Add parallel Print Page Options

A Burial Place for Sarah

23 Sarah lived for 127 years. That’s how long Sarah’s life was. She died in Kiriath-arba (that is, in Hebron) in the land of Canaan. Abraham went in[a] to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her. Then Abraham stood up from beside his dead wife[b] and addressed the Hittites. He said, “I am an alien and an outsider among you. Give me a cemetery among you where I can bury my dead away from my presence.”

The Hittites responded to Abraham, “Listen to us, sir.[c] You are a mighty prince[d] among us. Bury your dead in the choicest of our burial tombs. None of us would refuse you his tomb for burying your dead.”

Abraham rose and bowed before the Hittites, the people of the land, and addressed them, “If you are willing that I should bury my dead out of my sight, listen to me and make a request of Zohar’s son Ephron on my behalf. Give me the cave of Machpelah that belongs to him, at the end of his field. He should sell[e] it to me in your presence at full price for a burial site.”

10 Now since Ephron the Hittite had taken a seat there among the Hittites, he responded publicly to Abraham where the Hittites and everyone who was entering the gate of his city could hear him: 11 “No, sir.[f] Listen to me! I’ll give you the field, and I’ll give you the cave that’s in it. I give it to you publicly, in the sight of my people. Bury your dead.”

12 Abraham bowed before the people of the land 13 and then addressed Ephron so all the people of the land could hear him: “Please listen to me! I’m willing to pay the price of the field. Accept it from me, so I may bury my dead there.”

14 So Ephron answered Abraham, 15 “Sir,[g] listen to me! The land is worth 400 shekels of silver, but what’s that between us? You may bury your dead.”

16 Abraham agreed with Ephron, so he[h] weighed out to Ephron the money to which he had agreed publicly while the Hittites were listening: 400 shekels of silver at the current merchant rate.

17 That’s how Ephron’s field in Machpelah, east of[i] Mamre—the field, the cave that was in it, and all the trees that were within the boundaries of[j] the field—came to be deeded 18 to Abraham in the presence of all the Hittites and everyone who was entering the city gate. 19 After this, Abraham buried his wife Sarah in the cave at the field of Machpelah, east of Mamre (that is, in Hebron) in the land of Canaan. 20 And so the field with its cave was deeded by the Hittites to Abraham as a burial site.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 23:2 I.e. into Sarah’s tent
  2. Genesis 23:3 The Heb. lacks wife
  3. Genesis 23:6 Lit. us, my lord
  4. Genesis 23:6 MT reads a prince of God; LXX reads a king of God
  5. Genesis 23:9 Lit. give
  6. Genesis 23:11 Lit. No, my lord
  7. Genesis 23:15 Lit. My lord
  8. Genesis 23:16 Lit. Abraham
  9. Genesis 23:17 Lit. which faces or is before
  10. Genesis 23:17 Lit. within the area around

Sarah’s Death and Burial

23 And Sarah lived[a] one hundred and twenty-seven years; these were the years of the life of Sarah. And Sarah died in Kiriath Arba; that is Hebron, in the land of Canaan. And Abraham went to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her. And Abraham rose up from his dead, and he spoke to the Hittites[b] and said, “I am a stranger and an alien among you; give to me my own burial site[c] among you so that I may bury my dead from before me.” And the Hittites[d] answered Abraham and said to him, “Hear us, my lord, you are a mighty prince[e] in our midst. Bury your dead in the choicest of our burial sites. None of us will withhold his burial site[f] from you for burying your dead.” And Abraham rose up and bowed to the people of the land, to the Hittites.[g] And he spoke with them, saying, “If you are willing[h] that I bury my dead from before me, hear me and intercede for me with Ephron the son of Zohar, that he may sell[i] to me the cave of Machpelah which belongs to him,[j] which is at the end of his field. At full value let him sell[k] it to me in your midst as a burial site.”[l] 10 Now Ephron was sitting among the Hittites.[m] And Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the hearing of the Hittites[n] with respect to all who were entering the gate of his city, and said, 11 “No, my lord, hear me. I give you the field and the cave which is in it, I also give it to you in the sight of the children 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 only you will hear me[o]—I give the price of the field. Take it from me that I may bury my dead there.” 14 And Ephron answered Abraham, saying to him, 15 “My lord, hear me. A piece of land worth four hundred shekels of silver—what is that between me and you? Bury your dead.” 16 Then Abraham listened to Ephron, and Abraham weighed for Ephron the silver that he had named[p] in the hearing of the Hittites:[q] four hundred shekels of silver at the merchants’ current rate.[r] 17 So the field of Ephron which was in the Machpelah, which was near Mamre—the field and the cave which was in it, with all the trees that were in the field, which were within all its surrounding boundaries—passed[s] 18 to Abraham as a property in the presence of the Hittites,[t] with respect to all who were entering the gate of his city. 19 And thus afterward Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah near Mamre; that is Hebron, in the land of Canaan. 20 And the field and the cave which was in it passed[u] to Abraham as a burial site[v] from the Hittites.[w]

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 23:1 Literally “the lives of Sarah were”
  2. Genesis 23:3 Or “sons of Heth”
  3. Genesis 23:4 Literally “ownership of a grave”
  4. Genesis 23:5 Or “sons of Heth”
  5. Genesis 23:6 Or “prince of God”
  6. Genesis 23:6 Literally “will withhold from himself his burial site
  7. Genesis 23:7 Or “sons of Heth”
  8. Genesis 23:8 Literally “if there is with your inner selves / souls”
  9. Genesis 23:9 Or “give”
  10. Genesis 23:9 Literally “which is to him”
  11. Genesis 23:9 Or “give”
  12. Genesis 23:9 Literally “ownership of a grave”
  13. Genesis 23:10 Or “sons of Heth”
  14. Genesis 23:10 Or “sons of Heth”
  15. Genesis 23:13 Literally “Only if you perhaps hear me”
  16. Genesis 23:16 Or “spoken”
  17. Genesis 23:16 Or “sons of Heth”
  18. Genesis 23:16 Literally “passing to the merchant”
  19. Genesis 23:17 Literally “went up”
  20. Genesis 23:18 Or “sons of Heth”
  21. Genesis 23:20 Literally “went up”
  22. Genesis 23:20 Literally “ownership of a grave”
  23. Genesis 23:20 Or “sons of Heth”