Genesis 23

Key Terms

Translator Notes

1. 'The years of the life of Sarah' (shenei chayyei Sarah) — the closing phrase repeats and summarizes the opening, a solemn literary envelope. The Hebrew breaks the number into three segments — 'one hundred years and twenty years and seven years' — with the word shanah ('year') repeated after each unit, which is unusual. The Midrash (Genesis Rabbah 58:1) famously interprets this: at one hundred she was like twenty in beauty, and at twenty she was like seven in sinlessness. Whether or not one follows the homiletical reading, the structure is deliberate and dignified, marking Sarah as the only woman in the Torah whose age at death is recorded.
2. Sarah is 127 years old. Since she was 90 when Isaac was born (17:17), Isaac is now 37. This chronological marker places the Akedah (chapter 22) shortly before Sarah's death in the narrative sequence, though the text does not explicitly connect the two events.

Key Terms

Translator Notes

1. 'To mourn for Sarah and to weep for her' (lispod leSarah velibkotah) — the two verbs represent distinct acts: saphad is the formal public lamentation (eulogy, mourning rites), while bakhah is the private, personal weeping. Abraham performs both: the public duty and the private grief. The order — formal mourning first, then weeping — may suggest that Abraham fulfilled the communal obligation before giving way to personal sorrow.
2. 'Kiriath-arba, that is, Hebron' (Qiryat Arba hi Chevron) — the narrator provides the later name for readers who would know the city as Hebron. Kiriath-arba means 'city of four' (or 'city of Arba'), possibly referring to a founder or to four associated settlements. Hebron, from the root ch-b-r ('to join, associate'), becomes one of the most significant sites in patriarchal history and later a Levitical city of refuge.
3. 'Abraham came' (vayyavo Avraham) — the verb implies Abraham was not present when Sarah died. He 'came' to her, suggesting he may have been at Beer-sheba (cf. 22:19) while Sarah remained at Hebron. This detail, understated in the narrative, adds pathos: Abraham arrives to find his wife already gone.

Translator Notes

1. 'Rose up from before his dead' (vayyaqom me'al penei meto) — the phrase 'his dead' (meto) is stark and tender. Sarah is now 'his dead' — the one who belongs to him even in death. Abraham rises from mourning to attend to the practical necessity of burial, a transition from grief to purposeful action. The verb qum ('to rise') marks a deliberate shift.
2. 'The sons of Heth' (benei-Chet) — the Hittites, descendants of Heth son of Canaan (10:15). These are the local inhabitants of Hebron with whom Abraham must negotiate. The entire negotiation that follows is conducted with remarkable formality and mutual courtesy, reflecting Ancient Near Eastern diplomatic conventions.

Key Terms

Translator Notes

1. 'A stranger and a sojourner' (ger vetoshav) — Abraham identifies himself with two terms: ger, a resident alien with some recognized status but no land rights, and toshav, a temporary dweller or settler. Together they express Abraham's paradoxical position: he lives among these people, has wealth and influence, yet owns no land. The man to whom God promised 'all this land' (13:15) must negotiate to purchase a burial plot. The theological irony is profound — the heir of the promise is still a landless alien.
2. 'A possession of a burial site' (achuzzat-qever) — the word achuzzah means a permanent holding, a secured property. Abraham does not ask for a temporary arrangement; he seeks permanent, legally binding ownership. This will become the first piece of the promised land that Abraham actually possesses — and it is acquired not for living but for dying.

Translator Notes

1. This verse introduces the Hittites' formal response to Abraham's request. The public nature of this exchange — conducted at the city gate before witnesses — is essential to the legal validity of any transaction that follows. Ancient Near Eastern land transfers required public witnesses to be binding.

Key Terms

Translator Notes

1. 'A prince of God' (nesi Elohim) — the Hittites bestow an extraordinary title on Abraham. Nasi means 'prince, chief, exalted one,' and Elohim here functions as a superlative: 'a prince of God' meaning 'a mighty prince,' 'a divinely great prince,' or possibly 'a prince before God.' The KJV's 'mighty prince' captures the superlative sense; the rendering retains the literal form to preserve the theological resonance. The Hittites recognize Abraham's stature even though he calls himself a mere ger.
2. 'In the choicest of our tombs' (bemivchar qevareinu) — mivchar means 'the best, the choicest, the select.' The Hittites offer Abraham premier burial sites. This appears generous, but in the context of ANE negotiation, it may be a polite deflection — offering use of existing tombs rather than selling land outright. Abraham, however, wants permanent ownership, not a favor.

Translator Notes

1. 'Bowed himself' (vayyishtachu) — the verb hishtachavah means to prostrate oneself, to bow low in respect. Abraham's bow is a gesture of honor and diplomatic courtesy, not worship. It is part of the formal protocol of negotiation. Despite being called 'a prince of God,' Abraham shows deference to the local community — a model of gracious humility in social dealings.
2. 'The people of the land' (am ha'arets) — here the phrase simply means the local inhabitants, the landed citizens. In later biblical and rabbinic usage, am ha'arets takes on different connotations, but here it designates those with legal standing to transact property.

Translator Notes

1. 'If it is your desire' (im yesh et-nafshekhem) — literally, 'if it is with your soul/desire.' The word nephesh here means 'will, desire, inclination.' Abraham frames his request as contingent on their goodwill, a masterstroke of diplomatic rhetoric. He does not presume; he asks whether they are truly willing.
2. 'Intercede for me with Ephron' (pig'u-li be'Efron) — the verb paga' means 'to meet, to encounter, to intercede.' Abraham asks the community to act as intermediaries in approaching Ephron specifically. He has a particular property in mind and uses the community as leverage, ensuring the transaction has public sanction. This is not random; Abraham knows exactly what he wants.

Key Terms

Translator Notes

1. 'The cave of Machpelah' (me'arat hammakhpelah) — the name Machpelah likely derives from the root k-p-l meaning 'to double,' suggesting either a double cave (two chambers), a cave on a doubled/folded piece of land, or a cave at the doubling of the terrain. This cave becomes the most important burial site in the patriarchal narrative: Sarah, Abraham, Isaac, Rebekah, Jacob, and Leah will all be buried here (49:29–31).
2. 'For the full price' (bekesef male) — literally, 'for full silver.' Abraham insists on paying the complete, fair market value. He will accept no discount or gift. This insistence on full payment ensures the transaction is legally unimpeachable — no one can later claim the property was merely lent, gifted conditionally, or that Abraham is indebted. The phrase reveals Abraham's determination to establish permanent, undisputed ownership.
3. 'In your presence' (betokhekem) — before witnesses. Abraham demands public transparency. The transaction must be witnessed by the community to have full legal force.

Translator Notes

1. 'Sitting among the sons of Heth' (yoshev betokh benei-Chet) — Ephron is present at the gate, among the assembled citizens. He is not summoned from elsewhere; he is already there. Whether this is coincidence or divine providence, the narrative does not say, but Ephron's presence means the negotiation can proceed immediately and publicly.
2. 'All who went in at the gate of his city' (lekhol ba'ei sha'ar iro) — the city gate was the place of public assembly, legal proceedings, and commercial transactions in the ancient Near East. Those who 'go in at the gate' are the adult male citizens with legal standing. The repeated emphasis on public witnesses (vv. 10, 13, 16, 18) underscores the legal formality of the transaction.

Translator Notes

1. Ephron's offer is rhetorically extravagant — he offers not just the cave but the entire field, and he repeats 'I give it' (natatti) three times. In Ancient Near Eastern negotiation, such public offers of generosity were expected as the opening position. They were not meant to be accepted at face value; rather, they elevated the offerer's social standing while initiating a bargaining process. The real price is yet to come.
2. 'The field I give to you, and the cave that is in it' — Ephron expands the transaction from the cave alone (which Abraham requested) to the cave plus the field. This seemingly generous addition may have practical and fiscal implications: owning the field could entail tax or feudal obligations that Ephron would be happy to transfer. By including the field, Ephron may be unburdening himself while appearing magnanimous.

Translator Notes

1. Abraham bows again — a second prostration (cf. v. 7). This repeated gesture of deference acknowledges the community's role as witnesses and shows respect for Ephron's offer, even though Abraham intends to decline the gift and insist on paying. The bow maintains diplomatic decorum as the negotiation continues.

Translator Notes

1. 'I will give the price of the field' (natatti kesef hassadeh) — Abraham counters Ephron's offer of a gift with an insistence on payment. The verb natatti ('I give/have given') mirrors Ephron's threefold natatti in v. 11 — but Abraham's 'giving' is of silver, not land. The verbal symmetry creates a polite but firm rebuttal: 'You offer to give; I insist on giving — money.'
2. 'Take it from me' (qach mimmenni) — the imperative qach ('take!') expresses urgency and determination. Abraham is not merely willing to pay; he positively insists that Ephron accept payment. This is a man who understands that a gift with strings attached is not true ownership.

Translator Notes

1. This brief transitional verse introduces Ephron's counter-offer. The negotiation has moved through its expected stages: Abraham's initial request (v. 4), the community's gracious response (vv. 5–6), Abraham's specific request for Machpelah (vv. 7–9), Ephron's offer of a gift (vv. 10–11), Abraham's insistence on paying (vv. 12–13), and now the price will be named.

Key Terms

Translator Notes

1. 'Four hundred shekels of silver' (arba me'ot sheqel-kesef) — Ephron names his price while pretending it is trivial: 'What is that between me and you?' The price, however, is extraordinarily high. For comparison, Jeremiah later bought a field at Anathoth for 17 shekels (Jeremiah 32:9), David bought the threshing floor of Araunah for 50 shekels (2 Samuel 24:24), and Omri purchased the hill of Samaria for two talents (about 6,000 shekels, but for a much larger parcel — 1 Kings 16:24). Four hundred shekels for a field with a cave is exorbitant. Ephron's affected nonchalance ('What is that between friends?') masks a shrewd asking price.
2. The rhetorical strategy is classic ANE bargaining: the extravagant offer of a gift (v. 11) was never truly meant to be accepted; it served to place Ephron in a position of magnanimity, from which he now names a very high price that Abraham can hardly refuse without appearing ungrateful.

Key Terms

Translator Notes

1. 'Abraham listened to Ephron' (vayyishma Avraham el-Efron) — Abraham accepts the price without haggling. This is remarkable. The expected pattern in ANE negotiation would include a counter-offer; Abraham's immediate acceptance signals that securing the property matters more to him than the price. He will not risk losing Machpelah over a few shekels.
2. 'Weighed out' (vayyishqol) — the verb shaqal ('to weigh') is the root of sheqel. Before coinage, silver was weighed on balance scales. The transaction is precise, public, and formal.
3. 'Current among the merchants' (over lassocher) — literally, 'passing to/for the merchant.' This phrase indicates silver of standard weight and purity, acceptable in commercial trade — not debased or underweight. Abraham pays in universally recognized currency, ensuring no dispute about the adequacy of payment.

Translator Notes

1. 'Was established' (vayyaqom) — the verb qum here means 'to arise, to stand, to be established/confirmed.' The field 'arose' — that is, it was legally confirmed, formally transferred. This is legal language indicating the completion of the transaction.
2. The detailed inventory — 'the field and the cave that is in it, and all the trees that are in the field, within all its borders all around' — reads like a property deed. The specificity mirrors Ancient Near Eastern real estate documents recovered from sites like Nuzi and Alalakh, which similarly enumerate the field, structures, trees, and boundaries. The biblical text preserves the legal precision of the original transaction.

Translator Notes

1. 'As Abraham's possession' (le'Avraham lemiqnah) — the word miqnah means 'a purchase, an acquisition, a possession obtained by buying.' The property is now formally Abraham's — not borrowed, not gifted, not lent, but purchased and legally secured.
2. 'In the presence of the sons of Heth, before all who went in at the gate of his city' — the final legal formula confirms the transaction before the full assembly of witnesses. Verses 17–18 together function as the deed of sale, formally recording the transfer. This is the first legal land acquisition in the Bible and the first tangible foothold of the Abrahamic promise in the land of Canaan.

Translator Notes

1. 'Abraham buried Sarah his wife' — the tenderness of this simple statement should not be overlooked. After the elaborate negotiation, the narrative returns to its emotional core: a husband burying his wife. The legal transaction was not an end in itself but a means to this deeply personal act of love and honor.
2. 'The cave of the field of Machpelah, before Mamre' — the full designation combines cave, field, and landmark (Mamre, where Abraham had long dwelt and where the LORD appeared to him in chapter 18). Sarah is buried near the place of divine encounter — the oaks of Mamre where three visitors announced Isaac's birth.

Translator Notes

1. 'Were established to Abraham as a possession for a burial site, from the sons of Heth' — the chapter ends as it began, with legal precision. The verb qum ('to be established') reaffirms the permanence of the transfer. The inclusion of 'from the sons of Heth' names the source of the property and the legal authority behind the transfer.
2. This closing verse is a summary statement that seals the chapter's central accomplishment: Abraham now owns land in Canaan. It is a burial plot — a place for death, not for building a city — yet it represents the first concrete fulfillment of the land promise. The entire promised land is anticipated in this single field. What begins as a grave becomes a claim, and what begins as mourning becomes a foundation for the future. Abraham, Isaac, Rebekah, Jacob, and Leah will all be gathered here (49:29–31; 50:13).