THE PURCHASE OF LAND FOR A POSSESSION INCLUSIVE OF A BURIAL PLACE (GENESIS 23). This chapter was originally a tablet on its own. It is the record of the business transaction between Abraham and Ephron the Hittite and bears the marks of a typical Hittite contract. But as far as the compiler is conce... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And the life of Sarah was one hundred and twenty seven years. These were the years of the life of Sarah.' As mentioned of ages before, this age may not necessarily be intended literally (see on Genesis 5). It is one of those ending in seven as with Ishmael (Genesis 25:17) and Jacob (Genesis 47:28)... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And Sarah died in Kiriath Arba (the same is Hebron) in the land of Canaan, and Abraham came to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her.' We are not told why Sarah happened to be in Hebron. It had previously been a place occupied by the family tribe and a sanctuary had been established there (Genesis 1... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And Abraham rose up from before his dead and spoke to the children of Heth, saying, “I am a stranger and a sojourner with you. Give me a possession of a burial place with you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight”.' Abraham seeks out the leadership of the people of the land at the city gate (Ge... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And the children of Heth answered Abraham, saying, “Hear us, my lord. You are a mighty prince among us. In the choice of our sepulchres bury your dead. None of us will withhold from you his sepulchre, but that you may bury your dead”.' Their reply, while couched in polite oriental terms, gives con... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And Abraham rose up and bowed himself to the people of the land, even to the people of Heth, and he entered negotiations with them saying, “If it be your mind 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 give me the cave of Machpel... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Now Ephron was sitting among the children of Heth. And Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the hearing of the children of Heth, even of all that 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 son... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And Abraham bowed himself down before the people of the land, and he spoke to Ephron in the hearing of the people of the land, saying, “But if you will, I pray you, hear me. I will give the price of the field. Take it of me and I will bury my dead there”.' With full acknowledgement to the elders A... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And Ephron answered Abraham, saying to him, “My lord, hear me. A piece of land worth four hundred shekels of silver, what is that between me and you. Therefore bury your dead ”.' Ephron seemingly offhandedly, but really in deadly earnest, names his price and it appears to be a stiff one. Omri will... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And Abraham listened to Ephron, and Abraham weighed for Ephron the silver which he had named in the hearing of the children of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, according to the weights current with the merchant.' Abraham feels the price well worth paying. We have here a demonstration of how r... [ Continue Reading ]
‘So the field of Ephron which was in Machpelah, which was before Mamre, the field and the cave which was in it, and all the trees that were in the field, that were in all the border of it round about, were made sure unto Abraham for a possession in the presence of the children of Heth, before all th... [ Continue Reading ]
‘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. And the field and the cave that is in it were made sure to Abraham for a possession of a burial place by the children of Heth.' The record summarises with sat... [ Continue Reading ]