Genesis Chapter 23

Updated: September 14, 2025

The Death and Burial of Sarah

1And Sarah was an hundred and seven and twenty years old: these were the years of the life of Sarah. 2And 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. 3And Abraham stood up from before his dead, and spake unto the sons of Heth, saying, 4I 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. 5And the children of Heth answered Abraham, saying unto him, 6Hear 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. 7And Abraham stood up, and bowed himself to the people of the land, even to the children of Heth. 8And 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, 9That 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. 10And 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, 11Nay, 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. 12And Abraham bowed down himself before the people of the land. 13And 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. 14And Ephron answered Abraham, saying unto him, 15My lord, hearken unto me: the land is worth four hundred shekels of silver; what is that betwixt me and thee? bury therefore thy dead. 16And 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.

17And 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 18Unto Abraham for a possession in the presence of the children of Heth, before all that went in at the gate of his city. 19And 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. 20And the field, and the cave that is therein, were made sure unto Abraham for a possession of a buryingplace by the sons of Heth.

The Death and Burial of Sarah

1 Sarah lived one hundred twenty-seven years. This was the length of Sarah’s life. 2 Sarah died in Kiriath Arba (the same is Hebron), in the land of Canaan. Abraham came to mourn for Sarah, and to weep for her. 3 Abraham rose up from before his dead, and spoke to the children of Heth, saying, 4 “I am a stranger and a foreigner living with you. Give me a possession of a burying-place with you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight.” 5 The children of Heth answered Abraham, saying to him, 6 “Hear us, my lord. You are a prince of God among us. Bury your dead in the best of our tombs. None of us will withhold from you his tomb. Bury your dead.” 7 Abraham rose up, and bowed himself to the people of the land, even to the children of Heth. 8 He talked 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, 9 that he may give me the cave of Machpelah, which he has, which is in the end of his field. For the full price let him give it to me among you for a possession of a burying-place.” 10 Now Ephron was sitting in the middle of the children of Heth. Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the hearing of the children of Heth, even of all who went in at the gate of his city, saying, 11 “No, my lord, hear me. I give you the field, and I give you the cave that is in it. In the presence of the children of my people I give it to you. Bury your dead.” 12 Abraham bowed himself down before the people of the land. 13 He spoke to Ephron in the audience of the people of the land, saying, “But if you will, please hear me. I will give the price of the field. Take it from me, and I will bury my dead there.” 14 Ephron answered Abraham, saying to him, 15 “My lord, listen to me. What is a piece of land worth four hundred shekels of silver between me and you? Therefore bury your dead.” 16 Abraham listened to Ephron. Abraham weighed to Ephron the silver which he had named in the audience of the children of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, according to the current merchants’ standard.

17 So the field of Ephron, which was in Machpelah, which was before Mamre, the field, the cave which was in it, and all the trees that were in the field, that were in all of its borders, were deeded 18 to Abraham for a possession in the presence of the children of Heth, before all who went in at the gate of his city. 19 After this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah before Mamre (that is, Hebron), in the land of Canaan. 20 The field, and the cave that is in it, were deeded to Abraham for a possession of a burying place by the children of Heth.

The Death and Burial of Sarah

1 Now Sarah lived to be 127 years old. 2 She died in Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan, and Abraham went out to mourn and to weep for her.

3 Then Abraham got up from beside his dead wife and said to the Hittites, a 4 “I am a foreigner and an outsider among you. Give me a burial site among you so that I can bury my dead.”

5 The Hittites replied to Abraham, 6 “Listen to us, sir. You are God’s chosen one among us. Bury your dead in the finest of our tombs. None of us will withhold his tomb for burying your dead.”

7 Then Abraham rose and bowed down before the people of the land, the Hittites. 8 “If you are willing for me to bury my dead,” he said to them, “listen to me, and approach Ephron son of Zohar on my behalf 9 to sell me the cave of Machpelah that belongs to him; it is at the end of his field. Let him sell it to me in your presence for full price, so that I may have a burial site.”

10 Now Ephron was sitting among the sons of Heth. So in the presence of all the Hittites who had come to the gate of his city, Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham, 11 “No, my lord. 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.”

12 Again Abraham bowed down before the people of the land 13 and said to Ephron in their presence, “If you will please listen to me, I will pay you the price of the field. Accept it from me, so that I may bury my dead there.”

14 Ephron answered Abraham, 15 “Listen to me, my lord. The land is worth four hundred shekels of silver, b but what is that between you and me? Bury your dead.”

16 Abraham 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 standard of the merchants.

17 So Ephron’s field at Machpelah near Mamre, the cave that was in it, and all the trees within the boundaries of the field were deeded over 18 to Abraham’s possession in the presence of all the Hittites who had come to the gate of his city. 19 After this, Abraham buried his wife Sarah in the cave of the field at Machpelah near Mamre (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan. 20 So the field and its cave were deeded by the Hittites to Abraham as a burial site.

Footnotes:

3 a Or sons of Heth ; also in verses 5, 7, 10, 16, 18, and 20
15 b 400 shekels  is approximately 10.1 pounds or 4.6 kilograms of silver; also in verse 16.

The Death and Burial of Sarah

1And the life of Sarah is a hundred and twenty and seven years -- years of the life of Sarah; 2and Sarah dieth in Kirjath-Arba, which is Hebron, in the land of Caanan, and Abraham goeth in to mourn for Sarah, and to bewail her. 3And Abraham riseth up from the presence of his dead, and speaketh unto the sons of Heth, saying, 4A sojourner and a settler I am with you; give to me a possession of a burying-place with you, and I bury my dead from before me.' 5And the sons of Heth answer Abraham, saying to him, 6Hear us, my lord; a prince of God art thou in our midst; in the choice of our burying-places bury thy dead: none of us his burying-place doth withhold from thee, from burying thy dead.' 7And Abraham riseth and boweth himself to the people of the land, to the sons of Heth, 8and he speaketh with them, saying, 'If it is your desire to bury my dead from before me, hear me, and meet for me with Ephron, son of Zoar; 9and he giveth to me the cave of Machpelah, which he hath, which is in the extremity of his field; for full money doth he give it to me, in your midst, for a possession of a burying-place.' 10And Ephron is sitting in the midst of the sons of Heth, and Ephron the Hittite answereth Abraham in the ears of the sons of Heth, of all those entering the gate of his city, saying, 11Nay, my lord, hear me: the field I have given to thee, and the cave that is in it, to thee I have given it; before the eyes of the sons of my people I have given it to thee -- bury thy dead.' 12And Abraham boweth himself before the people of the land, 13and speaketh unto Ephron in the ears of the people of the land, saying, 'Only -- if thou wouldest hear me -- I have given the money of the field -- accept from me, and I bury my dead there.' 14And Ephron answereth Abraham, saying to him, 15My lord, hear me: the land -- four hundred shekels of silver; between me and thee, what is it? -- thy dead bury.' 16And Abraham hearkeneth unto Ephron, and Abraham weigheth to Ephron the silver which he hath spoken of in the ears of the sons of Heth, four hundred silver shekels, passing with the merchant.

17And established are the field of Ephron, which is in Machpelah, which is before Mamre, the field and the cave which is in it, and all the trees which are in the field, which are in all its border round about, 18to Abraham by purchase, before the eyes of the sons of Heth, among all entering the gate of his city. 19And after this hath Abraham buried Sarah his wife at the cave of the field of Machpelah before Mamre (which is Hebron), in the land of Canaan; 20and established are the field, and the cave which is in it, to Abraham for a possession of a burying-place, from the sons of Heth.

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The F.O.G Commentary

Genesis 23 – When Death Demands a Home

What’s this chapter about?

Sarah dies at 127 years old, and Abraham faces his first major test as a landless foreigner – how do you bury your beloved when you don’t own a single square foot of dirt? This isn’t just about a funeral; it’s about Abraham finally claiming his stake in the Promised Land, one cave at a time.

The Full Context

Here we are at a pivotal moment in Abraham’s journey. After decades of wandering as a nomad, living in tents and moving from place to place, death forces Abraham to do something he’s never done before – purchase permanent property in the Promised Land. This happens around 2000 BCE in Hebron, a city that would become one of Israel’s most significant locations. Abraham is now an old man, probably around 137 years old, and Sarah has just died after a remarkable 127 years of life together.

This chapter sits right at the heart of the Abraham narratives in Genesis, serving as a bridge between God’s promises and their fulfillment. Up until now, Abraham has been living as a ger (sojourner) in the land God promised to give him. But death has a way of demanding permanence. The chapter reveals Abraham’s diplomatic skills, his respect for local customs, and his determination to establish a foothold in Canaan. What seems like a simple real estate transaction is actually loaded with theological significance – it’s Abraham’s first concrete step toward possessing the land God promised to his descendants.

What the Ancient Words Tell Us

The Hebrew text here is fascinating because it reads like an ancient legal document. When Abraham approaches the Hittites, he uses the language of formal negotiation. The word ger (sojourner) that Abraham uses to describe himself is crucial – it means he’s a resident alien, someone who lives in the land but doesn’t own it. It’s the same word used throughout the Torah to remind Israel how to treat foreigners.

Grammar Geeks

The phrase “give me property for a burial place” uses the Hebrew word ’achuzzah, which means “holding” or “possession.” This isn’t just asking for a temporary burial spot – Abraham is asking for permanent, hereditary ownership. The same word is used when God promises to give Israel the land as their permanent possession.

But here’s where it gets interesting – Ephron the Hittite keeps using diplomatic language that sounds generous but is actually evasive. When he says “the field I give to you,” the Hebrew verb natati is in the perfect tense, which can mean “I have given” or “I will give.” It’s the ancient equivalent of saying “consider it done” without actually doing it. Abraham, being the shrewd negotiator he is, forces Ephron to name a specific price – 400 shekels of silver.

What Would the Original Audience Have Heard?

To ancient Near Eastern ears, this whole negotiation would have sounded brilliantly familiar. This is exactly how business was conducted in their world – the polite back-and-forth, the public witnesses, the careful legal language. But they would have caught something else too: Abraham is getting ripped off.

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400 shekels of silver was an enormous sum – probably enough to buy several fields. Archaeological evidence suggests that typical land purchases in this period involved much smaller amounts. Ephron is essentially charging Abraham the “foreigner tax,” but Abraham pays it without haggling because he needs this transaction to be ironclad and legal.

Did You Know?

The transaction takes place at the city gate, which was the ancient equivalent of city hall, courthouse, and stock exchange all rolled into one. All major legal business happened there, with the town elders serving as witnesses. This wasn’t just buying property – it was making a public declaration of Abraham’s intention to stay.

The original audience would have also recognized the significance of Machpelah. The name literally means “double” or “portion,” and Jewish tradition says it’s called this because it contains caves within caves. This becomes the family burial plot for Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Sarah, Rebekah, and Leah – essentially the founding families of Israel.

Wrestling with the Text

Here’s what I find remarkable about this chapter: Abraham has been promised the entire land of Canaan, yet when push comes to shove, he has to buy a tiny plot just to bury his wife. Doesn’t that seem a bit… disappointing? Where’s the grand fulfillment of God’s promises?

But maybe that’s exactly the point. Sometimes God’s promises are fulfilled gradually, one small step at a time. Abraham’s purchase of Machpelah is like planting a flag – it’s his way of saying, “This is where my family belongs. This is our home now.”

Wait, That’s Strange…

Notice that Abraham insists on paying full price when Ephron offers to “give” him the field. In ancient cultures, accepting a gift often created ongoing obligations to the giver. By paying the full (inflated) price, Abraham ensures he has clear, uncontested ownership with no strings attached.

There’s also something beautiful about the fact that Abraham’s first permanent possession in the Promised Land is a burial place. It suggests that sometimes we have to face death – literal or figurative – before we can truly plant roots and call somewhere home.

How This Changes Everything

This isn’t just ancient history – it’s a masterclass in how faith works in the real world. Abraham could have buried Sarah in Egypt, where they had connections, or back in Mesopotamia, where they came from. Instead, he chooses to establish his family’s permanent presence in the land God promised them.

“Sometimes the most profound acts of faith happen not in miraculous moments, but in mundane decisions about where to call home.”

Think about it: every time future generations visited this tomb, they would remember that Abraham chose to anchor his family’s future in God’s promises rather than in familiar comforts. The cave at Machpelah becomes a physical reminder that God’s people belong in God’s land, even when it doesn’t feel like home yet.

This chapter also shows us Abraham at his most human – he’s grieving, he’s practical, he’s determined. He mourns Sarah deeply (the Hebrew says he came “to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her”), but he doesn’t let grief paralyze him. Instead, he channels it into decisive action that secures his family’s future.

Key Takeaway

Sometimes the most significant acts of faith happen not when we’re receiving miraculous promises, but when we’re making practical decisions that align with those promises – even when it costs us more than we expected to pay.

Genesis Chapter 23

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