Génesis 23:4

4 —Entre ustedes yo soy un extranjero; no obstante, quiero pedirles que me vendan un sepulcro para enterrar a mi esposa.

Génesis 23:4 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 23:4

I [am] a stranger and a sojourner with you
Not a native of the place, only dwelt as a sojourner among them for a time; but had not so much as a foot of ground he could call his own, and consequently had no place to inter his dead: give me a possession of a buryingplace with you;
not that he desired it as a free gift, but that he might be allowed to make a purchase of a piece of ground to bury his dead in; so the Targum of Jonathan,

``sell me a possession,'' &c.

( Genesis 23:9 ) ; and this he was the rather desirous of, not only because it was according to the rules of humanity, and the general custom of all nations, to provide for the burial of their dead; but he was willing to have such a place in the land of Canaan for this purpose, to strengthen his faith and the faith of his posterity, and to animate their hope and expectation of being one day put into the possession of it; hence the patriarchs in later times, as Jacob and Joseph, were desirous of having their hones laid there: that I may bury my dead out of my sight;
for, though Sarah was a very lovely person in her life, and greatly desirable by Abraham, yet death had changed her countenance and was turning her into corruption, which rendered her unpleasant, and began to make her loathsome; so that there was a necessity of removing her out of his sight, who before had been so very agreeable to him; and this is the case of the dearest relation and friend at death.

Génesis 23:4 In-Context

2 y murió en Quiriat Arbá, es decir, en la ciudad de Hebrón, en la tierra de Canaán. Abraham hizo duelo y lloró por ella.

3 Luego se retiró de donde estaba la difunta y fue a proponer a los hititas lo siguiente:

4 —Entre ustedes yo soy un extranjero; no obstante, quiero pedirles que me vendan un sepulcro para enterrar a mi esposa.

5 Los hititas le respondieron:

6 —Escúchenos, señor; usted es un príncipe poderoso entre nosotros. Sepulte a su esposa en el mejor de nuestros sepulcros. Ninguno de nosotros le negará su tumba para que pueda sepultar a su esposa.