Genesis 23:9
in Genesis 23to sell me the cave of Machpelah that belongs to him; it is at the end of his field. Let him sell it to me in your presence for full price, so that I may have a burial site.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
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.
KJV
That he may give me the cave of Machpelah, which he hath, which is in the end of his field; for as much money as it is worth he shall give it me for a possession of a buryingplace amongst you.
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This verse in Genesis 23
Commentary
4 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
Abraham rose and bowed down before the people of the land
on Genesis 23:7-9
Abraham bows down before the people of the land, the first of two bows in this chapter. He asks them to approach Ephron for the cave of Machpelah at the end of his field. He fixes his terms before a price is named, full price paid in their presence.
This site's exposition
the cave of Machpelah that belongs to him
Abraham asks for the cave of Machpelah, at full price. Gill notes that the Targum of Jonathan reads verse 4 as a request to sell a possession, so Abraham meant to pay from the start.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
); for, whatever our possessions are, there is a sepulchre at the end of them. [2.] To be a token of his belief and expectation of the resurrection; for why should such care be taken of the body if it be thrown away for ever, and must not rise again? Abraham, in this, said plainly that he sought a better country, that is, a heavenly.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
That he may, give me the cave of Machpelah, which he hath, which is in the end of his field,....
The words behind it
17 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְיִתֶּן־ | veyiten- | so may he give | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| לִ֗י | li | to <the> me | ||
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| מְעָרַ֤ת | mearat | [the] cave of | H4631 → | 37 times |
| הַמַּכְפֵּלָה֙ | hamakhpelah | <the> Machpelah | H4375 → | 6 times |
| אֲשֶׁר־ | ʾasher- | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| ל֔וֹ | lo | [belongs] to <the> him | ||
| אֲשֶׁ֖ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| בִּקְצֵ֣ה | biktzeh | [is] at [the] end of | H7097 → | 97 times |
| שָׂדֵ֑הוּ | sadehu | field his | H7704 → | 334 times |
| בְּכֶ֨סֶף | bekhesef | for silver | H3701 → | 403 times |
| מָלֵ֜א | male' | full | H4392 → | 64 times |
| יִתְּנֶ֥נָּה | yitenenah | let him give it | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| לִ֛י | li | to <the> me | ||
| בְּתוֹכְכֶ֖ם | betokhem | in midst of you | H8432 → | 418 times |
| לַאֲחֻזַּת־ | laachuzat- | to a possession of | H272 → | 66 times |
| קָֽבֶר׃ | kaver | a burial site | H6913 → | 67 times |
וְיִתֶּן־so may he give
veyiten-H5414 →2011 times
לִ֗יto <the> me
li
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
מְעָרַ֤ת[the] cave of
mearatH4631 →37 times
הַמַּכְפֵּלָה֙<the> Machpelah
hamakhpelahH4375 →6 times
אֲשֶׁר־which
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
ל֔וֹ[belongs] to <the> him
lo
אֲשֶׁ֖רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
בִּקְצֵ֣ה[is] at [the] end of
biktzehH7097 →97 times
שָׂדֵ֑הוּfield his
sadehuH7704 →334 times
בְּכֶ֨סֶףfor silver
bekhesefH3701 →403 times
מָלֵ֜אfull
male'H4392 →64 times
יִתְּנֶ֥נָּהlet him give it
yitenenahH5414 →2011 times
לִ֛יto <the> me
li
בְּתוֹכְכֶ֖םin midst of you
betokhemH8432 →418 times
לַאֲחֻזַּת־to a possession of
laachuzat-H272 →66 times
קָֽבֶר׃a burial site
kaverH6913 →67 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
Romans 13:8Be indebted to no one, except to one another in love. For he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law.
it leads to
- Romans 13:10
Love does no wrong to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.
- Matthew 22:39–40
And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’
- Galatians 5:14
The entire law is fulfilled in a single decree: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
- Matthew 7:12
In everything, then, do to others as you would have them do to you. For this is the essence of the Law and the Prophets.
- Proverbs 3:27–28
Do not withhold good from the deserving when it is within your power to act.
- Romans 13:10
Through
Romans 12:17Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Carefully consider what is right in the eyes of everybody.
it leads to
- Proverbs 20:22
Do not say, “I will avenge this evil!” Wait on the LORD, and He will save you.
- 1 Thessalonians 5:15
Make sure that no one repays evil for evil. Always pursue what is good for one another and for all people.
- 1 Peter 3:9
Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.
- Proverbs 20:22
Where this verse is studied
About Genesis
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.