Genesis 23:18
in Genesis 23to Abraham’s possession in the presence of all the Hittites who had come to the gate of his city.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
unto Abraham for a possession in the presence of the children of Heth, before all that went in at the gate of his city.
KJV
Unto Abraham for a possession in the presence of the children of Heth, before all that went in at the gate of his city.
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This verse in Genesis 23
Commentary
4 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
all the trees within the boundaries of the field
on Genesis 23:17-18
The wording turns into a deed, listing the field, the cave, and all the trees inside the boundaries of the field. Trees are named because trees mark a boundary and a later claimant would argue over them. Clarke calls this the earliest record of a land purchase.
This site's exposition
in the presence of all the Hittites
The deed is done at the city gate before all the Hittites who had come there, the same witnesses as verse 10. Adam Clarke reads the verb of verse 20 as made to stand, the sale fixed by the law of the day. The field is now Abraham's possession.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Abraham, thereupon, takes possession, and buries Sarah in the cave or vault (whether framed by nature or art is not certain) which was in the purchased field. It is probable that Abraham had buried servants out of his family since he came to Canaan, but the graves of the common people ( 2 Kings xxiii.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
Unto Abraham for a possession,....
The words behind it
9 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| לְאַבְרָהָ֥ם | leavraham | to Abraham | H85 → | 175 times |
| לְמִקְנָ֖ה | lemiknah | to a possession | H4736 → | 15 times |
| לְעֵינֵ֣י | leeinei | to [the] eyes of | H5869 → | 887 times |
| בְנֵי־ | venei- | [the] people of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| חֵ֑ת | chet | Heth | H2845 → | 14 times |
| בְּכֹ֖ל | bekhol | for all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| בָּאֵ֥י | baei | [those who were] entering | H935 → | 2568 times |
| שַֽׁעַר־ | shaar- | <of> [the] gate of | H8179 → | 374 times |
| עִירֽוֹ׃ | iro | city his | H5892 → | 1090 times |
לְאַבְרָהָ֥םto Abraham
leavrahamH85 →175 times
לְמִקְנָ֖הto a possession
lemiknahH4736 →15 times
לְעֵינֵ֣יto [the] eyes of
leeineiH5869 →887 times
בְנֵי־[the] people of
venei-H1121 →4930 times
חֵ֑תHeth
chetH2845 →14 times
בְּכֹ֖לfor all
bekholH3605 →5413 times
בָּאֵ֥י[those who were] entering
baeiH935 →2568 times
שַֽׁעַר־<of> [the] gate of
shaar-H8179 →374 times
עִירֽוֹ׃city his
iroH5892 →1090 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Ruth 4:1Meanwhile, Boaz went to the gate and sat down there. Soon the kinsman-redeemer of whom he had spoken came along, and Boaz said, “Come over here, my friend, and sit down.” So he went…
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 25:7
But if the man does not want to marry his brother’s widow, she is to go to the elders at the city gate and say, “My husband’s brother refuses to preserve his brother’s name…
- Ruth 3:12
Yes, it is true that I am a kinsman-redeemer, but there is a redeemer nearer than I.
- Deuteronomy 25:7
Through
Genesis 34:20So Hamor and his son Shechem went to the gate of their city and addressed the men of their city:
it leads to
- Ruth 4:1
Meanwhile, Boaz went to the gate and sat down there. Soon the kinsman-redeemer of whom he had spoken came along, and Boaz said, “Come over here, my friend, and sit down.” So he went…
- 2 Samuel 15:2
He would get up early and stand beside the road leading to the city gate. Whenever anyone had a grievance to bring before the king for a decision, Absalom would call out and ask,…
- Ruth 4:1
Through
Jeremiah 32:12and I gave this deed to Baruch son of Neriah, the son of Mahseiah, in the sight of my cousin Hanamel and the witnesses who were signing the purchase agreement and all the Jews…
it leads to
- Jeremiah 51:59
This is the message that Jeremiah the prophet gave to the quartermaster Seraiah son of Neriah, the son of Mahseiah, when he went to Babylon with King Zedekiah of Judah in the fourth year…
- Jeremiah 32:16
After I had given the deed of purchase to Baruch son of Neriah, I prayed to the LORD:
- Jeremiah 36:26
Instead, the king commanded Jerahmeel, a son of the king, as well as Seraiah son of Azriel and Shelemiah son of Abdeel, to seize Baruch the scribe and Jeremiah the prophet. But the LORD…
- Jeremiah 36:4–5
So Jeremiah called Baruch son of Neriah, and at the dictation of Jeremiah, Baruch wrote on a scroll all the words that the LORD had spoken to Jeremiah.
- Jeremiah 51:59
Where this verse is studied
About Genesis
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.