Genesis 23

Sarah’s Burial

1 Sarah lived to be 127 years old, she had a good run.

2 She passed away in Kiriath Arba (that is Hebron) in the land of Canaan. Abraham mourned and cried for her.

3 After he grieved, Abraham got up and went to talk to the Hittites.

4 He said, ‘I am just a foreigner living here. Let me buy some land so I can bury my wife properly.’

5 The Hittites replied, ‘Listen, Abraham, you are a prince of God among us.’

6 ‘Pick any of our tombs. None of us will stop you from burying your wife.’

7 Abraham bowed to the Hittites and said,

8 ‘If you all are cool with me burying my wife here, talk to Ephron son of Zohar for me.’

9 ‘Ask him to sell me the cave of Machpelah at the edge of his field. I will pay full price.’

10 Ephron was chilling among the Hittites when Abraham said this. He replied in front of everyone at the city gate,

11 ‘Nah, my lord, listen to me. I will give you the field and the cave. Take it and bury your wife.’

12 Abraham bowed down again and said,

13 ‘Listen, Ephron, I will pay full price for the field. Let me buy it so I can bury my wife.’

14 Ephron said, ‘Alright, but hear me out.’

15 ‘The field is worth 400 shekels of silver, but what is that between us, Go ahead and bury your wife.’

16 Abraham agreed to Ephron’s price and weighed out the 400 shekels of silver, using the standard accepted by the merchants.

Abraham Buys the Field and Cave

17 Ephron’s field in Machpelah, near Mamre, the field, the cave, and all the trees in the area, became Abraham’s property.

18 This deal was made official in front of all the Hittites at the city gate.

19 Afterward, Abraham buried Sarah in the cave in the field of Machpelah, near Mamre (that is Hebron), in Canaan.

20 The field and the cave were legally transferred to Abraham by the Hittites as a burial site.