Book of Genesis Chapter 23 Commentary by Pastor
Ron Beckham
Audio Bible Study - Genesis 23:1-5
Verse 1. "Now Sarah lived one hundred and twenty-seven years; these were the years of the life of Sarah."
"What would it be like to live "one hundred and twenty-seven years?" we might wonder. For a long, long time, the medical community has been trying to extend our lives and I remember in a science class when I was a teenager, the teacher 's words that humans would soon live to 200 years! It hasn't happened and it is unlikely to happen at all. It's all relative though, for in Sarah's generation, 127-years was a disappointment because most of her predecessors lived a lot longer than she did. Abraham would now live on for awhile, but his beloved Sarah was gone, her life considered painfully short.
What were Sarah's thoughts during those last years of her life? Did she think of her childhood in Ur of the Chaldees? Did she wonder as she remembered their trip to Haran and then to Canaan? What would it have been like to live in Pharaoh's harem and then in the harem of King Abimelech? She must have learned about the time, not that long ago, when her husband, Abraham, took her beloved son, Isaac, and was going to sacrifice him on an altar. She could have learned about it from the "two young men" who went on the journey, or more likely, directly from her son, Isaac. There was more, but "these were the years of the life of Sarah."
Verse 2. And Sarah died in Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan; and Abraham went in to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her."
"Kiriath-arba" or "Kirjath-arba" in some translations, meant "Four-Fold City" or "City of Four." The region is over 3,000 feet above sea level. Some scholars teach that the place was named after Arba the Anakite, whereas others point to known and assumed occupants of the cave where Sarah was interred, stating that four key men, Adam, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were buried there. The inclusion of Adam seems very unlikely. What is known is that the place later became a city of the Jewish tribe of Levi (a Levitical city) and it was to be a place of refuge for those running away from threats of vengeance (Joshua 20:5-7 & context).
It became known as "Hebron," (meaning "association" or "league" or "alliance"), and would be a major city in the hill country of the then-future tribe called "Judah," with a location about 19-miles south of Jerusalem and 15-miles west of the Dead Sea. Abraham had been in contact with leaders of many cultures during his life and might well have adopted customs derived from all of them. He spent time among the Egyptians, and may well, in the privacy of the cave he had purchased, have worn sackcloth, shaved his head and thrown dust and ashes upon himself. He undoubtedly did "weep for her," this woman he loved.
Verse 3. "Then Abraham rose from before his dead, and spoke to the sons of Heth, saying,"
Abraham was stunned by the death of his wife, Sarah. He collapsed before her body, mourning her loss. And at such a young age, too. "One hundred and twenty-seven years" seems to us to be very old to die, but to those of that time it was an agonizingly short life, especially to Abraham, who loved her. Sarah had been a strong personality who influenced him in many ways. We learned in Genesis 20:11-12 and the context that Sarah was Abraham's half-sister. She had been a force in his life for 127 years and now she was gone from him.
We learn in Hebrews 11:11 that Sarah was a person who had faith in the Lord, just as her husband did. They would have often shared their faith with one another, and they shared memories of the past as well. Now Abraham rose from the ground in front of her dead body "and spoke to the sons of Heth." We see a mention of Heth in Genesis 10:15, learning that he was a son of Canaan, great-grandson of Noah, producer of a lineage leading to a group called the Hittites, who were likely the "sons of Heth" mentioned in this verse.
Verse 4. "I am a stranger and a sojourner among you; give me a burial site among you that I may bury my dead out of my sight."
Throughout Abraham's adult life he felt like "a stranger and a sojourner" among all of the many differing peoples he encountered on his nomadic journeys. The Hittites, also known as the "sons of Heth" in these verses, were groups of people scattered through the areas now known by the national names of Israel and Lebanon. It may have felt ironic to Abraham that even though the land surounding him was given to the man by God with words like, "Arise, walk in the land through its length and its width, for I give it to you" (Genesis 13:17), the man still had to purchase a tiny piece of it to bury his wife.
When you know the promise of God in your life, the promise will happen but possibly in ways that you do not anticipate. Answers to prayer may be immediate or they may be long in coming as it was for Abraham and Sarah. But God does hear your prayer and He does know your need. He will respond, though as it was for Abraham, the answer may be years in the future, it may not be realized in your lifetime, but in the lifetimes of your descendents. And the answer to all of our needs will finally have its fulfillment in eternity, not completely on this earth as some would hope. But God does hear and He will answer.
Verse 5. "The sons of Heth answered Abraham, saying to him,"
Abraham seemed to be something of a diplomat. He had the ability to get along with a lot of people. The man had lived among those who were native to the area of Ur of the Chaldeans, which was on the Euphrates River, which in modern times is located in the country of Iraq. He moved at the call of God, north and west to Haran and was able to get along with the people there until the Lord moved him once more. When Abraham moved, as God directed him, to the land of Canaan, he interacted with many differing groups.
During his adult years, the man named "Abraham" was always an alien, an obvious outsider, wherever he went, but he was able to successfully negotiate with Egyptians, Amorites, Sodomites, Philistines and more. The "sons of Heth," named in these verses, were a non-Semitic minority group within the land of Canaan. Their origin is thought by many to be European, and they are likely the group called "Hittites" mentioned elsewhere in Scripture (Deuteronomy 7:1, Judges 3:5).
Lord, our lives seem short, but Your love for us is infinite and we can trust in You. We offer our lives to You and pray we will have faith in You like Abraham and Sarah did, that we may live with You - forever. Thank You, Lord. In Jesus Name. Amen.
Audio Bible Study - Genesis 23:6-10
Verse 6. "Hear us, my lord, you are a mighty prince among us; bury your dead in the choicest of our graves; none of us will refuse you his grave for burying your dead."
Representatives of a group in the ancient land of Canaan, called the "sons of Heth" in the preceding verse, and at least one man called a "Hittite" as mentioned Verse 10, are entering into negotiations with Abraham for the sale of a piece of land that included a grove of trees and a small cave. Abraham, a nomad who owned no land of his own except for the rights to a well (Genesis 21), was pressured to buy the lot mentioned in this verse because his wife had died and he needed an acceptable place to bury her - quickly. Any delay in the burial would create additional problems for all concerned.
They addressed him with words of honor and respect, which was customary during negotiations of the time. "Lord" in such a context is much like the use of the English word "sir" in modern times. The phrase "a mighty prince" is better translated "a prince of Elohim" (of God). Abraham was well-known in the area and they likely feared him, for many would have remembered the time he rode off with 318 of his men, along with some Amorite allies, and defeated a small army (Genesis 14). He also was known as a man of God and he would have been surrounded by his armed men at that moment. The "sons of Heth" also knew he was a very wealthy man and they looked forward to the negotiations which were about to begin.
Verse 7. "So Abraham rose and bowed to the people of the land, the sons of Heth."
Negotiations for the sale of something as important to the people as land were done with great formality, and contracts were made only after hours or possibly days or even weeks of meals, the giving of gifts, drinking, belching and many courteous and sometimes heated discussions. The "sons of Heth" were treating Abraham with great respect and the man responded with respect in return. He "bowed to the people of the land," called in Verse 3 the "sons of Heth."
We've seen a great deal of the interesting personality of Abraham. He could be forceful, angry or timid, depending on his situation and feelings at the moment. He was a man of prayer who forgot to pray at critical moments. He was a shrewd negotiator, an excellent leader and a man of faith in the living God. At the moment he was also grieving the loss of his wife, a woman of strong personality who dominated him at times, but he loved her deeply, and her body was being prepared for burial in a nearby tent.
Verse 8. "And he spoke with them, saying, 'If it is your wish for me to bury my dead out of my sight, hear me, and approach Ephron the son of Zohar for me,'"
Notice that Abraham, although he was grieving the loss of his wife, Sarah, at the moment, was still very much an effective businessman, for he had already selected the parcel of land he wished to buy from the "sons of Heth." He had likely researched that piece of land and probably other suitable lots before the death of his wife. He knew which lot he wanted and he knew exactly who owned the land he had chosen. It was the man mentioned as "Ephron the son of Zohar" in this verse and called "Ephron the Hittite" in Verse 10.
Abraham wasn't consistently a man of confidence, but in many situations he was confident because he knew the Lord was with him. And note the reason for his assurance, which is glimpsed in Genesis 15:6 - "he believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness." When we begin to believe in the Lord, we also begin to recognize His favor in our lives. Our faith is small at first, and the favor we receive may seem small as well, but as our trust in Him grows, His hand of deliverance will be seen more-and-more for ordinary people such as Abraham, and it will be seen in your life as well.
Verse 9. "that he may give me the cave of Machpelah which he owns, which is at the end of his field; for the full price let him give it to me in your presence for a burial site."
It is interesting to note that the small cave mentioned here would not only be the burial place of Sarah, but it would also become the place where Abraham himself would later be buried (Genesis 25:9-10). It would also become the place of interment for some of Abraham's descendants, including his son, Isaac and his daughter-in-law, Rebekah, Abraham's grandson, Jacob, Jacob's wife, Leah, and others (Genesis 49:30-33, 50:13). The word, "Machpelah," by the way, meant "the double cave."
It's important to consider what the feelings of Abraham might have been at that moment, not only as to his grief at the loss of his wife, Sarah, a woman he had known and loved for all 127 years of her life, but also in relation to the necessity of having to negotiate for the purchase of land that had been promised as a gift to his descendants. God had clearly said to him, "To your descendants I will give this land" (Genesis 12:7, & other places), and yet here he was, negotiating for the purchase of a tiny piece of it. The key is that Abraham knew it was his through faith in the Lord. He did not need to make it happen through some kind of conquest because he saw that the Lord would deliver it at the proper time. Trusting God includes waiting for Him.
Verse 10. "Now Ephron was sitting among the sons of Heth; and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the hearing of the sons of Heth; even of all who went in at the gate of his city, saying,"
This "Ephron the Hittite" was also called "Ephron the son of Zohar," as mentioned by Abraham in Verse 8. Abraham had researched this piece of land carefully and knew it belonged to the man. He also was well aware of the exchange rates of the time and knew what the price of that land should be. He would buy it "for the full price" as we saw in Verse 9, and no more. Note also in Verse 9 that Abraham was entering this transaction in the presence of witnesses, not only his own men, but also of the sons of Heth as well.
The gate of a city was usually, by custom, the place where business was negotiated and where city business was conducted. Judicial decisions were ordinarily made there. Those who faced Abraham at the moment were the leading citizens of the city where Ephron lived, and he was himself one of the leaders of the place. Everything in these verses about the business they were conducting was done in a manner that was considered legal and ethical by the people of Canaan in that time.
Lord, help us to become people of faith who truly BELIEVE in the living God, as Abraham did. He was respectful of other people and their customs and he certainly had respect for You. Scripture teaches us to love God and love one another. We give our hearts and lives to you and ask that You will create the goodness, the love of God within us, so we will treat others fairly and grow in honest and deep love for You. In Jesus Name. Amen.
Audio Bible Friday Study - Genesis 23:11-15
Verse 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 sons of my people I give it to you; bury your dead."
In this verse it sounds like Abraham could have simply smiled, said "thank you" in response to the words of Ephron and walked away with the piece of land as a free gift, but that was not the case. The words spoken by Ephron were simply a convention, a way for the sons of Heth to express to Abraham in the presence of witnesses that the land was available for purchase by him. With that statement, the negotiations now were able to proceed toward completion.
It was being expressed by Ephron, the owner of the land, that he understood and accepted Abraham's purpose in making the offer and he agreed that the land was for sale. If the sale actually occurred, Ephron and his descendants would be personally affected in the future by Abraham and his descendants because in Verse 9 we saw that the cave to be purchased by Abraham would be at the end of the field of Ephron. The two families would be neighbors for generations and Ephron was indicating he agreed with that idea.
Verse 12. "And Abraham bowed before the people of the land."
Abraham was so skilled in negotiation that if he lived in the world today he might be appointed as a diplomat and he certainly could have been the leader of a company, large or small. The man had a dignified way about him and had respect for those he did business with. He also had a reputation as a warrior - they would have heard about the events of Genesis Chapter 14, in which he used tactical skills to defeat a significant group of soldiers.
What he did, what he said was "just right" in relation to the accepted skills of the day. And now he "bowed before the people of the land." His words and his actions were diplomatically acceptable to all who were present. Paul the Apostle would later encourage us to "Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor" (Romans 13:7). Abraham would agree and so should we conduct ourselves in today's world with respect and dignity as he did in his.
Verse 13. "He spoke to Ephron in the hearing of the people of the land, saying, 'If you will only please listen to me; I will give the price of the field, accept it from me that I may bury my dead there.'"
At this point, Ephron already knew what Abraham wanted and both men knew what the price for it would be. But it was important in that culture as it is in ours, that the contract had to be legal and enforceable. Today, for a contract to be legal, it must include an offer, an acceptance, both of which would typically be in writing, signed by each of the parties, and it must contain a "reasonable consideration" - something of value must be given in order for the contract to be legal and enforceable. But the culture surrounding these men was essentially non-literate in nature.
Most people could not read or write, though such things were known about by everyone at the time. It is entirely possible that both of these men could read and write, but the old form of contracts still existed in the law. In this contract, a specific parcel of land containing a cave for burial was to be transferred to Abraham in exchange for a large sum of money. This non-written contract would be legal because both men had ample witnesses to its terms. Abraham expressed his purpose for the land in question - it was to become a burial site. That information had to be included because it was surrounded by other properties and those owners had the right to object to its use.
Verse 14. "Then Ephron answered Abraham, saying to him,"
Abraham had done his research and knew that it was a man named Ephron who owned the land he wanted to buy as a burial plot for his wife, Sarah. In Verse 12, Abraham spoke to the "people of the land," addressing the officials of the "sons of Heth" or "Hittites" as they were also called. In Verse 13, Abraham then addressed Ephron directly, knowing precisely who the man was, and now it was Ephron's turn to respond.
All of this was the way negotiations occurred at the time of these verses. There were plenty of witnesses on both sides, for not only were there many "Hittites," also known as "sons of Heth" present at the moment, but Abraham had many soldiers, shepherds and other men in his encampment and a lot of them were next to him at the moment. If the negotiations collapsed into fighting, both sides were well able to respond.
Verse 15. "My lord, listen to me; a piece of land worth four hundred shekels of silver, what is that between me and you? So bury your dead."
"Ephron the Hittite," as he was called in Verse 10, responded directly to Abraham, calling him "my lord," a title of respect common in negotiations of the time. The man was quite specific about the price of the land in question. immediately setting an asking price of "four hundred shekels of silver." The word "shekel" was used in Scripture for the first time in this place, and it meant, "to weigh." This early form of the shekel was likely not a stamped coin as we would understand it today, but it was instead a plain piece of silver metal of specific weight, as also seen in Exodus 30:13.
Coined money was not common among the Hebrew people until after the future captivity that would come to the people of that nation. The price that Ephron set for Abraham would have been a considerable sum, which Ephron scoffed at as an insignificant sum by stating, "what is that between me and you," suggesting that Abraham was well able to pay the price. The man continued by reminding him that the whole purpose of this negotiation was the burial of his wife, Sarah. He implied politely that Abraham was not in a position to refuse the offer.
Father, thank You for the detail, the history in Scripture. We are able, thousands of years later, to look into the past and see, through Your Word, how things were, and we note that the people of that time are not so different from us today. Thank You for enabling us to look into the life of Abraham, a man of faith in the Lord. In Jesus Name. Amen.
Audio Bible Study - Genesis 23:16-20
Verse 16. "Abraham listened to Ephron; and Abraham weighed out for Ephron the silver which he had named in the hearing of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, commercial standard."
The negotiations between Abraham and Ephron were now concluding. A price had been set by Ephron which was "four hundred shekels" of silver, to purchase a piece of land that contained a small cave, which was more than sufficient in size to bury Abraham's wife, Sarah. Abraham either placed the silver pieces on a scale or had one of his men do it, and all this was done solemnly in the presence of witnesses. The seller, Ephron, had brought with him many witnesses from his people, the Hittites, or as they were called, the sons of Heth, seen here and in Verse 10.
Abraham had many followers of his own and all watched intently from both sides to see that the count, actually the weight of the silver, was exactly as it was supposed to be. Notice that Abraham did not negotiate the price as he could have, though he did insist that the metal was to be in a form referred to as "commercial standard," or in some translations, "currency of the merchants." It may have meant that the silver was shaped into small ingots which were stamped with the weight of each piece.
Verse 17. "So Ephron's field, which was in Machpelah, which faced Mamre, the field and cave which was in it, and all the trees which were in the field, that were within all the confines of its border, were deeded over"
This was a larger field than it appeared when first mentioned in the preceding verses of this chapter. It not only consisted of a cave suitable for the burial of Abraham's wife, but it also contained a field that included what was possibly a large number of shade trees and some ground, possibly many acres in size, suitable for grazing or farming. As it is in contracts today, the contents and borders of the property were being carefully described in relation to this oral contract for the sale of land.
The terms had been agreed upon, the money had been paid, all of the many witnesses were satisfied that the terms of the contract were met, and the deal was complete. The man Ephron was considerably richer than he was before, Abraham had the land he wanted and needed, and as it is hoped today in all such contracts, both of the parties were pleased by the outcome of the negotiations.
Verse 18. "to Abraham for a possession in the presence of the sons of Heth, before all who went in at the gate of his city."
A contract had been made, the price was set and paid, the witnesses were satisfied, as were the parties, Ephron and Abraham, and now the property belonged to Abraham. It was to be a burial ground, first for his wife, Sarah, and because it was large enough, others in the future would be buried there as well. The next one to be interred in that place was to be Abraham himself, as it can be seen in Genesis 25:8-9, where it is written:
"Then Abraham breathed his last and died in a good old age, an old man and full of years, and was gathered to his people. And his sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah, which is before Mamre, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite." It's interesting that geographic places often have names which no longer describe them. This was the cave of Abraham because he bought it, but it continued to be called "the field of Ephron," the previous owner, a name that lasted many years into the future from the time of this verse.
Verse 19. "After this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field at Machpelah facing Mamre (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan."
"Machpelah" has been translated as "the double cave." It was to become the burial place for Sarah, Abraham, then Isaac, who was the son of the promise, his wife, Rebekah, along with Abraham's grandson, Jacob; Jacob's wife, Leah, and perhaps other members of the family as well. All of the negotiations for the sale and purchase of the land that contained this "double cave" had been completed and it now belonged to Abraham's family through Isaac for generations to come.
"Mamre" meant "grazing land" and it had been named after an Amorite named Mamre who helped Abraham defeat the king, Chedorlaomer, as we saw in Genesis 14:1-24. This was a place famous at the time for its oak trees. The location of this field with its trees and caves was two miles north of the city that came to be known as "Hebron," which meant "association" or "league." The place was about nineteen miles south of Jerusalem and fifteen miles west of the Dead Sea.
Verse 20. "So the field and the cave that is in it, were deeded over to Abraham for a burial site by the sons of Heth."
Negotiations for a certain field, the grove of trees that was on the land, and the cave on the property that Abraham felt was appropriate for his deceased wife, Sarah, were complete. This was the result of an essentially verbal transaction within a culture that was only marginally literate. Those who could read and write often received a fee for their services and this transaction could have been recorded in writing, but the two men, Ephron and Abraham, chose the more popular style of the time by selecting a large group of witnesses from both sides who watched and approved the transfer of title to Abraham.
Initially, the sole known occupant of the cave that became a tomb was Abraham's wife, Sarah, at the time of these verses. Both Abraham and Sarah, by the way, came from Ur of the Chaldees, which is in present day Iraq. The custom in Ur at that time was to place the body on a matting of reeds spread on a brick floor. The head was pillowed on a single sun-dried brick and the body turned onto the left side, the fingers resting on a copper bowl. It was necessary to position the body quickly before rigor mortis set in. Abraham could indeed have used such a familiar method of internment or he might have opted for additional methods taken from the many tribes and nations that surrounded him in Canaan.
Father, You had a place for Abraham and his family and You have a place for us, as well. We place our faith in You as he did, and we trust in You now, knowing that You will bring each one who believes, safely through to a land we have not yet seen with our eyes. We praise Your Holy Name and thank You. In Jesus Name. Amen.
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