Genesis 23:1-7

Sarah's Burial

1 Now Sarah lived 127 years; [these were all] the years of her life.

2 Sarah died in Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan, and Abraham went in to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her.

3 Then Abraham got up from beside his dead [wife] and spoke to the Hittites:

4 "I am a resident alien among you. Give me a burial site among you so that I can bury my dead."^[a]

5 The Hittites replied to Abraham,^[b]

6 "Listen to us, lord.^[c] You are God's chosen one among us. Bury your dead in our finest burial place.^[d] None of us will withhold from you his burial place for burying your dead."

7 Then Abraham rose and bowed down to the Hittites, the people of the land.

Genesis 23:1-7 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

• [a] Lit dead from before me
• [b] Lit Abraham, saying to him
• [c] Lit my lord
• [d] Or finest graves