Genesis 23:6
in Genesis 23“Listen to us, sir. You are God’s chosen one among us. Bury your dead in the finest of our tombs. None of us will withhold his tomb for burying your dead.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
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.
KJV
Hear us, my lord: thou art a mighty prince 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.
⋯
This verse in Genesis 23
Commentary
8 notes on this verseThou art a mighty prince - נשיא אלהים nesi Elohim, a prince of God - a person whom we know to be Divinely favored, and whom, in consequence, we deeply respect and reverence.
This site's exposition
The Hittites replied to Abraham
on Genesis 23:5-6
They answer with high courtesy and call him God's chosen one among us, which Clarke gives literally as a prince of God. The foreigner of verse 4 is named a prince by the people of the land. They offer the finest of their tombs and promise that none will withhold a grave. A tomb lent to him would stay theirs.
This site's exposition
the finest of our tombs
The Hittites call Abraham God's chosen one among them, where he had called himself a foreigner and an outsider. John Wesley gives their title as a prince of God, good as well as great. Their offer is the finest of their tombs.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
Sarah's death was the occasion for the patriarch's first instance of acquiring land. Sacred Scripture in fact shows us in every case the patriarch's virtue, in that he passed all his time as an alien and a nomad. And it mentions this latest item for us to learn that the man who enjoyed so much assistance from on high, who had become so famous and had increased in number to such a vast multitude, could not call a place his own, unlike many people today, who give all their attention to acquiring land, whole towns and great wealth beyond telling. You see, he had sufficient riches in his attitude, and he put no store by these other things. Let those heed this who in the twinkling of an eye take to themselves every conceivable thing and, so to say, stretch out in all directions their passion for avarice. Let them also imitate the patriarch, who had not even a place to inter Sarah's remains until, under pressure of very necessity, he bought the field and cave from the Hittites. For proof that he was in fact respected by the inhabitants of Canaan, listen to the words addressed to him by the Hittites: "You are king among us by God's appointment; bury your dead in our best tombs. None of us, after all, will keep this tomb from you."
The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices
Thou art a prince of God among us - So the word is; not only great, but good. He called himself a stranger and a sojourner, they call him a great prince.
Thou art a prince of God among us - So the word is; not only great, but good. He called himself a stranger and a sojourner, they call him a great prince.
Hear us, my lord,....
With a title of respect: Thou art a prince of God among us, so the word is; not only great, but good. He called himself a stranger and a sojourner; they call him a great prince; for those that humble themselves shall be exalted. God had promised to make Abraham's name great.
The words behind it
20 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| שְׁמָעֵ֣נוּ׀ | shemaenu | listen to us | H8085 → | 1159 times |
| אֲדֹנִ֗י | ʾadoni | O lord my | H113 → | 333 times |
| נְשִׂ֨יא | nesi' | [are] a prince of | H5387 → | 134 times |
| אֱלֹהִ֤ים | ʾelohim | God | H430 → | 2601 times |
| אַתָּה֙ | ʾatah | you | H859 → | 1094 times |
| בְּתוֹכֵ֔נוּ | betokhenu | in midst of us | H8432 → | 418 times |
| בְּמִבְחַ֣ר | bemivchar | in [the] choicest of | H4005 → | |
| קְבָרֵ֔ינוּ | kevareinu | burial sites our | H6913 → | 67 times |
| קְבֹ֖ר | kevor | bury | H6912 → | 133 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| מֵתֶ֑ךָ | metekha | dead your | H4191 → | 839 times |
| אִ֣ישׁ | ʾish | anyone | H376 → | 1663 times |
| מִמֶּ֔נּוּ | mimenu | of us | H4480 → | 1188 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| קִבְר֛וֹ | kivro | burial site his | H6913 → | 67 times |
| לֹֽא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יִכְלֶ֥ה | yikhleh | he will withhold | H3607 → | |
| מִמְּךָ֖ | mimekha | from you | H4480 → | 1188 times |
| מִקְּבֹ֥ר | mikevor | from burying | H6912 → | 133 times |
| מֵתֶֽךָ׃ | metekha | dead your | H4191 → | 839 times |
שְׁמָעֵ֣נוּ׀listen to us
shemaenuH8085 →1159 times
אֲדֹנִ֗יO lord my
ʾadoniH113 →333 times
נְשִׂ֨יא[are] a prince of
nesi'H5387 →134 times
אֱלֹהִ֤יםGod
ʾelohimH430 →2601 times
אַתָּה֙you
ʾatahH859 →1094 times
בְּתוֹכֵ֔נוּin midst of us
betokhenuH8432 →418 times
בְּמִבְחַ֣רin [the] choicest of
bemivcharH4005 →
קְבָרֵ֔ינוּburial sites our
kevareinuH6913 →67 times
קְבֹ֖רbury
kevorH6912 →133 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
מֵתֶ֑ךָdead your
metekhaH4191 →839 times
אִ֣ישׁanyone
ʾishH376 →1663 times
מִמֶּ֔נּוּof us
mimenuH4480 →1188 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
קִבְר֛וֹburial site his
kivroH6913 →67 times
לֹֽא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
יִכְלֶ֥הhe will withhold
yikhlehH3607 →
מִמְּךָ֖from you
mimekhaH4480 →1188 times
מִקְּבֹ֥רfrom burying
mikevorH6912 →133 times
מֵתֶֽךָ׃dead your
metekhaH4191 →839 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
Genesis 24:35“The LORD has greatly blessed my master, and he has become rich. He has given him sheep and cattle, silver and gold, menservants and maidservants, camels and donkeys.
it leads to
- Genesis 24:1
By now Abraham was old and well along in years, and the LORD had blessed him in every way.
- Genesis 13:2
And Abram had become extremely wealthy in livestock and silver and gold.
- Proverbs 10:22
The blessing of the LORD enriches, and He adds no sorrow to it.
- Psalms 107:38
He blesses them, and they multiply greatly; He does not let their herds diminish.
- Genesis 24:1
Through
Isaiah 45:14This is what the LORD says: “The products of Egypt and the merchandise of Cush, along with the Sabeans, men of stature, will come over to you and will be yours; they will trudge…
it leads to
- Isaiah 49:23
Kings will be your foster fathers, and their queens your nursing mothers. They will bow to you facedown and lick the dust at your feet. Then you will know that I am the LORD;…
- 1 Corinthians 14:25
and the secrets of his heart will be made known. So he will fall facedown and worship God, proclaiming, “God is truly among you!”
- Isaiah 49:23
Through
Genesis 21:22At that time Abimelech and Phicol the commander of his army said to Abraham, “God is with you in all that you do.
it leads to
- Genesis 26:28
“We can plainly see that the LORD has been with you,” they replied. “We recommend that there should now be an oath between us and you. Let us make a covenant with you
- Joshua 3:7
Now the LORD said to Joshua, “Today I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, so they may know that I am with you just as I was with Moses.
- Genesis 26:28
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Genesis
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; John Chrysostom, HOMILIES ON GENESIS 48.2; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.