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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]

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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”

23 Sarah lived one hundred twenty-seven years. This was the length of Sarah’s life. Sarah died in Kiriath Arba (also called Hebron), in the land of Canaan. Abraham came to mourn for Sarah, and to weep for her. Abraham rose up from before his dead and spoke to the children of Heth, saying, “I am a stranger and a foreigner living with you. Give me a possession of a burying-place with you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight.”

The children of Heth answered Abraham, saying to him, “Hear us, my lord. You are a prince of God among us. Bury your dead in the best of our tombs. None of us will withhold from you his tomb. Bury your dead.”

Abraham rose up, and bowed himself to the people of the land, to the children of Heth. He talked with them, saying, “If you agree that I should bury my dead out of my sight, hear me, and entreat for me to Ephron the son of Zohar, that he may sell me the cave of Machpelah, which he has, which is in the end of his field. For the full price let him sell it to me among you as a possession for a burial place.”

10 Now Ephron was sitting in the middle of the children of Heth. Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the hearing of the children of Heth, even of all who went in at the gate of his city, saying, 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 children of my people I give it to you. Bury your dead.”

12 Abraham bowed himself down before the people of the land. 13 He spoke to Ephron in the audience of the people of the land, saying, “But if you will, please hear me. I will give the price of the field. Take it from me, and I will bury my dead there.”

14 Ephron answered Abraham, saying to him, 15 “My lord, listen to me. What is a piece of land worth four hundred shekels of silver[a] between me and you? Therefore bury your dead.”

16 Abraham listened to Ephron. Abraham weighed to Ephron the silver which he had named in the hearing of the children of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, according to the current merchants’ standard.

17 So the field of Ephron, which was in Machpelah, which was before Mamre, the field, the cave which was in it, and all the trees that were in the field, that were in all of its borders, were deeded 18 to Abraham for a possession in the presence of the children of Heth, 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 Machpelah before Mamre (that is, Hebron), in the land of Canaan. 20 The field, and the cave that is in it, were deeded to Abraham by the children of Heth as a possession for a burial place.

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Footnotes

  1. 23:15 A shekel is about 10 grams, so 400 shekels would be about 4 kg. or 8.8 pounds.