Genesis 23:11

11 "No, sir. I will give you the land and the cave that is in it, with these people as witnesses. Bury your dead wife."

Genesis 23:11 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 23:11

Nay, my lord, hear me
Or not so, my lord, as Aben Ezra paraphrases it; not that he denied his request entirely, or refused him the cave at any rate, but that he should not buy it of him, he would give it to him, and therefore he desires he would hear what he had to say further: the field give I thee, and the cave that [is] therein I give it thee;
which was more than Abraham asked to purchase; he only desired to have the cave, which lay in one corner of the field, but Ephron proposes both to give him the cave, and the field also: in the presence of the sons of my people give I it thee;
both field and cave; three times he says, "I give it thee", to show that he freely gave it, and that Abraham was welcome to it, and for the confirmation of the grant: bury thy dead;
in the cave, at once, immediately, without any more ado.

Genesis 23:11 In-Context

9 Ask him to sell me the cave of Machpelah at the edge of his field. I will pay him the full price. You can be the witnesses that I am buying it as a burial place."
10 Ephron was sitting among the Hittites at the city gate. He answered Abraham,
11 "No, sir. I will give you the land and the cave that is in it, with these people as witnesses. Bury your dead wife."
12 Then Abraham bowed down before the Hittites.
13 He said to Ephron before all the people, "Please let me pay you the full price for the field. Accept my money, and I will bury my dead there."
Scripture taken from the New Century Version. Copyright © 1987, 1988, 1991 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.