Genesis 23

The Death and Burial of Sarah

¹Sarah lived one hundred twenty-seven years. This was the length of Sarah’s life.

²Sarah died in Kiriath Arba (also called Hebron), in the land of Canaan. Abraham came to mourn for Sarah, and to weep for her.

³Abraham rose up from before his dead and spoke to the children of Heth, saying,

⁴“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.”

⁵The children of Heth answered Abraham, saying to him,

⁶“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.”

⁷Abraham rose up, and bowed himself to the people of the land, to the children of Heth.

⁸He 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,

⁹that 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.”

¹⁰Now 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,

¹¹“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.”

¹²Abraham bowed himself down before the people of the land.

¹³He 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.”

¹⁴Ephron answered Abraham, saying to him,

¹⁵“My lord, listen to me. What is a piece of land worth four hundred shekels of silver between me and you? Therefore bury your dead.”

¹⁶Abraham 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.

¹⁷So 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

¹⁸to Abraham for a possession in the presence of the children of Heth, before all who went in at the gate of his city.

¹⁹After this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah before Mamre (that is, Hebron), in the land of Canaan.

²⁰The field, and the cave that is in it, were deeded to Abraham by the children of Heth as a possession for a burial place.

Previous Genesis 22

Next Genesis 24

Sarah dies at age 127 in Hebron, and Abraham seeks to purchase a burial place for her from the local Hittites. Through careful negotiation with Ephron, Abraham acquires the cave of Machpelah and its surrounding field for 400 shekels of silver, establishing the first piece of Promised Land legally owned by his family. This transaction represents both Abraham's grief as a husband and his faith in God's promises, as he secures a permanent foothold in Canaan for future generations.

Context

This chapter marks the end of Sarah's role in the covenant narrative and sets up Abraham's concern for securing Isaac's future through marriage in chapter 24.

Key Themes

Outline

1-2
Sarah's Death Sarah dies at 127 years old in Hebron, and Abraham mourns for his wife.
3-6
Initial Request for Burial Ground Abraham asks the Hittites for a burial place, and they offer him the best of their tombs.
7-9
Specific Request for Machpelah Abraham politely declines the gift and requests to purchase Ephron's cave of Machpelah.
10-15
Negotiation with Ephron Ephron offers the field as a gift, but Abraham insists on paying the full price of 400 shekels.
16-20
Purchase and Burial Abraham pays for the property, receives legal title, and buries Sarah in the cave.

The Death and Burial of Sarah

23:1–23:20

narrative dialogue mournful

Sarah dies at 127 years old, and Abraham negotiates with the Hittites to purchase the cave of Machpelah as a burial place. This establishes the first piece of Promised Land legally owned by Abraham's family.

person_contrast

Abraham's elaborate negotiation to purchase Sarah's burial site marks his only recorded business transaction, transforming him from nomadic covenant-bearer to legal landowner in Canaan.

Insight Character Study

Abraham's elaborate negotiation to purchase Sarah's burial site marks his only recorded business transaction, transforming him from nomadic covenant-bearer to legal landowner in Canaan.

Cross-References

Connected passages across Scripture

Genesis 23:2 1 reference

Lexicals 1

Genesis 35:27 Lexical

Jacob came to Isaac his father, to Mamre, to Kiriath Arba (which is Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac lived as foreigners…

Genesis 23

The Death and Burial of Sarah

The Death and Burial of Sarah

Insights

Cross-References

Genesis 23:2 1 reference

Genesis 23:4 2 references

Genesis 23:8 1 reference

Genesis 23:9 4 references

Genesis 23:10 2 references

Genesis 23:11 3 references

Genesis 23:13 3 references

Genesis 23:15 2 references

Genesis 23:16 3 references

Genesis 23:17 4 references

Genesis 23:19 5 references

Genesis 23:20 4 references

Interlinear

Historical Context