Genesis 23:7

7 And Abraham riseth and boweth himself to the people of the land, to the sons of Heth,

Genesis 23:7 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 23:7

And Abraham stood up
For, having made his speech to the children of Heth, he sat down waiting for an answer; or rather perhaps they obliged him to sit down, out of reverence to so great a personage; and when they had done speaking, he rose up: and bowed himself to the people of the land;
the principal of them, in token of the grateful sense he had of the honour they had done him, and of the great civility with which they had used him: [even] to the children of Heth;
this seems to be added to distinguish them from the common people, and as an explanation of the preceding clause; (See Gill on Genesis 23:3).

Genesis 23:7 In-Context

5 And the sons of Heth answer Abraham, saying to him,

6 `Hear us, my lord; a prince of God [art] thou in our midst; in the choice of our burying-places bury thy dead: none of us his burying-place doth withhold from thee, from burying thy dead.'

7 And Abraham riseth and boweth himself to the people of the land, to the sons of Heth,

8 and he speaketh with them, saying, `If it is your desire to bury my dead from before me, hear me, and meet for me with Ephron, son of Zoar;

9 and he giveth to me the cave of Machpelah, which he hath, which [is] in the extremity of his field; for full money doth he give it to me, in your midst, for a possession of a burying-place.'