Genesis 23:1-6

Sarah’s Death and Burial

1 And {Sarah lived} one hundred and twenty-seven years; [these were] the years of the life of Sarah.
2 And Sarah died in Kiriath Arba; that [is] Hebron, in the land of Canaan.
3 And Abraham went to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her. And Abraham rose up from his dead, and he spoke to the Hittites [and] said,
4 "I [am] a stranger and an alien among you; give to me {my own burial site} among you so that I may bury my dead from before me.
5 And the Hittites answered Abraham [and] said to him,
6 "Hear us, my lord, you [are] a mighty prince in our midst. Bury your dead in the choicest of our burial sites. None of us {will withhold his burial site} from you [for] burying your dead."

Genesis 23:1-6 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO GENESIS 23

This chapter treats of the age, death, and funeral of Sarah, and the place of her interment: of her age, Ge 23:1; of her death, Ge 23:2; of the motion Abraham made to the sons of Heth, to obtain a burial place among them, Ge 23:3,4; of the answer of them to him, giving him leave to bury in any of their sepulchres, Ge 23:5,6; of a second motion of his to them, to use their interest with Ephron the Hittite, to let him have the cave of Machpelah for the above purpose, Ge 23:7-9; of Ephron's consent unto it, Ge 23:10,11; of the purchase Abraham made of it for four hundred shekels of silver, Ge 23:12-16; and of its being secured unto him, which he interred Sarah his wife, Ge 23:17-20.

Footnotes 6

  • [a]. Literally "the lives of Sarah were"
  • [b]. Or "sons of Heth"
  • [c]. Literally "ownership of a grave"
  • [d]. Or "sons of Heth"
  • [e]. Or "prince of God"
  • [f]. Literally "will withhold from himself his burial site
Scripture quotations marked (LEB) are from the Lexham English Bible. Copyright 2012 Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software.