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Sarah’s Death and Burial

23 And [a]Sarah lived 127 years; these were the years of the life of Sarah. Sarah died in (A)Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan; and Abraham [b]came to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her. Then Abraham rose from before his dead and spoke to the (B)sons of Heth, saying, “I am (C)a sojourner and a foreign resident among you; (D)give me a (E)possession for a burial site among you that I may bury my dead out of my sight.” And the sons of Heth answered Abraham, saying to him, “Hear us, my lord, you are a [c](F)mighty prince among us; bury your dead in the choicest of our burial sites; none of us will refuse you his burial sites for burying your dead.” So Abraham rose and bowed to the people of the land, the sons of Heth. And he spoke with them, saying, “If it is your [d]desire for me to bury my dead out of my sight, hear me, and meet with (G)Ephron the son of Zohar for me, that he may give me the cave of Machpelah which belongs to him, which is at the end of his field; for the full price let him give it to me in [e]your presence as a possession for a burial site.” 10 Now Ephron was sitting among the sons of Heth; and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the hearing of the sons of Heth, even (H)of all who went in at the gate of his city, saying, 11 “No, my lord, hear me; (I)I give you the field, and I give you the cave that is in it. In the sight of the sons of my people I give it to you; bury your dead.” 12 And Abraham bowed before the people of the land. 13 And he spoke to Ephron in the hearing of the people of the land, saying, “If you will only please hear me; I will give the silver for the field, accept it from me that I may bury my dead there.” 14 Then Ephron answered Abraham, saying to him, 15 “My lord, hear me; a piece of land worth [f]four hundred (J)shekels of silver, what is that between me and you? So bury your dead.” 16 So Abraham heard Ephron; and Abraham (K)weighed out for Ephron the silver which he had named in the [g]hearing of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, [h]commercial standard.

17 So (L)Ephron’s field, which was in Machpelah, which faced Mamre, the field and the cave which was in it, and all the trees which were in the field, that were [i]within all the confines of its border, [j]were deeded over 18 to Abraham as purchased (M)in the sight of the sons of Heth, before all who came in at the gate of his city. 19 After this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field at Machpelah facing Mamre (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan. 20 So the field and the cave that is in it [k]were (N)deeded over to Abraham for a possession for a burial site by the sons of Heth.

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 23:1 Lit the life of Sarah was
  2. Genesis 23:2 Or proceeded
  3. Genesis 23:6 Lit prince of God
  4. Genesis 23:8 Lit soul
  5. Genesis 23:9 Lit the midst of you
  6. Genesis 23:15 Approx. 10 lb. or 4.4 kg, a shekel was approx. 0.4 oz. or 11 gm
  7. Genesis 23:16 Lit ears
  8. Genesis 23:16 Lit current according to the merchant
  9. Genesis 23:17 Lit in all its border around
  10. Genesis 23:17 Or were ratified
  11. Genesis 23:20 Lit were confirmed

Sarah’s Burial

23 Now Sarah lived 127 years; these were all the years of her life. Sarah died in Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron(A)) in the land of Canaan, and Abraham went to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her.

Then Abraham got up from beside his dead wife and spoke to the Hittites:[a] “I am a foreign resident among you.(B) Give me a burial site among you so that I can bury my dead.”[b](C)

The Hittites replied to Abraham,[c] “Listen to us, lord.[d] You are God’s chosen one[e] among us. Bury your dead in our finest burial place.[f] None of us will withhold from you his burial place for burying your dead.”

Then Abraham rose and bowed down to the Hittites, the people of the land. He said to them, “If you are willing for me to bury my dead, listen to me and ask Ephron son of Zohar on my behalf to give me the cave of Machpelah that belongs to him; it is at the end of his field. Let him give it to me in your presence, for the full price, as a burial place.”

10 Ephron was sitting among the Hittites. So in the presence[g] of all the Hittites who came to the gate of his city,(D) Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham: 11 “No, my lord. Listen to me. I give you the field, and I give you the cave that is in it. I give it to you in the presence[h] of my people. Bury your dead.”

12 Abraham bowed down to the people of the land 13 and said to Ephron in the presence[i] of the people of the land, “Please listen to me. Let me pay the price of the field. Accept it from me, and let me bury my dead there.”

14 Ephron answered Abraham and said to him, 15 “My lord, listen to me. Land worth 400 shekels of silver(E)—what is that between you and me? Bury your dead.” 16 Abraham agreed with Ephron, and Abraham weighed out to Ephron the silver that he had agreed to in the presence[j] of the Hittites: 400 shekels of silver at the current commercial rate.(F) 17 So Ephron’s field(G) at Machpelah near Mamre—the field with its cave and all the trees anywhere within the boundaries of the field—became 18 Abraham’s possession in the presence of all the Hittites who came to the gate of his city. 19 After this, Abraham buried his wife Sarah in the cave of the field at Machpelah near Mamre (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan. 20 The field with its cave passed from the Hittites to Abraham(H) as a burial place.

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 23:3 Or sons of Heth; also in vv. 5,7,10,16,18,20
  2. Genesis 23:4 Lit dead from before me
  3. Genesis 23:5 Lit Abraham, saying to him
  4. Genesis 23:6 Lit my lord
  5. Genesis 23:6 Or prince of God, or mighty prince
  6. Genesis 23:6 Or finest graves
  7. Genesis 23:10 Lit ears
  8. Genesis 23:11 Lit in the eyes of the sons
  9. Genesis 23:13 Lit ears
  10. Genesis 23:16 Lit ears