1 The age and death of Sarah.
3 The purchase of the field and cave of Machpelah;
19 where Sarah is buried.

A.M. 2144. B.C. 1860. Sarah. It is worthy of remark, that Sarah is the only woman whose age, death, and burial are distinctly noted in the Sacred writings.

an. 17:17

2 And Sarah died in Kirjatharba; the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan: and Abraham came to mourn for Sarah, and to weep for her.

Kirjath-arba. 19 13:18 Nu 13:22 Jos 10:39 14:14,15 20:7 Jud 1:10 1Sa 20:31 2Sa 2:11 5:3,5 1Ch 6:57

came. For the convenience of feeding his numerous flocks, Abraham had several places of temporary residence; and it is likely, that while he sojourned at Beer-sheba, as we find he did from ver. 19 of the preceding chapter, Sarah died at Hebron, which was 24 miles distant.

mourn. 27:41 50:10 Nu 20:29 De 34:8 1Sa 28:3 2Sa 1:12,17 2Ch 35:25 Jer 22:10,18 Eze 24:16-18 Joh 11:31,35 Ac 8:2

3 And Abraham stood up from before his dead, and spake unto the sons of Heth, saying,

Heth. 5,7 10:15 25:10 27:46 49:30 1Sa 26:6 2Sa 23:39

4 I am a stranger and a sojourner with you: give me a possession of a buryingplace with you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight.

stranger. 17:8 47:9 Le 25:23 1Ch 29:15 Ps 39:12 105:12,13 119:19 Heb 11:9,13-16 1Pe 2:11

buryingplace. 3:19 49:30 50:13 Job 30:23 Ec 6:3 12:5,7 Ac 7:5

bury. 19

5 And the children of Heth answered Abraham, saying unto him,

6 Hear us, my lord: thou art a mighty prince among us: in the choice of our sepulchres bury thy dead; none of us shall withhold from thee his sepulchre, but that thou mayest bury thy dead.

my lord. 18:12 24:18,35 31:35 32:4,5,18 42:10 44:5,8 Ex 32:22 Ru 2:13

a mighty prince. Heb. a prince of God. 21:22 Isa 45:14 1Jo 3:1,2

prince. 13:2 14:14 24:35

7 And Abraham stood up, and bowed himself to the people of the land, even to the children of Heth.

18:2 19:1 Pr 18:24 Ro 12:17,18 Heb 12:14 1Pe 3:8

8 And he communed 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,

intreat. 1Ki 2:17 Lu 7:3,4 Heb 7:26 1Jo 2:1,2

9 That he may give me the cave of Machpelah, which he hath, which is in the end of his field; for as much money as it is worth he shall give it me for a possession of a buryingplace amongst you.

much money. Heb. full money. Ro 12:17 13:8

10 And Ephron dwelt among the children of Heth: and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the audience of the children of Heth, even of all that went in at the gate of his city, saying,

dwelt. Or, sitting (as the word frequently denotes) among the children of Heth, at the gate of the city, where all public business was transacted. Ephron, though a chief man, might have been personally unknown to Abraham; but now he answers for himself, making a free tender of the field and cave to Abraham, in the presence of all the people, which amounted to a legal conveyance to the Patriarch.

audience. Heb. ears. all that. 18 34:20,24 Ru 4:1-4 Job 29:7 Isa 28:6

his. 24:10 Mt 9:1 Lu 2:3,4

11 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.

my lord. 6 2Sa 24:20-24 1Ch 21:22-24 Isa 32:8

in the. 18 Nu 35:30 De 17:6 19:15 Ru 4:1,4,9,11 Jer 32:7-12 Lu 19:24

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

See 7 18:2 19:1

13 And he spake unto Ephron in the audience of the people of the land, saying, But if thou wilt give it, I pray thee, hear me: I will give thee money for the field; take it of me, and I will bury my dead there.

I will. 14:22,23 2Sa 24:24 Ac 20:35 Ro 13:8 Php 4:5-8 Col 4:5 Heb 13:5

14 And Ephron answered Abraham, saying unto him,

15 My lord, hearken unto me: the land is worth four hundred shekels of silver; what is that betwixt me and thee? bury therefore thy dead.

is worth. Though the words 'is worth' are not in the Text, yet they are clearly implied, to adapt the Hebrew to the English idiom. A shekel, according to the general opinion, was equal in value to about 2s. 6d. of our money, but according to Dr. Prideaux, 3s. English. In those early times, money was given in weight; for it is said (ver. 16.) that 'Abraham weighed,' wayishkal, the silver; and hence, we find that it was a certain weight which afterwards passed as a current coin; for the word shekel is not only used to denote a piece of sliver, but also to weigh.

shekels. Ex 30:15 Eze 45:12

16 And Abraham hearkened unto Ephron; and Abraham weighed to Ephron the silver, which he had named in the audience of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, current money with the merchant.

weighed. 43:21 Ezr 8:25-30 Job 28:15 Jer 32:9 Zec 11:12 Mt 7:12 Ro 13:8 Php 4:8 1Th 4:6

four. 15 Ex 30:13 Eze 45:12

17 And the field of Ephron which was in Machpelah, which was before Mamre, the field, and the cave which was therein, and all the trees that were in the field, that were in all the borders round about, were made sure

the field. 20 25:9 49:30-32 50:13 Ac 7:16

made sure. 20 Ru 4:7-10 Ps 112:5 Jer 32:7-14 Mt 10:16 Eph 5:15 Col 4:5

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

all. 34:20 Ru 4:1 Jer 32:12

19 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.

3:19 25:9,10 35:27-29 47:30 49:29-32 50:13,25 Job 30:23 Ec 6:3 Ec 12:5,7

20 And the field, and the cave that is therein, were made sure unto Abraham for a possession of a buryingplace by the sons of Heth.

were. Ru 4:7-10 2Sa 24:24 Jer 32:10,11

for a. 25:9 49:31,32 50:5,13,24,25 2Ki 21:18