Genesis 23: Sarah dies, and Abraham buys a burial cave
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What happens?
Sarah dies at Hebron, aged 127, and Abraham mourns for her. He asks the people of Heth for a burial place. Ephron the Hittite offers his field and cave as a gift, but Abraham insists on paying, weighs out 400 shekels of silver, and buries Sarah in the cave of Machpelah.
Who is speaking?
The narrator tells the story. Abraham, the people of Heth and Ephron speak. God does not speak in this chapter. God's own words are printed in gold, and those verses are marked God speaks
1Sarah lived one hundred twenty-seven years. This was the length of Sarah’s life.
In plain English: Sarah lived 127 years. That was the length of Sarah's life.
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2Sarah died in Kiriath Arba (also called Hebron), in the land of Canaan. Abraham came to mourn for Sarah, and to weep for her.
In plain English: Sarah died in Kiriath Arba (also called Hebron), in the land of Canaan. Abraham came to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her.
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3Abraham rose up from before his dead and spoke to the children of Heth, saying,
In plain English: Then Abraham got up from beside his dead wife and spoke to the people of Heth (the Hittites). He said,
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4“I am a stranger and a foreigner living with you. Give me a possession of a burying-place with you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight.”
In plain English: "I am a stranger and a foreigner living among you. Give me a piece of land among you to own as a burial place, so that I can bury my dead out of my sight."
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5The children of Heth answered Abraham, saying to him,
In plain English: The people of Heth answered Abraham. They said to him,
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6“Hear us, my lord. You are a prince of God among us. Bury your dead in the best of our tombs. None of us will withhold from you his tomb. Bury your dead.”
In plain English: "Listen to us, my lord. You are a prince of God (or: a mighty prince) among us. Bury your dead in the best of our tombs. None of us will refuse you his tomb. Bury your dead."
The Hebrew words: "A prince of God" is nesi Elohim. Hebrew sometimes adds "of God" to say something is very great: in , "wrestlings of God" is translated "mighty wrestlings".
What changes: Read as "a prince of God", the people of Heth are linking Abraham to God. Read as "a mighty prince", they are honoring him as a great man.
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7Abraham rose up, and bowed himself to the people of the land, to the children of Heth.
In plain English: Abraham got up and bowed down to the people of the land, the people of Heth.
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8He talked with them, saying, “If you agree that I should bury my dead out of my sight, hear me, and entreat for me to Ephron the son of Zohar,
In plain English: He spoke with them and said, "If you are willing for me to bury my dead out of my sight, listen to me, and ask Ephron son of Zohar for me
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9that he may sell me the cave of Machpelah, which he has, which is in the end of his field. For the full price let him sell it to me among you as a possession for a burial place.”
In plain English: to sell me the cave of Machpelah, which he owns, at the far end of his field. Let him sell it to me for the full price, here among you, as a burial place of my own."
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10Now Ephron was sitting in the middle of the children of Heth. Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the hearing of the children of Heth, even of all who went in at the gate of his city, saying,
In plain English: Ephron was sitting among the people of Heth. Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the hearing of the people of Heth, all who came in at the gate of his city. He said,
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11“No, my lord, hear me. I give you the field, and I give you the cave that is in it. In the presence of the children of my people I give it to you. Bury your dead.”
In plain English: "No, my lord, listen to me. I give you the field, and I give you the cave in it. I give it to you in front of my own people. Bury your dead."
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12Abraham bowed himself down before the people of the land.
In plain English: Abraham bowed down before the people of the land.
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13He spoke to Ephron in the audience of the people of the land, saying, “But if you will, please hear me. I will give the price of the field. Take it from me, and I will bury my dead there.”
In plain English: He said to Ephron, in the hearing of the people of the land, "But if you are willing, please listen to me. I will pay the price of the field. Take it from me, and I will bury my dead there."
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14Ephron answered Abraham, saying to him,
In plain English: Ephron answered Abraham. He said to him,
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15“My lord, listen to me. What is a piece of land worth four hundred shekels of silver between me and you? Therefore bury your dead.”
In plain English: "My lord, listen to me. What is a piece of land worth 400 shekels of silver between you and me? So bury your dead."
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16Abraham listened to Ephron. Abraham weighed to Ephron the silver which he had named in the hearing of the children of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, according to the current merchants’ standard.
In plain English: Abraham listened to Ephron. He weighed out for Ephron the silver he had named in the hearing of the people of Heth: 400 shekels of silver, by the weight the merchants used.
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17So the field of Ephron, which was in Machpelah, which was before Mamre, the field, the cave which was in it, and all the trees that were in the field, that were in all of its borders, were deeded
In plain English: So Ephron's field in Machpelah, facing Mamre, the field and the cave in it, and all the trees in the field, inside all its borders, were made over
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18to Abraham for a possession in the presence of the children of Heth, before all who went in at the gate of his city.
In plain English: to Abraham as his own, in front of the people of Heth, before all who came in at the gate of his city.
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19After this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah before Mamre (that is, Hebron), in the land of Canaan.
In plain English: After this, Abraham buried his wife Sarah in the cave of the field of Machpelah, facing Mamre (that is, Hebron), in the land of Canaan.
Good to know: This cave becomes the family grave. Abraham is buried here (), and Jacob later says Isaac, Rebekah and Leah were buried here too (). Jacob himself is buried here ().
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20The field, and the cave that is in it, were deeded to Abraham by the children of Heth as a possession for a burial place.
In plain English: So the field and the cave in it were made over to Abraham by the people of Heth as a burial place of his own.
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