Death of Sarah
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| 1 ¶ And Sarah
was an hundred and seven and twenty years old: these were the years of
the life of Sarah.
.2 And 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. |
Sarah
Called the mother of all believers is5102,
1pe0306.
Kirjatharba Abraham had moved back to Canaan from the land of the Philistines. Hebron This name was given the city at a later date. Mourn This later became a ritual 2sa0331. |
| .3
¶ And Abraham stood up from before his dead, and spake unto the sons
of Heth, saying,
.4 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 And the children of Heth answered Abraham, saying unto him, 6 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. |
3
- Sons of Heth Or Hittites v10.
4 - Stranger ... sojourner This was not really "home" for the patriarch he1108ff. 6 - Mighty prince Literally, "prince of God." |
| .7
And Abraham stood up, and bowed himself to the people of the land, even
to the children of Heth.
8 And 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, .9 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 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 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. |
9
- Machpelah Others of the ancient family were also buried
there including Abraham ge2509, ge4931,
ge5013.
11 - Give The giving was a custom. This did not mean that payment was not expected. 11 - Nay ... field ... and the cave According to Hittite laws, selling part of a parcel would leave Ephron responsible for taxes on the whole. |
| 12 And Abraham
bowed down himself before the people of the land.
13 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 And Ephron answered Abraham, saying unto him, 15 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. |
13
- Money for the field Abraham declined to accept the field
as a gift.
15 - Four hundred shekels A very high price compared to the ancient records. |
| 16 ¶ 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.
17 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 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 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 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. |
17 - It was Hittite custom to thus describe the property including the trees. |
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