Genesis 23:8-18

8 And he said to them, “If you are willing that I should bury my dead out of my sight, hear me and entreat for me Ephron the son of Zohar,

9 that he may give me the cave of Machpelah, which he owns; it is at the end of his field. For the full price let him give it to me in your presence as property for a burying place. ”

10 Now Ephron was sitting among the Hittites, and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the hearing of the Hittites, of all who ¹went in at the gate of his city,

11 “No, my lord, hear me: I give you the field, and I give you the cave that is in it. In the sight of the sons of my people I give it to you. Bury your dead. ”

12 Then Abraham bowed down before the people of the land.

13 And he said to Ephron in the hearing of the people of the land, “But if you will, hear me: I give the price of the field. Accept it from me, that I may bury my dead there. ”

14 Ephron answered Abraham,

15 “My lord, listen to me: a piece of land worth four hundred ²shekels^[a] of silver, what is that between you and me? Bury your dead. ”

16 Abraham listened to Ephron, and Abraham ³weighed out for Ephron the silver that he had named in the hearing of the Hittites, four hundred shekels of silver, according to the weights current among the merchants.

17 So ⁴the field of Ephron in Machpelah, which was to the east of Mamre, the field with the cave that was in it and all the trees that were in the field, throughout its whole area, was made over

18 to Abraham as a possession in the presence of the Hittites, before all who went in at the gate of his city.

Genesis 23:8-18 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. 23:10 ch. 34:20, 24; Ruth 4:1
• 2. 23:15 Ex. 30:13; Ezek. 45:12
• 3. 23:16 1 Chr. 21:25; Jer. 32:9; Zech. 11:12
• 4. 23:17 ch. 25:9; 49:29-32; 50:13

Footnotes

• [a] 23:15 A 'shekel' was about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams