Table of Contents

Genesis 23 Discussion

Notes on Process

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Genesis 23

1 And the life of Sarah was a hundred and twenty-seven years: these were the years of the life of Sarah.

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

3 And Abraham rose up from before his dead, and spoke to the children of Heth, saying,

4 “I am a stranger and a sojourner with you: give me a possession of a burying-place with you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight.”

5 And the children of Heth answered Abraham, saying unto him,

6 “Hear us, my lord; you are a prince of God among us: in the best of our grounds bury your dead; none of us shall withhold from you any land, so that you may bury your dead.”

7 And Abraham rose up, and bowed himself to the people of the land, even to the children of Heth.

8 And he communed with them, saying, “If it be your mind that I should bury my dead out of my sight, hear me, and entreat for me to Ephron the son of Zohar,”

9 that he may give me the cave of Machpelah, which he has, which is in the end of his field; for the full price let him give it to me in the midst of you for a possession of a burying-place.”

10 Now Ephron was sitting in the midst of the children of Heth: and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the audience of the children of Heth, even of all that went in at the gate of his city, saying,

11 “No, my lord, hear me: the field give I you, and the cave that is there, I give it to you; in the presence of the children of my people I give it to you: bury your dead.

12 And Abraham bowed himself down before the people of the land.

13 And he spoke to Ephron in the audience of the people of the land, saying, “But if you will, please hear me: I will give the price of the field; take it from me, and I will bury my dead there.”

14 And Ephron answered Abraham, saying unto him,

15 “My lord, a piece of land worth four hundred shekels of silver, what is that between you and I? Therefore bury your dead.”

16 And Abraham listened to Ephron; and Abraham weighed to Ephron the silver which he had named in the audience of the children of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, current money with the merchant.

17 So the field of Ephron, which was in Machpelah, which was before Mamre, the field, and the cave which was therein, and all the trees that were in the field, that were in all the border thereof round about, were given

18 to Abraham for a possession in the presence of the children of Heth, before all that went in at the gate of his city.

19 And after this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah before Mamre (the same is Hebron), in the land of Canaan.

20 And the field, and the cave that is therein, were given to Abraham for a possession of a burying-place by the children of Heth.

Notes