Chapter Overview
This chapter can be summed up in one sentence and the reader misses nothing. Sarah dies and AbramHam buys a field and a cave to bury her in.
Additional Notes
Never before have I seen a chapter in the bible so utterly expanded. Somehow the author created an entire chapter due to a need to reiterate things and constantly inflate the amount of words. Sarah’s dead. We get it. You’ve already made your point. Could you move onto something else already? Please? What if we pay you?
Chapter 23: Death in the Family
- And Sarah was an hundred and seven and twenty years old: these were the years of the life of Sarah.
- 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.
- And Abraham stood up from before his dead, and spake unto the sons of Heth, saying,
- 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.
- And the children of Heth answered Abraham, saying unto him,
- 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.
- And Abraham stood up, and bowed himself to the people of the land, even to the children of Heth.
- And he communed with them, saying, If it be your mind that I should bury my dead out of my sight; hear me, and intreat for me to Ephron the son of Zohar,
- 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.
- 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,
- 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.
- And Abraham bowed down himself before the people of the land.
- 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.
- And Ephron answered Abraham, saying unto him,
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
- Unto Abraham for a possession in the presence of the children of Heth, before all that went in at the gate of his city.
- 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.
- 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.
- Looks like they still can’t keep up with Genesis 6:3. I don’t think these authors compared notes. How old is AbramHam?
- If Hebron is in the land of Canaan, and god gave the land of Canaan to AbramHam… does he own Kirjatharba, aka Hebron?
- Speak already!
- AKA: Let me bury my dead wife here somewhere.
- Just answer already.
- Sounds like they’re giving quite a bit of reverence to a guy we’re supposed to believe they don’t know.
- He actually shows respect back. shocking.
- Boy this is getting repetitious.
- To quote Monty python, get on with it!
- Sounds like this Ephron is a pretty swell dude all things considered.
- Giving away his field and cave for free to a guy he doesn’t know? Why?
- For some reason, this doesn’t include “Even to the children of Heth” like before.
- AKA: Shut up and take my damn money! I want to bury someone, I’m not looking for generosity!
- These as single verses are starting to get old.
- AKA: subtle haggling.
It’s worth 400 silver sheckels, but what does that matter? Just take the damn thing you stubborn old man! - AbramHam, recognizing this subtle haggling, ponies up.
- This author really likes to go backwards and reiterate things.
- More reiteration
- Good grief… stop reiterating all the things.
- This is really getting old.