Genesis 23:3-13

3 And when he had risen from the office of the dead body, he spake to the sons of Heth, and said, (And when he had risen up from before his dead wife's body, he said to the Hittites,)
4 I am a comeling and a pilgrim with you; give ye to me (the) right of [a] sepulchre with you, that I bury my dead body. (I am a newcomer and a foreigner among you; sell ye me some land for a burial place, so that I can bury my dead wife's body on it.
5 And the sons of Heth answered, and said, (And the Hittites answered, and said,)
6 Lord, hear thou us; thou art the prince of God with us; bury thou thy dead body in our chosen sepulchres, and no man shall be able to forbid thee, that not thou bury thy dead body in the sepulchre of him. (My lord, hear thou us; thou art the prince of God with us; bury thou thy dead wife's body in the choicest of our burial places; none of us shall forbid thee, to bury thy dead wife's body in his burial place.)
7 And Abraham [a]rose, and worshipped the people of the land, that is, the sons of Heth. (And Abraham arose, and bowed before the people of the land, that is, the Hittites.)
8 And he said to them, If it pleaseth your soul that I bury my dead body (If it pleaseth your soul that I bury my dead wife's body here), hear ye me, and pray ye for me to Ephron, the son of Zohar,
9 that he give to me the double cave, which he hath in the uttermost part of his field; for sufficient money give he it to me before you into possession of [a] sepulchre. (that he give me the cave at Machpelah, which he hath in the uttermost part of his field, for the full price; yea, let him sell it to me for a possession of a burial place here among you.)
10 Forsooth Ephron dwelled in the midst of the sons of Heth (And Ephron happened to be sitting there in the midst of the other Hittites). And Ephron answered to Abraham, while all (the) men heard that entered [in] by the gate of that city, and (he) said,
11 My lord, it shall not be done so, but more harken thou (to) that that I say; I give to thee the field, and the cave which is therein, while the sons of my people be present; bury thou thy dead body. (My lord, it shall not be done so, but more harken thou to what I say; I give thee the field, and the cave which is in it, while the sons of my people be present; bury thou thy wife's dead body there.)
12 Abraham worshipped before the Lord, and before the people of the land, (And Abraham bowed low before the people of the land,)
13 and he spake to Ephron, while his people stood about, (and said,) I beseech, that thou hear me; I shall give money (to thee) for the field, receive thou it, and so I shall bury my dead body in the field (and then I shall bury my dead wife's body there in the field).

Genesis 23:3-13 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.

Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.