Abraham Buys the Cave of Machpelah
Study note
Abraham approaches the Hittites who live in the area and asks to buy a burial site. The negotiation follows ancient Near Eastern customs of polite bargaining. The Hittites offer to give Abraham a choice burial site for free, but Abraham insists on paying. Ephron the Hittite offers his field with its cave at Machpelah, first offering it as a gift but then naming a price of 400 shekels of silver, which Abraham pays in full. This detailed transaction is recorded to prove Abraham's legal ownership of the land.
3 After some time, Abraham stood up from beside Sarah's body. He went to speak with the Hittite people living there. And Abraham stood up from before his dead, and spake unto the sons of Heth, saying,
4 He said, "I'm an outsider living among you. Please sell me a piece of land so I can have a proper place to bury my wife." 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.
5 The Hittites answered Abraham: And the children of Heth answered Abraham, saying unto him,
6 "Sir, please listen. You are an important and respected man among us. Go ahead and use the finest burial place any of us has. Not a single person here would refuse to let you bury your wife in their tomb." 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.
7 Abraham stood up and bowed respectfully to the Hittites, the people of that land. And Abraham stood up, and bowed himself to the people of the land, even to the children of Heth.
8 He said, "If you truly want to help me bury my wife, then please do me a favor. Talk to Ephron, Zohar's son, on my behalf." 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,
9 "Ask him to sell me the cave of Machpelah, the one at the far end of his property. I'll pay whatever it's worth — the full price — so I can own it as a burial place." 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.
10 Ephron the Hittite was sitting there among his people. He spoke up so that everyone gathered at the city gate could hear: 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,
11 "Oh no, sir — listen to me. I'll give you the whole field, and the cave in it too. Right here in front of everyone, I'm giving it to you. Go bury your wife." 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.
12 Abraham bowed down again before the local people. And Abraham bowed down himself before the people of the land.
13 Then he said to Ephron, loud enough for everyone to hear, "Please, listen. I want to pay you for the field. Take my money so I can bury my wife there." 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.
14 Ephron answered Abraham, And Ephron answered Abraham, saying unto him,
15 "Well, sir, the land is worth about four hundred shekels of silver. But honestly, what's such an amount between friends like us? Go ahead and bury your wife." 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.
16 Abraham agreed to Ephron's price. He carefully weighed out four hundred shekels of silver — using the standard merchant's weight — and paid Ephron there in front of all the Hittites. 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.
Sarah Is Buried
Study note
The field and cave of Machpelah near Mamre (Hebron) are formally transferred to Abraham. He buries Sarah in the cave. This burial site becomes the family tomb where Abraham, Isaac, Rebekah, Jacob, and Leah will all eventually be buried. It represents Abraham's first permanent stake in the Promised Land.
17 So Ephron's field at Machpelah near Mamre became Abraham's property. This included the whole field, the cave, and every tree on it. 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
18 Abraham's legal property. The sale was witnessed by all the Hittites gathered at the city gate. Unto Abraham for a possession in the presence of the children of Heth, before all that went in at the gate of his city.
19 After the purchase was done, Abraham buried his wife Sarah. He buried her in the cave on that field at Machpelah, near Mamre (which is Hebron) in Canaan. 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.
20 So the field and the cave were officially handed over from the Hittites to Abraham. It became his own burial land. 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.