Genesischapter 23

20 verses · ASV

This chapter sends 164 cross-references outward and receives 84 — heaviest partner: Genesis.

Chapter summary

Sarah's death at Kirjath-arba (Hebron). Abraham rises from mourning to buy a burying-place from the sons of Heth. The transaction is stately, formal, dignified — a page-long bargain for the cave of Machpelah, the field that contained it, and all its trees. Four hundred shekels of silver in current merchant weight. The chapter is the first real estate transaction in Scripture: a pilgrim in the land of promise takes formal possession of only a grave. Henry reads it as a promise in seed: the whole land will one day be his; now, a foothold for the bones. Sarah is buried in the cave.

Drafted from Matthew Henry, Calvin, Gill, Clarke, JFB, and Barnes.

Context

Law · Moses — see the Genesis overview for the book's full setting.

1 And the life of Sarah was a hundred and seven and twenty 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 spake unto 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; thou art a prince of God among us: in the choice of our sepulchres bury thy dead; none of us shall withhold from thee his sepulchre, but that thou mayest bury thy 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 hath, 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.