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Genesis 23

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Sarah's Death and Abraham's Mourning 1–2

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. ​

Abraham Requests a Burial Place 3–6

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. ​

The Negotiation and Purchase of Machpelah 7–18

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.

Sarah Buried in Machpelah 19–20

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. ​

Bible text: American Standard Version (1901) · Public domain

Study Notes for Genesis 23

Verse 1

an hundred and seven and twenty years — Isaac's birth was promised when Sarah was 'ninety years old' (Gen 17:17), and the chapter now gives the sum of her life: 127 years, 'the years of the life of Sarah'. Peter holds her up as an example of obedience (1 Pet 3:6), Hebrews as one who 'judged him faithful who had promised' (Heb 11:11).

Verse 2

Kirjatharba; the same is Hebron — 'City of Arba', named for Arba, 'a great man among the Anakims' (Josh 14:15); Hebron is the name it bears when Caleb receives it (Josh 15:13). Abraham already dwelt 'in Hebron' (Gen 13:18). Two verbs describe him: 'mourn' (saphad) is the lament, 'weep' (bakah) the tears.

Verse 4

a stranger and a sojourner — Ger and toshab are paired seven times: here; Lev 25:23, where the LORD says to Israel, 'the land is mine; for ye are strangers and sojourners with me'; and in Lev 25:35, 47; Num 35:15; 1 Chr 29:15; Ps 39:12. Hebrews says the patriarchs 'confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth' (Heb 11:13).

Verse 6

a mighty prince — Literally 'a prince of God' (nasi Elohim); the KJV renders Elohim 'mighty'. Nasi is a raised-up one, a chief. The sons of Heth say it to a man who has just called himself 'a stranger and a sojourner' (v.4), and offer him the choice of their sepulchres.

Verse 9

the cave of Machpelah — Makpelah, 'a fold', occurs six times, always for this place (Gen 23:9, 17, 19; 25:9; 49:30; 50:13). Abraham asks to buy it 'for as much money as it is worth', not to receive it as a gift. It became the tomb of Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah, and Leah (Gen 49:31), and of Jacob (Gen 50:13).

Verse 10

at the gate of his city — The city gate (sha'ar) was where business was done before witnesses: 'Then went Boaz up to the gate' and took 'ten men of the elders of the city' to settle a redemption (Ruth 4:1–2). So Ephron answers 'in the audience' of everyone who 'went in at the gate', and the sale is made in public.

Verse 11

I give it thee — Ephron says 'give' (natan) three times in this verse, for the field and the cave, 'in the presence of the sons of my people'. Abraham does not take it as a gift: he answers 'I will give thee money for the field' (v.13), and the verse ends as Abraham's request began in v.4, with his dead to bury.

Verse 13

I will give thee money for the field — Abraham takes up Ephron's own verb, natan, and turns it to payment. A sale made 'in the audience of the people of the land' leaves the land his by purchase. The land itself still rests on the LORD's word, 'Unto thy seed have I given this land' (Gen 15:18), and Stephen recalls that he had 'none inheritance in it' (Acts 7:5).

Verse 15

four hundred shekels of silver — Ephron names the sum, and Abraham makes no counter-offer (v.16). The sheqel takes its name from shaqal, to weigh, because silver was paid by weight; in v.16 Abraham 'weighed' it out. Ephron's 'what is that betwixt me and thee?' is spoken as he names the price.

Verse 16

current money with the merchant — Literally silver 'passing' (abar) with 'the merchant', the trader who goes about (sachar): it was accepted by weight in the market. Abraham pays the full four hundred shekels, as Jeremiah later 'weighed him the money in the balances' for his field at Anathoth (Jer 32:9–10).

Verse 17

were made sure — The verb is qum, to rise or stand: the field, the cave and 'all the trees that were in the field… in all the borders round about' were established as Abraham's. The same verb closes the chapter at v.20, and v.18 adds the witnesses, 'before all that went in at the gate of his city'.

Verse 20

were made sure unto Abraham — The same verb (qum) as in v.17, now stating the result. In the land of promise Abraham held a burying-place by purchase, as Stephen says God 'gave him none inheritance in it, no, not so much as to set his foot on' (Acts 7:5). Jacob later asked to be buried there (Gen 49:29–30).