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Genesis 25:9

in Genesis 25

His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah near Mamre, in the field of Ephron son of Zohar the Hittite.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

And Isaac and Ishmael his sons buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, which is before Mamre;

KJV

And his sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, which is before Mamre;

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This verse in Genesis 25

Commentary

8 notes on this verse
And his sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah,.... Isaac, though the younger brother, is set first, because he was born of the lawful wife of Abraham, the free woman, whereas Ishmael was born of a concubine and a bondwoman; Isaac was heir not only to Abraham's temporal estate, but of the promise made concerning the Messiah, (not so Ishmael,) and was on all accounts the greater man.

This site's exposition

His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah

on Genesis 25:9-10

Isaac and Ishmael bury their father together in the cave of Machpelah, and Ishmael had been sent away from that household at 21:14. Isaac is named first, though he is the younger. Genesis brings rival brothers back over a father's burial again, Esau with Jacob at 35:29 and Joseph with his brothers at 50:13.

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening5 voices

A commentator

John Wesley

1703–1791

Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament (1765)

Here is nothing recorded of the pomp or ceremony of his funeral; only we are told, his sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him - It was the last office of respect they had to pay to their good father.

A commentator

John Wesley

1703–1791

Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament (1765)

proposed

Here is nothing recorded of the pomp or ceremony of his funeral; only we are told, his sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him - It was the last office of respect they had to pay to their good father.

A commentator

John Gill

1697–1771

Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763)

proposed

And his sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah,.... Isaac, though the younger brother, is set first, because he was born of the lawful wife of Abraham, the free woman, whereas Ishmael was born of a concubine and a bondwoman; Isaac was heir not only to Abraham's temporal estate, but of the promise made concerning the Messiah, (not so Ishmael,) and was on all accounts the greater man.

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

Here is nothing recorded of the pomp or ceremony of his funeral; only we are told, 1. Who buried him: His sons Isaac and Ishmael. It was the last office of respect they had to pay to their good father.

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

Here is nothing recorded of the pomp or ceremony of his funeral; only we are told, 1. Who buried him: His sons Isaac and Ishmael. It was the last office of respect they had to pay to their good father.
1 more voice on this verse

The Nineteenth Century1 voice

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him - Though Ishmael and his mother had been expelled from Abraham’s family on the account of Isaac, yet, as he was under the same obligation to a most loving affectionate father as his brother Isaac, if any personal feuds remained, they agreed to bury them on this occasion, that both might dutifully join in doing the last offices to a parent who was an honor to them and to human nature: and, considering the rejection of Ishmael from the inheritance, this transaction shows his character in an amiable point of view; for though he was a wild man, (see Gen 16:12), yet this appellation appears to be more characteristic of his habits of life than of his disposition.

How the passage was read

What the Jewish commentators add

On the verses either side of this one

השדה, every time the burial in this cave is mentioned in the Torah the fact that Avraham had purchased the cave and the field is mentioned also.
Radak: Provence, 1160–1235 · Radak on Genesis 25:10:1, via Sefaria, Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash

This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.

Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 5 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.

The words behind it

18 Hebrew words

Every 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.

  • וַיִּקְבְּר֨וּand they buried

    vaiyikberuH6912 →133 times

  • אֹת֜וֹ<obj.> him

    ʾotoH853 →10935 times

  • יִצְחָ֤קIsaac

    yitzchakH3327 →108 times

  • וְיִשְׁמָעֵאל֙and Ishmael

    veyishmaelH3458 →48 times

  • בָּנָ֔יוsons his

    banavH1121 →4930 times

  • אֶל־into

    ʾel-H413 →5510 times

  • מְעָרַ֖ת[the] cave of

    mearatH4631 →37 times

  • הַמַּכְפֵּלָ֑ה<the> Machpelah

    hamakhpelahH4375 →6 times

  • אֶל־to

    ʾel-H413 →5510 times

  • שְׂדֵ֞ה[the] field of

    sedehH7704 →334 times

  • עֶפְרֹ֤ןEphron

    ʾefronH6085 →14 times

  • בֶּן־[the] son of

    ben-H1121 →4930 times

  • צֹ֙חַר֙Zohar

    tzocharH6714 →5 times

  • הַֽחִתִּ֔יthe Hittite

    hachitiH2850 →48 times

  • אֲשֶׁ֖רwhich

    ʾasherH834 →5497 times

  • עַל־[is] on

    ʾal-H5921 →5755 times

  • פְּנֵ֥י[the] face of

    peneiH6440 →2123 times

  • מַמְרֵֽא׃Mamre

    mamre'H4471 →10 times

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

Related verses

11 in all, six open

The number beside each verse is how many compiled reference works tie it to this one. The strongest six stand open.

Genesis 50:13They carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave at Machpelah in the field near Mamre, which Abraham had purchased from Ephron the Hittite as a burial site.6 worksGenesis 23:17So Ephron’s field at Machpelah near Mamre, the cave that was in it, and all the trees within the boundaries of the field were deeded over6 worksGenesis 35:29Then he breathed his last and died and was gathered to his people, old and full of years. And his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.5 worksGenesis 49:31There Abraham and his wife Sarah are buried, there Isaac and his wife Rebekah are buried, and there I buried Leah.5 worksGenesis 49:29–30Then Jacob instructed them, “I am about to be gathered to my people. Bury me with my fathers in the cave in the field of Ephron the Hittite.4 worksGenesis 21:9–10But Sarah saw that the son whom Hagar the Egyptian had borne to Abraham was mocking her son,4 works
The other 5 cross-references, with their words ▾
Genesis 23:9–20to 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.”3 worksGenesis 47:30but when I lie down with my fathers, carry me out of Egypt and bury me with them.” Joseph answered, “I will do as you have requested.”3 worksGenesis 23:8“If you are willing for me to bury my dead,” he said to them, “listen to me, and approach Ephron son of Zohar on my behalf2 worksGenesis 23:20So the field and its cave were deeded by the Hittites to Abraham as a burial site.2 worksGenesis 16:15And Hagar bore Abram a son, and Abram gave the name Ishmael to the son she had borne.2 works

The walk

8 stops

Each 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 35:29

    Then he breathed his last and died and was gathered to his people, old and full of years. And his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.

    it leads to

    • Genesis 15:15

      You, however, will go to your fathers in peace and be buried at a ripe old age.

    • Genesis 49:33

      When Jacob had finished instructing his sons, he pulled his feet into the bed and breathed his last, and he was gathered to his people.

    • Genesis 49:31

      There Abraham and his wife Sarah are buried, there Isaac and his wife Rebekah are buried, and there I buried Leah.

    • Genesis 25:7–9

      Abraham lived a total of 175 years.

    • Genesis 25:17

      Ishmael lived a total of 137 years. Then he breathed his last and died, and was gathered to his people.

  • Through

    Genesis 50:13

    They carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave at Machpelah in the field near Mamre, which Abraham had purchased from Ephron the Hittite as a burial site.

    it leads to

    • Acts 7:16

      Their bones were carried back to Shechem and placed in the tomb that Abraham had bought from the sons of Hamor at Shechem for a price he paid in silver.

    • Genesis 49:29–31

      Then Jacob instructed them, “I am about to be gathered to my people. Bury me with my fathers in the cave in the field of Ephron the Hittite.

    • Genesis 23:16–18

      Abraham agreed to Ephron’s terms and weighed out for him the price he had named in the hearing of the Hittites: four hundred shekels of silver, according to the standard of the merchants.

Where this verse is studied

About Genesis

The Creation of Light, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.
The Creation of Light, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.
Genesis: the study guide →Read Genesis 25 →

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.

Read on in Genesis 25 →