Gen. 23:1-20 The Death of Sarah

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Sarah lived to be a hundred and twenty-seven yers old. 2She died at Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan, and Abraham went to mourn for Sarah and to weep over her.

3Then Abraham rose from beside his dead wife and spoke to the Hittites. He said, "I am an alien and a stranger among you. Sell me some property for a burial site here so I can bury my dead."

5The Hittites replied to Abraham, 6"Sir, listen to us. You are a mighty prince among us. Bury your dead in the choicest of our tombs. None of us will refuse you his tomb for burying your dead."

7Then Abraham rose and bowed down before the people of the land, the Hittites. 8He said to them, "If you are willing to let me bury my dead, then listen to me and intercede with Ephron son of Zohar on my behalf 9so he will sell me the cave of Machpelah, which belongs to him and is at the end of his field. Ask him to sell it to me for the full price as a burial site among you."

Notice how Abraham would take nothing from anyone that was not purchased? Is this an introduction to the way we are to behave? It brings shame and/or hardship when in debt to another. Hmm.

10Ephron the Hittite was sitting among his people and he replied to Abraham in the hearing of all the Hittites who had come to the gate of his city. 11"No, my lord," he said. "Listen to me; I give you the field and I give you the cave that is in it. I give it to you in the presence of my people. Bury your dead."

12Again Abraham bowed down before the people of the land 13and he said to Ephron in their hearing, "Listen to me, if you will. I will pay the price of the field. Accept it from me so I can bury my dead there."

14Ephron answered Abraham, 15"Listsen to me, my lord; the land is four hundred shekels of silver, but what is that between me and you? Bur your dead."

16Abraham agreed to Ephron's terms and weighed out for him the price he had named in the hearing of the Hittites: four hundred shekels of silver, according to the weight current among the merchants.

17So Ephron's field in Machpelah near Mamre---both the field and the cave in it, and all the trees within the borders of the field---was deeded 18to Abraham as his property in the presence of all the Hittites who had come to the gate of the city. 19Afterward Abraham buried his wife Sarah in the cave in the field of Machpelah near Mamre (which is at Hebron) in the land of Canaan. 20So the field and the cave in it were deeded to Abraham by the Hittites as a burial site.

The gate of the city (or any city) is the place where people took their complaints to be judged. It was also a place where many did their business.

Gen. 23 and 24 in are discussed by a One Year Bible Study (group?). I have joined up!

Bible.org also has a section on dealing with death. It is very good.

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the One and Only, Who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
John 1:14 NIV

Originally posted 1/28/2006 @ 10:52 pm