Genesis 49:30
in Genesis 49The cave is in the field of Machpelah near Mamre, in the land of Canaan. This is the field Abraham purchased from Ephron the Hittite as a burial site.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
in the cave that is in the field of Machpelah, which is before Mamre, in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought with the field from Ephron the Hittite for a possession of a burying-place.
KJV
In the cave that is in the field of Machpelah, which is before Mamre, in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought with the field of Ephron the Hittite for a possession of a buryingplace.
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This verse in Genesis 49
Commentary
3 notes on this verseHe was afraid lest his sons, after seventeen years' sojourning in Egypt, had forgotten Canaan, and even the burying-place of their ancestors there, or lest the Canaanites should dispute his title to it; and therefore he specifies it thus largely, and the purchase of it, even when he lies a-dying, not only to prevent mistakes, but to show how mindful he was of that country.
This site's exposition
I am about to be gathered to my people
on Genesis 49:29-30
The poetry stops and the last order Jacob gives is about a grave. He names the cave of Machpelah near Mamre, in the field Abraham bought from Ephron the Hittite, and asks to be buried with his fathers. Genesis 23 records that purchase before witnesses at the gate.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
In the cave that is in the field of Machpelah, which is before Mamre, in the land of Canaan,.... This is so exactly described, that there might be no mistake about the place, see Gen 23:17, which Abraham bought with the field of Ephron the Hittite, for a possession of a burying place; this is observed if any of the successors of Ephron, or any of the Hittites, should lay any claim unto it, or dispute the right of Jacob's sons to bury him there.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| בַּמְּעָרָ֞ה | bamearah | in the cave | H4631 → | 37 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֨ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| בִּשְׂדֵ֧ה | bisdeh | [is] in [the] field of | H7704 → | 334 times |
| הַמַּכְפֵּלָ֛ה | hamakhpelah | <the> Machpelah | H4375 → | 6 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֥ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | [is] on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| פְּנֵי־ | penei- | [the] face of | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| מַמְרֵ֖א | mamre' | Mamre | H4471 → | 10 times |
| בְּאֶ֣רֶץ | beeretz | in [the] land of | H776 → | 2504 times |
| כְּנָ֑עַן | kenaan | Canaan | H3667 → | 94 times |
| אֲשֶׁר֩ | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| קָנָ֨ה | kanah | he bought | H7069 → | 84 times |
| אַבְרָהָ֜ם | ʾavraham | Abraham | H85 → | 175 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַשָּׂדֶ֗ה | hasadeh | the field | H7704 → | 334 times |
| מֵאֵ֛ת | meet | from with | H854 → | 929 times |
| עֶפְרֹ֥ן | ʾefron | Ephron | H6085 → | 14 times |
| הַחִתִּ֖י | hachiti | the Hittite | H2850 → | 48 times |
| לַאֲחֻזַּת־ | laachuzat- | to a possession of | H272 → | 66 times |
| קָֽבֶר׃ | kaver | a burial site | H6913 → | 67 times |
בַּמְּעָרָ֞הin the cave
bamearahH4631 →37 times
אֲשֶׁ֨רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
בִּשְׂדֵ֧ה[is] in [the] field of
bisdehH7704 →334 times
הַמַּכְפֵּלָ֛ה<the> Machpelah
hamakhpelahH4375 →6 times
אֲשֶׁ֥רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
עַל־[is] on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
פְּנֵי־[the] face of
penei-H6440 →2123 times
מַמְרֵ֖אMamre
mamre'H4471 →10 times
בְּאֶ֣רֶץin [the] land of
beeretzH776 →2504 times
כְּנָ֑עַןCanaan
kenaanH3667 →94 times
אֲשֶׁר֩which
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
קָנָ֨הhe bought
kanahH7069 →84 times
אַבְרָהָ֜םAbraham
ʾavrahamH85 →175 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הַשָּׂדֶ֗הthe field
hasadehH7704 →334 times
מֵאֵ֛תfrom with
meetH854 →929 times
עֶפְרֹ֥ןEphron
ʾefronH6085 →14 times
הַחִתִּ֖יthe Hittite
hachitiH2850 →48 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
5 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 23:20So the field and its cave were deeded by the Hittites to Abraham as a burial site.
it leads to
- Ruth 4:7–10
Now in former times in Israel, concerning the redemption or exchange of property, to make any matter legally binding a man would remove his sandal and give it to the other party, and this…
- Jeremiah 32:10–14
I signed and sealed the deed, called in witnesses, and weighed out the silver on the scales.
- 2 Samuel 24:24
“No,” replied the king, “I insist on paying a price, for I will not offer to the LORD my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing.” So David bought the threshing floor and the…
- 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.
- Genesis 25:9
His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah near Mamre, in the field of Ephron son of Zohar the Hittite.
- Ruth 4:7–10
Where this verse is studied
About Genesis

Who and where
4 names in this verse with a page on the site.
- PersonPatriarchsAbrahamCalled out of Ur, the father of all who believe, justified by faith, and the friend of God through whose seed all nations are bles…
- PlaceThe LevantCanaanThe land God promised to Abraham's seed, walked and marked with altars by the patriarchs and possessed under Joshua four centuries…
- PlaceNear HebronMamreThe oaks where the LORD appeared to Abraham and the promise of Isaac and the plea for Sodom were spoken (Gen 18).
- PlaceHebronMachpelahThe cave near Hebron that Abraham bought from Ephron the Hittite to bury Sarah, the burial place of the patriarchs and their only…
This page draws on John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.
