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
And he commanded H6680 them, saying, H559 Thus shall ye speak H559 unto my lord H113 Esau; H6215 Thy servant H5650 Jacob H3290 saith H559 thus, I have sojourned H1481 with Laban, H3837 and stayed there H309 until now: And I have oxen, H7794 and asses, H2543 flocks, H6629 and menservants, H5650 and womenservants: H8198 and I have sent H7971 to tell H5046 my lord, H113 that I may find H4672 grace H2580 in thy sight. H5869
Behold, G1492 what manner G4217 of love G26 the Father G3962 hath bestowed G1325 upon us, G2254 that G2443 we should be called G2564 the sons G5043 of God: G2316 therefore G1223 G5124 the world G2889 knoweth G1097 us G2248 not, G3756 because G3754 it knew G1097 him G846 not. G3756 Beloved, G27 now G3568 are we G2070 the sons G5043 of God, G2316 and G2532 it doth G5319 not yet G3768 appear G5319 what G5101 we shall be: G2071 but G1161 we know G1492 that, G3754 when G1437 he shall appear, G5319 we shall be G2071 like G3664 him; G846 for G3754 we shall see G3700 him G846 as G2531 he is. G2076
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.