Genesis 23:8

8 And he comoned with them saynge: Yf it be youre myndes yt I shall bury my deade oute of my sighte heare me ad speke for me to Ephron the sonne of Zoar:

Genesis 23:8 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 23:8

And he communed with them
Entered into a discourse and conversation with them upon the above subject: saying, if it be your mind that I should bury my dead out of my sight;
that is, in some place belonging to them, otherwise they could have no objection to the burying of his wife anywhere else: if now what they had said were not spoken in a complaisant way, but it was their real mind and will, and they were sincere and hearty in it, and very desirous of obliging him with a place among them for the interment of his dead; then he had this favour to ask of them: hear me, and entreat for me to Ephron the son of Zohar;
a principal man among the Hittites, who had a field and a cave in it, near where Abraham dwelt, and very convenient for him, and for this purpose of his now under consideration: this man seems to be present at this time, as appears from ( Genesis 23:10 ) ; but Abraham did not think fit to address him himself, lest he should not so well and so easily succeed; and therefore entreats the princes of Heth to unite in a request to Ephron for the favour after mentioned, which he supposed they would not be backward to, if they were hearty in this affair; and, if Ephron was present, as he seems to be, it was a very handsome, honourable, and modest address to him through his brethren, which he could not with any politeness well withstand. The request follows:

Genesis 23:8 In-Context

6 heare vs lorde thou art a prynce of God amonge vs. In the chefest of oure sepulchres bury thy dead: None of vs shall forbydd ye his sepulchre yt thou shuldest not bury thy deade therein.

7 Abraha stode vp and bowed hi selfe before ye people of ye lade ye childre of heth.

8 And he comoned with them saynge: Yf it be youre myndes yt I shall bury my deade oute of my sighte heare me ad speke for me to Ephron the sonne of Zoar:

9 and let him geue me the dubill caue which he hath in the end of his felde for as moch money as it is worth let him geue it me in the presence of you for a possession to bury in.

10 For Hephron dwelled amoge ye childern of heth.Than Ephron the Hethite answered Abraham in the audyece of the childern of Heth and of all that went in at the gates of his cyte saynge: