Genesis 23

Sarah dieth and is bemoaned by Abraham verse 1 Abraham doth solemnely purchase the field of Ephron the Hethite with the cave of Machpela for a hereditary burying place and there he burieth his wife Sarah 19.

1. And the life of Sarah was an hundred and twenty seven years those were the years of the life of Sarah.

2. And Sarah died at Kiarth-arba [others in the city of Arba some do hold it had a name of this giant so called the builder thereof see Joshua 14:15 and 15.13] this is Hebron [a city afterwards allotted to the tribe of Judah lying not far from the Oak-field of Mamre where Abraham had lived a long time see further above chapter 13 on verse 18] in the land of Canaan and Abraham came [viz. into the tent of his wife see above chapter 18.6,9] for to bemoan Sarah and bewail her [this was an ancient custom amongst the godly to manifest their grief and sorrow in general for the miserable mankind an din a particular for the temporal loss of their friends or any eminent person see hereof below chapter 50.3 Deuteronomy 34:8 1Samuel 25.1 2 Samuel 3:32 Acts 9:39 &c. which custom was superstitiously afterwards imitated by unbelievers see Mark 5 verse 38 ,39 &c.]

3. After that Abraham arose from the face of his dead [like a believing patriarch moderating the grief and mourning over Sarah and going about now to provide her an honorable interment in a strange country] and he spake to the sons of Heth [others to the children of Heth and c. as also verse 5,7,10,11,16,18,19 that is the governors or principal men of the Hethites who were Canaanites of the race of Heth the grand child of Cham see above chapter 10.15] saying:

4. I am a stranger and inhabitant with you give me an hereditary burying place with you that I may bury my dead once from before my face [the burying of the dead bodies hath been a very ancient custom among men as appears by this and the next verse nature itself and teaching that the one part of the reasonable creature man ought not to be thrown away by the dishonored or abused by another and religion minding us to lay us and safe keep the same against the day of the resurrection from the dead. See below chapter, 50.5,6 Numbers 33:4 Deuteronomy 21:23. Job 5:26.]

5. And the sons of Heth answered Abraham saying to him.

6. Hear us my Lord thou art a prince of God in the midst of us [that is with whom God is as above chapter 21.22 or a prince of God that is an excellent or very eminent Lord and prince see above chapter 13 on verse 10] bury thy dead one in the choice of our graves [that is the best and choicest we have compare Jeremiah 2:7] none of us shall keep his grave from thee that thou shouldst not bury thy dead one.

7. Then Abraham stood up and bowed up himself down before the people of the land before the sons of Heth.

8. And he spake with them saying it is with your will? [Heb. It is with your soul? or if it be with your soul the word soul doth often times signify will contents allowance approbation as Deuteronomy 21:14 1 Kings 19.32Kings 9.15 Psalms 27:12 and 41.3 and 105.22] that I bury my dead from before my face? Therefore hear me and speak for me with Ephron the son of Zoar [Heb. Tsochar and Hethite who is distinguished from another Zoar that was the son of Simeon afterwards chapter 46.10.]

9. That he would give me the cave of Machpela [the proper name of this cave as appears verse 17 and 19] which he hath with which is at the end of the field that he would give it to me for the full money [in regard of the price of the ground and the weight and the value of the money] for an hereditary burying place in the midst of you.

10. Now Ephron sate in the midst of the sons of Heth [he was not a citizen and Native of the Hethite but one of the principal men among them sitting in the assemble before which Abraham had represented himself thus the word sitting is taken for the state or place of the public counselors or governors of people as Psalms 119:23] and Ephrone the Hethite answered Abraham before the ears of the sons Heth of all those which entered the gate [that is were citizens or inhabitants of the city so below verse 18 compare chapter 34.24] of his city [either were he was born as Luke 2:3,4 or where he dwelt as below chapter 24 verse 10. Matthew 9:1] saying.

11. No my Lord hear me the field I give thee also the cave that is in it I give thee the same before the eyes of the sons of my people do I give the same to bury thy dead.

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

13. And he spake to Ephron before the people of the land saying throth art thou it? [Others but have indeed good now if thou be it &c. viz. Ephron it should seem that Abraham knew him by name though not by face and that Abraham did not know that Ephron was sitting there] hear me I will give money of the ground [Heb. I have given that is I am ready to give it and lay it down] take it of me so shall I bury my dead there.

14. And the Ephron answered Abraham saying to him.

15. My Lord hear me a land of four hundred shekels of silver [shekel was ascertain kind of coin having the name from weighing about as much as the forth part of a Rix dollar or thirteen pence half penny and the holy one of double the value see above chapter 20.16 where mention was made of the silver lings being the same price the sum here then amounts to a matter of an hundred rix-dollars somewhat better about two and twenty pounds shilling the speech being here o the common or civil shekel] what is that between me and between thee? Do but bury thy dead.

16. And Abraham hearkened Ephron and Abraham weighed Ephron the money whereof he had spoken [of old it was the custom to weigh the money one to another in payments buying and selling as now the use is to tell it out to one another] before the ears of the sons of Heth four hundred shekels of silver currant among the merchants.

17. Thus the field of Ephron that is the Machapela that lay over against Mamre the ground and the cave that was therein and all the trees that stood upon the ground that was round about the whole border thereof was established [Heb. Stood or stood up that is it became remained Abrahams and so below verse 20.]

18. On Abraham for a possession before the eyes of the sons of Heth with all that went into the city gates [see above on verse 10.]

19. And after that Abraham buried his wife Sarah in thecae of the field Machapela over against Mamre [Heb. Against the face of Mamre] which is Hebron [see above on verse 2] in the land of Canaan [which indeed was given to God to Abraham and his seed hereditarily to possess the same in due time but he having hitherto and still continuing a stranger in it therefore like to other faithful patriarchs he desires to be buried in it in token and testimony that they believed the promise of God touching the possession of this land which was a pledge unto them of the heavenly Canaan.]

20. Thus that ground and cave that was therein was established on Abraham for a hereditary burying place from the sons of Heth.