Genesis 23:1-7

Sarah’s Death and Burial

1 Sarah lived 127 years; these were the years of the life of Sarah.

2 And Sarah died at ¹Kiriath-arba (that is, ²Hebron) in the land of Canaan, and Abraham went in to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her.

3 And Abraham rose up from before his dead and said to the Hittites, ^[a]

4 ³“I am a sojourner and foreigner among you; ⁴give me property among you for a burying place, that I may bury my dead out of my sight. ”

5 The Hittites answered Abraham,

6 “Hear us, my lord; you are a prince of God^[b] among us. Bury your dead in the choicest of our tombs. None of us will withhold from you his tomb to hinder you from burying your dead. ”

7 Abraham rose and bowed 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.

Cross References

• 1. 23:2 ch. 35:27; Josh. 14:15; Judg. 1:10
• 2. 23:2 ver. 19
• 3. 23:4 ch. 17:8; 1 Chr. 29:15; Ps. 105:12; Heb. 11:9, 13
• 4. 23:4 Acts 7:5

Footnotes

• [a] 23:3 Hebrew 'sons of Heth'; also verses 5, 7, 10, 16, 18, 20
• [b] 23:6 Or 'a mighty prince'