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The sons of Heth answered Abraham,[a] “Listen, sir,[b] you are a mighty prince[c] among us! You may bury your dead in the choicest of our tombs. None of us will refuse you his tomb to prevent you[d] from burying your dead.”

Abraham got up and bowed down to the local people,[e] the sons of Heth.

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Footnotes

  1. Genesis 23:5 tn Heb “answered Abraham saying to him.”
  2. Genesis 23:6 tn Heb “Hear us, my lord.”
  3. Genesis 23:6 tn Heb “prince of God.” The divine name may be used here as a means of expressing the superlative, “mighty prince.” The word for “prince” probably means “tribal chief” here. See M. H. Gottstein, “Nasiʾ ʾelohim (Gen 23:6),” VT 3 (1953) 298-99; and D. W. Thomas, “Consideration of Some Unusual Ways of Expressing the Superlative in Hebrew,” VT 3 (1953) 215-16.
  4. Genesis 23:6 tn The phrase “to prevent you” has been added in the translation for stylistic reasons.
  5. Genesis 23:7 tn Heb “to the people of the land” (also in v. 12).

The Hittites replied to Abraham, “Sir, listen to us. You are a mighty prince(A) among us. Bury your dead in the choicest of our tombs. None of us will refuse you his tomb for burying your dead.”

Then Abraham rose and bowed down before the people of the land, the Hittites.

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