19 And after H310 this, H3651 Abraham H85 buried H6912 Sarah H8283 his wife H802 in the cave H4631 of the field H7704 of Machpelah H4375 before H6440 Mamre: H4471 the same is Hebron H2275 in the land H776 of Canaan. H3667
And his sons H1121 Isaac H3327 and Ishmael H3458 buried H6912 him in the cave H4631 of Machpelah, H4375 in the field H7704 of Ephron H6085 the son H1121 of Zohar H6714 the Hittite, H2850 which is before H6440 Mamre; H4471 The field H7704 which Abraham H85 purchased H7069 of the sons H1121 of Heth: H2845 there was Abraham H85 buried, H6912 and Sarah H8283 his wife. H802
And Jacob H3290 came H935 unto Isaac H3327 his father H1 unto Mamre, H4471 unto the city of Arbah, H7153 which is Hebron, H2275 where Abraham H85 and Isaac H3327 sojourned. H1481 And the days H3117 of Isaac H3327 were an hundred H3967 H8141 and fourscore H8084 years. H8141 And Isaac H3327 gave up the ghost, H1478 and died, H4191 and was gathered H622 unto his people, H5971 being old H2205 and full H7649 of days: H3117 and his sons H1121 Esau H6215 and Jacob H3290 buried H6912 him.
And he charged H6680 them, and said H559 unto them, I am to be gathered H622 unto my people: H5971 bury H6912 me with my fathers H1 in the cave H4631 that is in the field H7704 of Ephron H6085 the Hittite, H2850 In the cave H4631 that is in the field H7704 of Machpelah, H4375 which is before H6440 Mamre, H4471 in the land H776 of Canaan, H3667 which Abraham H85 bought H7069 with the field H7704 of Ephron H6085 the Hittite H2850 for a possession H272 of a buryingplace. H6913 There they buried H6912 Abraham H85 and Sarah H8283 his wife; H802 there they buried H6912 Isaac H3327 and Rebekah H7259 his wife; H802 and there I buried H6912 Leah. H3812 The purchase H4735 of the field H7704 and of the cave H4631 that is therein was from the children H1121 of Heth. H2845
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Genesis 23
Commentary on Genesis 23 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 23
Ge 23:1, 2. Age and Death of Sarah.
1. Sarah was an hundred and seven and twenty years old, &c.—Sarah is the only woman in Scripture whose age, death, and burial are mentioned, probably to do honor to the venerable mother of the Hebrew people.
2. Abraham came to mourn for Sarah, &c.—He came from his own tent to take his station at the door of Sarah's. The "mourning" describes his conformity to the customary usage of sitting on the ground for a time; while the "weeping" indicates the natural outburst of his sorrow.
Ge 23:3-20. Purchase of a Burying-Place.
3. Abraham stood up, &c.—Eastern people are always provided with family burying-places; but Abraham's life of faith—his pilgrim state—had prevented him acquiring even so small a possession (Ac 7:5).
spake unto the sons of Heth—He bespoke their kind offices to aid him in obtaining possession of a cave that belonged to Ephron—a wealthy neighbor.
9. Machpelah—the "double cave."
10. Ephron dwelt—literally, was "sitting" among the children of Heth in the gate of the city where all business was transacted. But, though a chief man among them, he was probably unknown to Abraham.
11-15. Ephron answered, Nay, my lord, &c.—Here is a great show of generosity, but it was only a show; for while Abraham wanted only the cave, he joins "the field and the cave"; and though he offered them both as free gifts, he, of course, expected some costly presents in return, without which, he would not have been satisfied. The patriarch, knowing this, wished to make a purchase and asked the terms.
15. the land is worth four hundred shekels, &c.—as if Ephron had said, "Since you wish to know the value of the property, it is so and so; but that is a trifle, which you may pay or not as it suits you." They spoke in the common forms of Arab civility, and this indifference was mere affectation.
16. Abraham weighed … the silver—The money, amounting to £50 was paid in presence of the assembled witnesses; and it was weighed. The practice of weighing money, which is often in lumps or rings, each stamped with their weight, is still common in many parts of the East; and every merchant at the gates or the bazaar has his scales at his girdle.
19. Abraham buried Sarah—Thus he got possession of Machpelah and deposited the remains of his lamented partner in a family vault which was the only spot of ground he owned.