A² X¹ 23:1-20. Death of Sarah. X² 24:1-67. Marriage of Isaac.
X¹ i 23:1,2. Death of Sarah.
k 3-18. Abraham's Treaty for burying-place.
i 19. Burial of Sarah.
k 20. Ratification of Treaty.Genesis 23)
1 And Sarah was 127 years old (The only woman whose age is mentioned in the Bible. In 22:23 Rebekah is mentioned: one sun rising before the other sets): these were the years of the life of Sarah.
1859 B.C.
2 And Sarah died in Kirjath-arba (=the city of the four); the same is Hebron (=alliance) in the land of Canaan: and Abraham came to mourn for Sarah, and to weep for her.
k l¹ 3,4. Request. m¹ 5,6. Grant. l² 7-9. Request. m² 10,11. Grant. l³ 12,13. Request. m³ 14-18. Purchase.
3 And Abraham stood up leaning over the face of his dead, and spoke to the sons of Heth, saying,
4 "I am (cp. "you are" v.6) a stranger and a sojourner with you (cp. 1 Pet. 2:11. Ps. 39:12): give me a burying-place with you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight."
5 And the sons of Heth answered Abraham saying to him,
6 "Hear us, my lord: you are a mighty prince among us (Heb. prince of El, Gen. of relation, for Adjective. Cp. Ps. 36:7; 80:10); in the choice of our sepulcher bury your dead; one of us shall withhold from you his sepulcher, but you may bury your dead."
7 And Abraham stood up, and bowed himself to the people of the land, even to the children of Heth.
8 And he communed with them saying, "If it be your mind (soul) 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 Machpelah (= double, or a portion), which he has, which is in the end of the field; for as much silver as it is worth he shall give it to me for a possession of a burying-place among you." (What Jacob bought-33:19,21-was for an altar)
10 And Ephron (= fawn-like) was sitting there among the sons of Heth: and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the audience of the children of Heth, even of all that went in at the gate of his city (So there was plenty of witnesses to this "Treaty"), saying,
11 "No, my lord, hear me: the field have I given you (Fig. of speech, the past for the present); in the presence of the sons of my people have I given you: bury your dead."
12 And Abraham bowed down himself before the people of the land.
13 And he spoke to Ephron in the audience of the people of the land, saying, "But if you will give it, I pray you, hear me: I will give you money for the field; take it from me, and I will bury my dead there."
14 And Ephron answered Abraham, saying to him,
15 "My lord, hear me: the land is worth 400 sheckels of silver (about $250); what is that between me and you? bury therefore your dead."
16 And Abraham listened to Ephron; and Abraham weighed to Ephron the silver, which he had named in the audience of the sons of Heth, 400 sheckles of silver, current money with the merchant.
17 And the field of Ephron, which was in Machpelah, was before Mamre, the field, and the cave which was therein, and all the borders round about, were made sure.
18 To Abraham for a possession in the presence of the children of Heth, even before all that went in at the gate of his city.
19 And after this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah before Mamre the same is
Hebron in the land of Canaan.
20 And the field, and the cave that is therein, were made sure (this is in strict conformity with the commercial enactments of the "Code of Khumurrabi") to Abraham for a possession of a burying-place (All that Abraham possessed; but in the faith and hope of resurrection) by the sons of Heth. (This area a source of great contention today. But Abraham did buy it, it was passed down to Jacob/Israel and they own it to this day. It was never sold back!)