Genesis 23
Sarah lived to be 127 years old. She
died in Hebron in the land of Canaan, and Abraham mourned her death.
He left the place where his wife’s
body was lying, went to the Hittites, and said, “I am a foreigner living here
among you; sell me some land, so that I can bury my wife.”
They answered, “Listen to us, sir.
We look upon you as a mighty leader; bury your wife in the best grave that we
have. Any of us would be glad to give you a grave, so that you can bury her.”
Then Abraham bowed before them and
said, “If you are willing to let me bury my wife here, please ask Ephron son of
Zohar to sell me Machpelah Cave, which is near the edge of his field. Ask hin
to sell it to me for its full price, here in your presence, so that I can own
it as a burial ground.”
Ephron himself was sitting with the
other Hittites at the meeting place at the city gate; he answered in the
hearing of everyone there, “Listen sir; I will give you the whole field and the
cave that is in it. Here in the presence of my own people, I will give it to
you, so that you can bury your wife.”
But Abraham bowed before the
Hittites and said to Ephron, so that everyone could hear, “May I ask you,
please, to listen.
I will buy the whole field. Accept my payment, and I will
bury my wife there.”
Ephron answered, “Sir, land worth only four hundred pieces of
silver – what is that between us? Bury your wife in it.” Abraham agreed and
weighed out the amount that Ephron had mentioned in the hearing of the people –
four hundred pieces of silver, according to the standard weights used by the
merchants.
That is how the property which had belonged to Ephron at
Machpelah east of Mamre, became Abraham’s. It included the field, the cave
which was in it, and all the trees in the field up to the edge of the property.
It was recognized as Abraham’s property by all the Hittites who were there at
the meeting.
Then Abraham buried his wife Sarah in that cave in the land of
Canaan. So the field which had belonged to the Hittites and the cave in it,
became the property of Abraham for a burial ground.