Genesis 23
Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition
Sarah’s Death and Burial
23 Sarah lived a hundred and twenty-seven years; these were the years of the life of Sarah. 2 And Sarah died at Kir′iath-ar′ba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan; and Abraham went in to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her. 3 And Abraham rose up from before his dead, and said to the Hittites, 4 “I am a stranger and a sojourner among you; give me property among you for a burying place, that I may bury my dead out of my sight.” 5 The Hittites answered Abraham, 6 “Hear us, my lord; you are a mighty prince among us. Bury your dead in the choicest of our sepulchres; none of us will withhold from you his sepulchre, or hinder you from burying your dead.” 7 Abraham rose and bowed to the Hittites, the people of the land. 8 And he said to them, “If you are willing that I should bury my dead out of my sight, hear me, and entreat for me Ephron the son of Zohar, 9 that he may give me the cave of Mach-pe′lah, which he owns; it is at the end of his field. For the full price let him give it to me in your presence as a possession for a burying place.” 10 Now Ephron was sitting among the Hittites; and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the hearing of the Hittites, of all who went in at the gate of his city, 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 sons of my people I give it to you; bury your dead.” 12 Then Abraham bowed down before the people of the land. 13 And he said to Ephron in the hearing of the people of the land, “But if you will, hear me; I will give the price of the field; accept it from me, that I may bury my dead there.” 14 Ephron answered Abraham, 15 “My lord, listen to me; a piece of land worth four hundred shekels of silver, what is that between you and me? Bury your dead.” 16 Abraham agreed with Ephron; and Abraham weighed out for Ephron the silver which he had named in the hearing of the Hittites, four hundred shekels of silver, according to the weights current among the merchants.
17 So the field of Ephron in Mach-pe′lah, which was to the east of Mamre, the field with the cave which was in it and all the trees that were in the field, throughout its whole area, was made over 18 to Abraham as a possession in the presence of the Hittites, before all who went in at the gate of his city. 19 After this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Mach-pe′lah east of Mamre (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan. 20 The field and the cave that is in it were made over to Abraham as a possession for a burying place by the Hittites.
Genesis 23
Amplified Bible, Classic Edition
23 Sarah lived 127 years; this was the length of the life of Sarah.
2 And Sarah died in Kiriath-arba, [a]that is, Hebron, in the land of Canaan. And Abraham went to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her.
3 And Abraham stood up from before his dead and said to the sons of Heth,
4 I am a stranger and a sojourner with you; give me property for a burial place among you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight.
5 And the Hittites replied to Abraham,
6 Listen to us, my lord; you are a mighty prince among us. Bury your dead in any tomb or grave of ours that you choose; none of us will withhold from you his tomb or hinder you from burying your dead.
7 And Abraham stood up and bowed himself to the people of the land, the Hittites.
8 And he said to them, If you are willing to grant my dead a burial out of my sight, listen to me and ask Ephron son of Zohar for me,
9 That he may give me the cave of Machpelah, which he owns—it is at the end of his field. For the full price let him give it to me here in your presence as a burial place to which I may hold fast among you.
10 Now Ephron was present there among the sons of Heth; so, in the hearing of all who went in at the gate of his city, Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham, saying,
11 No, my lord, hear me; I give you the field, and the cave that is in it I give you. In the presence of the sons of my people I give it to you. Bury your dead.
12 Then Abraham bowed himself down before the people of the land.
13 And he said to Ephron in the presence of the people of the land, But if you will give it, I beg of you, hear me. I will give you the price of the field; accept it from me, and I will bury my dead there.
14 Ephron replied to Abraham, saying,
15 My lord, listen to me. The land is worth 400 shekels of silver; what is that between you and me? So bury your dead.
16 So Abraham listened to what Ephron said and acted upon it. He weighed to Ephron the silver which he had named in the hearing of the Hittites: 400 shekels of silver, according to the weights current among the merchants.
17 So the field of Ephron in Machpelah, which was to the east of Mamre [Hebron]—the field and the cave which was in it, and all the trees that were in the field and in all its borders round about—was made over
18 As a possession to Abraham in the presence of the Hittites, before all who went in at his city gate.
19 After this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of [b]Machpelah to the east of Mamre, that is, Hebron, in the land of Canaan.
20 The field and the cave in it were conveyed to Abraham for a permanent burial place by the sons of Heth.
Footnotes
- Genesis 23:2 Surely this indicates that this detail was written at a very early date—before Israel had entered the land. No one in later times would need to be told where Hebron was. Not only was it conspicuous in Joshua’s and Caleb’s day, but it became a “city of refuge.” Besides all this, David was king in Hebron for seven years. Obviously the Israelites had not yet entered Canaan and had to be told not only the name of the place where Abraham and Isaac had lived and were buried, but also its location (P. J. Wiseman, New Discoveries in Babylonia About Genesis).
- Genesis 23:19 Here were buried Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah, and Jacob and Leah (Gen. 49:31; 50:13).
Génesis 23
Nueva Biblia de las Américas
Muerte y sepultura de Sara
23 Sara vivió[a] 127 años. Estos fueron los años de la vida de Sara. 2 Sara murió en Quiriat Arba, que es Hebrón(A), en la tierra de Canaán. Abraham fue[b] a hacer duelo por Sara y a llorar por ella.
3 Después Abraham dejó a su[c] difunta, y habló a los hijos de Het(B): 4 «Yo soy extranjero y peregrino entre ustedes(C); denme en propiedad[d](D) una sepultura entre ustedes(E), para que pueda sepultar a mi difunta y separarla de delante de mí». 5 Los hijos de Het le respondieron a Abraham: 6 «Escúchenos, señor nuestro[e]: usted es un príncipe poderoso[f](F) entre nosotros. Sepulte a su difunta en el mejor de nuestros sepulcros, pues ninguno de nosotros le negará su sepulcro para que sepulte a su difunta».
7 Abraham se levantó e hizo una reverencia al pueblo de aquella[g] tierra, los hijos de Het, 8 y habló con ellos: «Si es su voluntad[h] que yo sepulte aquí a mi difunta separándola de delante de mí, escúchenme e intercedan por mí con Efrón, hijo de Zohar(G), 9 para que me dé la cueva de Macpela que le pertenece, que está al extremo de su campo. Que en presencia[i] de ustedes me la dé por un precio justo en posesión para una sepultura».
10 Efrón estaba sentado entre los hijos de Het. Y Efrón, el hitita, respondió a Abraham a oídos de los hijos de Het y de todos los que entraban por la puerta de su ciudad(H): 11 «No, señor mío, escúcheme. Le doy el campo(I) y le doy la cueva que está en él. A la vista de los hijos de mi pueblo se lo doy. Sepulte a su difunta».
12 Entonces Abraham se inclinó delante del pueblo de aquella[j] tierra, 13 y a oídos del pueblo de aquella[k] tierra le habló a Efrón: «Le ruego que me oiga. Le daré el precio del campo. Acéptelo de mí, para que pueda sepultar allí a mi difunta».
14 Efrón respondió a Abraham: 15 «Señor mío, escúcheme: una tierra que vale 400 siclos(J) (4.56 kilos) de plata, ¿qué es eso entre usted y yo? Sepulte, pues, a su difunta». 16 Abraham escuchó a Efrón. Y Abraham pesó(K) la plata que este había mencionado a oídos de los hijos de Het: 400 siclos de plata, medida comercial[l].
17 Así el campo de Efrón que está en Macpela, frente a Mamre, el campo y la cueva que hay en él(L), y todos los árboles en el campo dentro de sus confines[m], fueron cedidos 18 a Abraham en propiedad a la vista de los hijos de Het, delante de todos los que entraban por la puerta de su ciudad(M). 19 Después de esto, Abraham sepultó a Sara su mujer en la cueva del campo de Macpela frente a Mamre, es decir, Hebrón, en la tierra de Canaán. 20 El campo y la cueva que hay en él fueron cedidos(N) a Abraham en posesión para una sepultura por los hijos de Het.
Footnotes
The Revised Standard Version of the Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1965, 1966 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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