Genesis 23:1-10

1 And Sarah was one hundred and twenty-seven years old; these were the years of the life of Sarah.

2 And Sarah died in Kirjatharba; the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan; and Abraham came to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her.

3 And Abraham stood up from before his dead and spoke unto the sons of Heth, saying,

4 I am a stranger and a sojourner with you; give me a possession of a buryingplace with you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight.

5 And the sons of Heth answered Abraham, saying unto him,

6 Hear us, my lord; thou art a prince of God among us; in the best of our sepulchres bury thy dead; none of us shall withhold from thee his sepulchre so that thou may bury thy dead.

7 And Abraham stood up and bowed himself to the people of the land, even to the sons of Heth.

8 And he communed with them, saying, If it is your desire that I should bury my dead out of my sight, hear me and intercede for me to Ephron, the son of Zohar,

9 that he may give me the cave of Machpelah, which he has, which is in the end of his field; for as much money as it is worth he shall give it to me for a possession of a buryingplace amongst you.

10 This Ephron dwelt among the sons of Heth; and Ephron, the Hittite, answered Abraham in the audience of the sons of Heth, even of all that went in at the gate of his city, saying,

Genesis 23:1-10 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.