Genesis 23:11

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 presence[a] of my people. Bury your dead."

Genesis 23:11 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 23:11

Nay, my lord, hear me
Or not so, my lord, as Aben Ezra paraphrases it; not that he denied his request entirely, or refused him the cave at any rate, but that he should not buy it of him, he would give it to him, and therefore he desires he would hear what he had to say further: the field give I thee, and the cave that [is] therein I give it thee;
which was more than Abraham asked to purchase; he only desired to have the cave, which lay in one corner of the field, but Ephron proposes both to give him the cave, and the field also: in the presence of the sons of my people give I it thee;
both field and cave; three times he says, "I give it thee", to show that he freely gave it, and that Abraham was welcome to it, and for the confirmation of the grant: bury thy dead;
in the cave, at once, immediately, without any more ado.

Genesis 23:11 In-Context

9 to 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 a burial place."
10 Ephron was present with the Hittites. So in the presence of all the Hittites who came to the gate of his city, Ephron the Hittite 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 presence of my people. Bury your dead."
12 Abraham bowed down to the people of the land
13 and said to Ephron in the presence of the people of the land, "Please listen to me. Let me pay the price of the field. Accept it from me, and let me bury my dead there."

Footnotes 1

  • [a]. Lit in the eyes of the sons
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