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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.

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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

The Death of Sarah

23 Sarah lived to be a hundred and twenty-seven years old. She died at Kiriath Arba(A) (that is, Hebron)(B) in the land of Canaan, and Abraham went to mourn for Sarah and to weep over her.(C)

Then Abraham rose from beside his dead wife and spoke to the Hittites.[a](D) He said, “I am a foreigner and stranger(E) among you. Sell me some property for a burial site here so I can bury my dead.(F)

The Hittites replied to Abraham, “Sir, listen to us. You are a mighty prince(G) 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. He said to them, “If you are willing to let me bury my dead, then listen to me and intercede with Ephron son of Zohar(H) on my behalf so he will sell me the cave of Machpelah,(I) which belongs to him and is at the end of his field. Ask him to sell it to me for the full price as a burial site among you.”

10 Ephron the Hittite was sitting among his people and he replied to Abraham in the hearing of all the Hittites(J) who had come to the gate(K) of his city. 11 “No, my lord,” he said. “Listen to me; I give[b](L) you the field, and I give[c] you the cave that is in it. I give[d] it to you in the presence of my people. Bury your dead.”

12 Again Abraham bowed down before the people of the land 13 and he said to Ephron in their hearing, “Listen to me, if you will. I will pay the price of the field. Accept it from me so I can bury my dead there.”

14 Ephron answered Abraham, 15 “Listen to me, my lord; the land is worth four hundred shekels[e] of silver,(M) but what is that between you and me? Bury your dead.”

16 Abraham agreed to Ephron’s terms and weighed out for him the price he had named in the hearing of the Hittites: four hundred shekels of silver,(N) according to the weight current among the merchants.(O)

17 So Ephron’s field in Machpelah(P) near Mamre(Q)—both the field and the cave in it, and all the trees within the borders of the field—was deeded 18 to Abraham as his property(R) in the presence of all the Hittites(S) who had come to the gate(T) of the city. 19 Afterward Abraham buried his wife Sarah in the cave in the field of Machpelah(U) near Mamre (which is at Hebron(V)) in the land of Canaan.(W) 20 So the field and the cave in it were deeded(X) to Abraham by the Hittites as a burial site.(Y)

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Footnotes

  1. Genesis 23:3 Or the descendants of Heth; also in verses 5, 7, 10, 16, 18 and 20
  2. Genesis 23:11 Or sell
  3. Genesis 23:11 Or sell
  4. Genesis 23:11 Or sell
  5. Genesis 23:15 That is, about 10 pounds or about 4.6 kilograms