Sarah Dies

23 Sarah lived to be one hundred twenty-seven years old [^Lsuch were the years of Sarah’s life]. ² She died in Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron [^Ccity nineteen miles south of Jerusalem]) in the land of Canaan. Abraham ·was very sad [mourned] and cried because of her. ³ After a while he got up from the side of his ·wife’s body [^Ldead] and went to talk to the Hittites [^Cone of the many groups that made up the population of Canaan at the time, notable in that they were not Semitic as the others were]. He said, ⁴ “I am only a ·stranger [sojourner; wanderer; resident alien] and a ·foreigner [settler; ^Cthe combination of terms indicates a resident alien] here. Sell me some ·of your land [property for a burial place] so that I can bury my ·dead wife [^Ldead].”

⁵ The Hittites answered Abraham, ⁶ “·Sir [My lord], you are a ·great leader [mighty prince; or prince of God; ^Ca man of wealth and power even though he owned no land] among us. You may have the ·best [choicest] place we have to bury your dead. You may have any of our burying places that you want, and none of us will stop you from burying your ·dead wife [^Ldead].”

⁷ Abraham rose and bowed to the people of the land, the Hittites. ⁸ He said to them, “If you truly ·want to help me [are willing for me to] bury my ·dead wife [^Ldead] here, ·speak to [entreat] Ephron, the son of Zohar for me. ⁹ Ask him to sell me the cave of Machpelah at the edge of his field. I will pay him the full price. You can be the witnesses that I am buying it as a burial place.”

¹⁰ Ephron was sitting among the Hittites at the city gate [^Cplace where commercial transactions took place]. He answered Abraham [^Lin the hearing of the Hittites], ¹¹ “No, ·sir [my Lord]. [^LHear me,] I will give you the ·land [field] and the cave that is in it, with these people as witnesses. Bury your ·dead wife [^Ldead].”

¹² Then Abraham bowed down before the ·Hittites [^Lpeople of the land]. ¹³ He said to Ephron ·before [^Lin the hearing of] all the people, “·Please let me [^LListen to me. I will] pay you the full price for the field. Accept my money, and I will bury my dead there.”

¹⁴ Ephron answered Abraham, ¹⁵ “·Sir [My Lord], [^LListen to me,] the land is worth ·ten pounds [^L400 shekels] of silver, ·but I won’t argue with you over the price [^Lwhat is that between you and me?]. Take the land, and bury your ·dead wife [^Ldead].”

¹⁶ Abraham ·agreed [listened] and paid Ephron in front of the Hittite witnesses. He weighed out the full price, ·ten pounds [^L400 shekels] of silver, and they counted the weight as the traders normally did.

So Ephron’s field in Machpelah, east of Mamre, was sold. Abraham became the owner of the field, the cave in it, and all the trees that were in the field. The sale was made at the city gate, with the Hittites as witnesses [^Cthe first land actually owned by Abraham]. ¹⁹ After this, Abraham buried his wife Sarah in the cave in the field of Machpelah, near Mamre. (Mamre was later called Hebron in the land of Canaan.) ²⁰ So Abraham bought the field and the cave in it from the Hittites to use as a burying place.