The First Book of Moses: Genesis

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- Chapter 23 -

Now Sarah lived for one hundred and twenty-seven years.

And she died in the city of Arba, which is Hebron, in the land of Canaan. And Abraham came to mourn and weep for her.

And when he had risen up from the funeral duties, he spoke to the sons of Heth, saying:

“I am a newcomer and a sojourner among you. Give me the right of a sepulcher among you, so that I may bury my dead.”

The sons of Heth responded by saying:

“Hear us, O lord, you are a leader of God among us. Bury your dead in our chosen sepulchers. And no man shall be able to prohibit you from burying your dead within his memorial.”

Abraham arose, and he reverenced the people of the land, namely, the sons of Heth.(a)

And he said to them: “If it pleases your soul that I should bury my dead, hear me, and intercede on my behalf with Ephron, the son of Zohar,

so that he may give me the double cave, which he has at the far end of his field. He may transfer it to me for as much money as it is worth in your sight, for the possession of a sepulcher.”

Now Ephron dwelt in the midst of the sons of Heth. And Ephron responded to Abraham in the hearing of everyone who was entering at the gate of his city, saying:

“Let it never be so, my lord, but you should pay greater heed to what I say. The field I will transfer to you, and the cave that is in it. In the presence of the sons of my people, bury your dead.”

Abraham reverenced in the sight of the people of the land.

And he spoke to Ephron, standing in the midst of the people: “I ask you to hear me. I will give you money for the field. Take it, and so I will bury my dead in it.”

And Ephron responded: “My lord, hear me.

The land that you request is worth four hundred shekels of silver. This is the price between me and you. But how much is this? Bury your dead.”

And when Abraham had heard this, he weighed out the money that Ephron had requested, in the hearing of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, of the approved public currency.

And having confirmed that the field, in which there was a double cave overlooking Mamre, formerly belonged to Ephron, both it and the sepulcher, and all its trees, with all its surrounding limits,

Abraham took it as a possession, in the sight of the sons of Heth and of everyone who was entering at the gate of his city.

So then, Abraham buried his wife Sarah in the double cave of the field that overlooked Mamre. This is Hebron in the land of Canaan.

And the field was confirmed to Abraham, with the cave that was in it, as a memorial possession before the sons of Heth.

Footnotes

(a)23:7 Bowed down to the people:Adoravit, literally adored. But this word here, as well as in many other places in the Latin scriptures, is used to signify only an inferior honour and reverence paid to men, expressed by a bowing down of the body.(Challoner)

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.”

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,

“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.”

Abraham bowed himself down before the people of the land.

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.”

Ephron answered Abraham, saying to him,

“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.”

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.

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

to Abraham for a possession in the presence of the children of Heth, before all who went in at the gate of his city.

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.

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.

Footnotes

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