H3117 of his years H8141 be many, H7227 and his soul H5315 be not filled H7646 with good, H2896 and also that he have no burial; H6900 I say, H559 that an untimely birth H5309 is better H2896 than he.
Also when they shall be afraid H3372 of that which is high, H1364 and fears H2849 shall be in the way, H1870 and the almond tree H8247 shall flourish, H5006 and the grasshopper H2284 shall be a burden, H5445 and desire H35 shall fail: H6565 because man H120 goeth H1980 to his long H5769 home, H1004 and the mourners H5594 go about H5437 the streets: H7784
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Genesis 23
Commentary on Genesis 23 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 23
Ge 23:1, 2. Age and Death of Sarah.
1. Sarah was an hundred and seven and twenty years old, &c.—Sarah is the only woman in Scripture whose age, death, and burial are mentioned, probably to do honor to the venerable mother of the Hebrew people.
2. Abraham came to mourn for Sarah, &c.—He came from his own tent to take his station at the door of Sarah's. The "mourning" describes his conformity to the customary usage of sitting on the ground for a time; while the "weeping" indicates the natural outburst of his sorrow.
Ge 23:3-20. Purchase of a Burying-Place.
3. Abraham stood up, &c.—Eastern people are always provided with family burying-places; but Abraham's life of faith—his pilgrim state—had prevented him acquiring even so small a possession (Ac 7:5).
spake unto the sons of Heth—He bespoke their kind offices to aid him in obtaining possession of a cave that belonged to Ephron—a wealthy neighbor.
9. Machpelah—the "double cave."
10. Ephron dwelt—literally, was "sitting" among the children of Heth in the gate of the city where all business was transacted. But, though a chief man among them, he was probably unknown to Abraham.
11-15. Ephron answered, Nay, my lord, &c.—Here is a great show of generosity, but it was only a show; for while Abraham wanted only the cave, he joins "the field and the cave"; and though he offered them both as free gifts, he, of course, expected some costly presents in return, without which, he would not have been satisfied. The patriarch, knowing this, wished to make a purchase and asked the terms.
15. the land is worth four hundred shekels, &c.—as if Ephron had said, "Since you wish to know the value of the property, it is so and so; but that is a trifle, which you may pay or not as it suits you." They spoke in the common forms of Arab civility, and this indifference was mere affectation.
16. Abraham weighed … the silver—The money, amounting to £50 was paid in presence of the assembled witnesses; and it was weighed. The practice of weighing money, which is often in lumps or rings, each stamped with their weight, is still common in many parts of the East; and every merchant at the gates or the bazaar has his scales at his girdle.
19. Abraham buried Sarah—Thus he got possession of Machpelah and deposited the remains of his lamented partner in a family vault which was the only spot of ground he owned.