Commentaries Dictionaries Concordances

The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

Genesis 23:11-16

GENESIS—NOTE ON Genesis 23:11 Although Ephron first offers the field and cave to Abraham for free, this may not have been his true intention. The second time he offers it, he casually mentions what he would consider a fair price (v. Genesis 23:15). It is important that Abraham buy the property because that ensures that he has full legal title to the burial plot. Comparisons with 1 Kings 16:24 and Jeremiah 32:9 suggest that four hundred shekels of silver was a high price, although this cannot be known for sure, since the weight of a shekel could vary according to the weights current among the merchants.

⇐ ⇔ ⇒
Continues after advertising

See also Genesis 23:11-16 in other biblical comments:

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    - The Death of Sarah 2. ארבע קרית _qı̂ryat_-_'arba‛_, “Qirjath-arba‘, city of Arba.” ארבע _'arba‛_, “Arba‘, four.” 8. עפרון _‛__eprôn_, “‘Ephron, of the dust, or resembling a calf.”...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    CHAPTER 23 THE DEATH OF SARAH _ 1. Sarah dies (Genesis 23:1)_ 2. The grave obtained (Genesis 23:3) 3. The burial of Sarah (Genesis 23:19) We call the attention to the typical meaning of the death

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    GENESIS 23. ABRAHAM PURCHASES THE CAVE OF MACHPELAH AS A BURYING-PLACE OF SARAH. This chapter belongs to P, as is shown by its legal precision and the wordiness of its style, by numerous characteristi...

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    GIVE I. Hebrew have. given. Figure of speech _Antimereia_ (of Verb), past for present....

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    _the field give I thee_, &c. As in Genesis 23:6, we have here the complimentary style of bargaining. Observe the successive stages: Abraham in Genesis 23:9 asks to buy the cave only; Ephron in Genesis...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    PART THIRTY-FIVE THE STORY OF ABRAHAM: HIS PROVISIONS FOR POSTERITY Genesis 23:1 to Genesis 25:18 1. _Provision of a Burial Place_ (Genesis 23:1-20) 1 And the life of Sarah was a hundred and seven

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    _NAY, MY LORD, HEAR ME: THE FIELD GIVE I THEE, AND THE CAVE THAT IS THEREIN, I GIVE IT THEE; IN THE PRESENCE OF THE SONS OF MY PEOPLE GIVE I IT THEE: BURY THY DEAD._ Ephron answered, Nay, my lord, .....

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    DEATH OF SARAH AND PURCHASE OF THE BURYINGPLACE OF MACHPELAH BY ABRAHAM This section is from the Priestly source and dwells on the legal transaction....

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    Ephron said that he gave the field to Abraham. He said that Abraham should not pay for it. But Ephron and Abraham both knew that Abraham would pay....

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    GOD’S ANCIENT PEOPLE GENESIS _ALUN OWEN_ CHAPTER 23 ABRAHAM BUYS A FIELD V1 Sarah lived for 127 years. That was the number of years of her life. V2 Sarah died in Kiriath-arba in the country that...

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    THE FIELD GIVE I THEE. — Only the cave had! been mentioned, but for its quiet possession the land around was necessary. In the thrice repeated “give I it thee,” there is the same courtly idea as in Ge...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    לֹֽא ־אֲדֹנִ֣י שְׁמָעֵ֔נִי הַ שָּׂדֶה֙ נָתַ֣תִּי...

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    PURCHASE OF MACHPELAH Genesis 23:1 IT may be supposed to be a needless observation that our life is greatly influenced by the fact that it speedily and certainly ends in death. But it might be intere...

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    ABRAHAM BUYS A BURIAL PLACE Genesis 23:1 Death is an ever-constant monitor that this world is not our home. We rise up from before our dead to confess that we are only strangers and sojourners on the...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    We now see Abraham in the midst of personal sorrow, which reveals his character in a remarkable way. Sarah, who had ever been to him a princess, was now taken from his side, which meant the loss of th...

  • Gary Hampton Commentaries

    SARAH'S DEATH Sarah died in Kirjath Arba, which was known to the Jews as Hebron, at the age of one hundred twenty-seven (Genesis 23:1-2). Peter considers her to be the mother of all faithful women who...

  • Introductory Lectures - Commentary by William Kelly

    We have had hitherto God's account of that which He had made; then the trial and utter ruin of the creature, with the revelation of divine mercy in Christ the Lord. We have had in fine the judgment of...

  • John Calvin's Bible Commentary

    11._Hear me_. Although Ephron earnestly insisted upon giving the field freely to Abraham, the holy man adheres to his purpose, and at length compels him, by his entreaties, to sell the field. Ephron,...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    THE FOLLOWING COMMENTARY COVERS CHAPTER S 22, 23, AND 24. But on this introduction of the heir, he necessarily becomes the main subject; and chapter 22 opens with it: "It came to pass after these thin...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    NAY, MY LORD, HEAR ME,.... Or not so, my lord, as Aben Ezra paraphrases it; not that he denied his request entirely, or refused him the cave at any rate, but that he should not buy it of him, he would...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    Nay, my lord, hear me: the field give I thee, and the cave that [is] therein, I give it thee; in the presence of the sons of my people give I it thee: bury thy dead. Ver. 11. _The field give I thee,...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _The field I give thee_ Thus Ephron manifests his generosity. So far was he from needing to be entreated to _sell_ it, that, upon the first mention, he freely gives it. _In the presence of my people_...

  • KJV Original Language Details

    1 The age and death of Sarah. 3 The purchase of Machpelah, 19 where Sarah was buried. 1 AND Sarah was an hundred and seuen and twenty yeeres olde: these were the yeeres of the life of Sarah. 2 And...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    Nay, my lord, hear me: the field give I thee, and the cave that is therein, I give it thee; in the presence of the sons of my people give I it thee; bury thy dead. The same Oriental politeness continu...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    The Purchase of Machpelah...

  • Lange's Commentary on the Holy Scriptures

    ELEVENTH SECTION _The sorrows and joys of Abraham’s domestic life. The account and genealogy of those at home. Sarah’s death. Her burial-place at Hebron; the seed of the future inheritance of Canaan....

  • Leslie M. Grant's Commentary on the Bible

    THE DEATH AND BURIAL OF SARAH The time arrives for Sarah's death at the age of 127 years. This illustrates another lesson as regards the aftermath of the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus. Sarah is typical...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    1-13 The longest life must shortly come to a close. Blessed be God that there is a world where sin, death, vanity, and vexation cannot enter. Blessed be his name, that even death cannot part believer...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    No text from Poole on this verse....

  • Notes on the Pentateuch by Charles Henry Mackintosh

    This little section of inspiration furnishes much sweet and profitable instruction to the soul. In it the Holy Spirit sets before us a beautiful exhibition of the mode in which the man of faith should...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Genesis 23:11 No H3808 lord H113 hear H8085 (H8798) give H5414 (H8804) field H7704 cave H4631 give...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    ‘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 lo...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: Death of Sarah. Burial in cave of Machpelah. CHARACTERS: Sarah, Abraham, sons of Heth, Ephron. CONCLUSION: Although the man of faith knows that in the resurrection glory he shall be heir to...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    Genesis 23:4. _A burying-place._ Abraham believed in a future state; therefore he, as well as the other patriarchs, buried his dead. Joseph, actuated by this belief, gave commandment for his bones to...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _Abraham buried Sarah his wife_ ABRAHAM BURYING HIS DEAD I. CONSIDER HIM AS A MAN. II. CONSIDER HIM AS A MAN OF BUSINESS. 1. His independence (Genesis 23:4; Genesis 23:6). 2. His exactness ...

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    CRITICAL NOTES.— Genesis 23:3. Stood up from before his dead.] “Abraham must be thought of as ‘weeping over the face’ of Sarah (2 Kings 13:14), and he rise sup _from the face of his dead._” (_Alford.)...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION GENESIS 23:1 AND SARAH WAS AN HUNDRED AND SEVEN AND TWENTY YEARS OLD (literally, and _the lives of Sarah were an hundred and twenty and seven years_);_ _so that Isaac must have been thirty...

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    And so Sarah was a hundred and twenty-seven years old. And she died in Kirjatharba; the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan: and Abraham came to mourn for Sarah (Genesis 23:1-2), Now evidently Abrah...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    my lord. Genesis 23:6 2 Samuel 24:20 1 Chronicles 21:22 Isaiah 32:8 in the....

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    The field give I thee — Abraham thought he must be intreated to sell it, but upon the first mention, without intreaty, he freely gives it....

Continues after advertising