Genesis 23
International Standard Version
A Burial Place for Sarah
23 Sarah lived for 127 years. That’s how long Sarah’s life was. 2 She died in Kiriath-arba (that is, in Hebron) in the land of Canaan. Abraham went in[a] to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her. 3 Then Abraham stood up from beside his dead wife[b] and addressed the Hittites. He said, 4 “I am an alien and an outsider among you. Give me a cemetery among you where I can bury my dead away from my presence.”
5 The Hittites responded to Abraham, 6 “Listen to us, sir.[c] You are a mighty prince[d] among us. Bury your dead in the choicest of our burial tombs. None of us would refuse you his tomb for burying your dead.”
7 Abraham rose and bowed before the Hittites, the people of the land, 8 and addressed them, “If you are willing that I should bury my dead out of my sight, listen to me and make a request of Zohar’s son Ephron on my behalf. 9 Give me the cave of Machpelah that belongs to him, at the end of his field. He should sell[e] it to me in your presence at full price for a burial site.”
10 Now since Ephron the Hittite had taken a seat there among the Hittites, he responded publicly to Abraham where the Hittites and everyone who was entering the gate of his city could hear him: 11 “No, sir.[f] Listen to me! I’ll give you the field, and I’ll give you the cave that’s in it. I give it to you publicly, in the sight of my people. Bury your dead.”
12 Abraham bowed before the people of the land 13 and then addressed Ephron so all the people of the land could hear him: “Please listen to me! I’m willing to pay the price of the field. Accept it from me, so I may bury my dead there.”
14 So Ephron answered Abraham, 15 “Sir,[g] listen to me! The land is worth 400 shekels of silver, but what’s that between us? You may bury your dead.”
16 Abraham agreed with Ephron, so he[h] weighed out to Ephron the money to which he had agreed publicly while the Hittites were listening: 400 shekels of silver at the current merchant rate.
17 That’s how Ephron’s field in Machpelah, east of[i] Mamre—the field, the cave that was in it, and all the trees that were within the boundaries of[j] the field—came to be deeded 18 to Abraham in the presence of all the Hittites and everyone who was entering the city gate. 19 After this, Abraham buried his wife Sarah in the cave at the field of Machpelah, east of Mamre (that is, in Hebron) in the land of Canaan. 20 And so the field with its cave was deeded by the Hittites to Abraham as a burial site.
Footnotes
- Genesis 23:2 I.e. into Sarah’s tent
- Genesis 23:3 The Heb. lacks wife
- Genesis 23:6 Lit. us, my lord
- Genesis 23:6 MT reads a prince of God; LXX reads a king of God
- Genesis 23:9 Lit. give
- Genesis 23:11 Lit. No, my lord
- Genesis 23:15 Lit. My lord
- Genesis 23:16 Lit. Abraham
- Genesis 23:17 Lit. which faces or is before
- Genesis 23:17 Lit. within the area around
Genesis 23
New King James Version
Sarah’s Death and Burial
23 Sarah lived one hundred and twenty-seven years; these were the years of the life of Sarah. 2 So Sarah died in (A)Kirjath Arba (that is, (B)Hebron) in the land of Canaan, and Abraham came to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her.
3 Then Abraham stood up from before his dead, and spoke to the sons of (C)Heth, saying, 4 (D)“I am a foreigner and a visitor among you. (E)Give me property for a burial place among 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 (F)a [a]mighty prince among us; bury your dead in the choicest of our burial places. None of us will withhold from you his burial place, that you may bury your dead.”
7 Then Abraham stood up and bowed himself to the people of the land, the sons of Heth. 8 And he spoke with them, saying, “If it is your wish that I bury my dead out of my sight, hear me, and [b]meet with Ephron the son of Zohar for me, 9 that he may give me the cave of (G)Machpelah which he has, which is at the end of his field. Let him give it to me at the full price, as property for a burial place among you.”
10 Now Ephron dwelt among the sons of Heth; and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the presence of the sons of Heth, all who (H)entered at the gate of his city, saying, 11 (I)“No, my lord, hear me: I give you the field and the cave that is in it; I give it to you in the presence of the sons of my people. I give it to you. Bury your dead!”
12 Then Abraham bowed himself down before the people of the land; 13 and he spoke to Ephron in the hearing of the people of the land, saying, “If you will give it, please 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, listen to me; the land is worth four hundred (J)shekels of silver. What is that between you and me? So bury your dead.” 16 And Abraham listened to Ephron; and Abraham (K)weighed out the silver for Ephron which he had named in the hearing of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, currency of the merchants.
17 So (L)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, which were within all the surrounding borders, were deeded 18 to Abraham as a possession in the presence of the sons of Heth, before all who 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 (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan. 20 So the field and the cave that is in it (M)were deeded to Abraham by the sons of Heth as property for a burial place.
Footnotes
- Genesis 23:6 Lit. prince of God
- Genesis 23:8 entreat
Copyright © 1995-2014 by ISV Foundation. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. Used by permission of Davidson Press, LLC.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
