Albert Barnes Commentary Genesis 23:1-20

"And the life of Sarah was a hundred and seven and twenty years. These were the years of the life of Sarah. And Sarah died in Kiriath-arba (the same is Hebron), in the land of Canaan. And Abraham came to mourn for Sarah, and to weep for her. And Abraham rose up from before his dead, and spake unto the children of Heth, saying, I am a stranger and a sojourner with you. Give me a possession of a burying-place with you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight. And the children of Heth answered Abraham, saying unto him, Hear us, my lord. Thou art a prince of God 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. And Abraham rose up, and bowed himself to the people of the land, even to the children of Heth. 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, that he may give me the cave of Machpelah, which he hath, which is in the end of his field. For the full price let him give it to me in the midst of you for a possession of a burying-place. Now Ephron was sitting in the midst of 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, 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 children of my people give I it thee. Bury thy dead. And Abraham bowed himself down before the people of the land. And he spake unto Ephron in the audience of the people of the land, saying, But if thou wilt, I pray thee, hear me. I will give the price of the field. Take it of me, and I will bury my dead there. And Ephron answered Abraham, saying unto him, My lord, hearken unto me. A piece of land worth four hundred shekels of silver, what is that betwixt me and thee? Bury therefore thy dead. And Abraham hearkened unto Ephron. And Abraham weighed to Ephron the silver which he had named in the audience of the children of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, current [money] with the merchant. So 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 border thereof round about, were made sure unto Abraham for a possession in the presence of the children of Heth, before all that went in at the gate of his city. 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. And the field, and the cave that is therein, were made sure unto Abraham for a possession of a burying-place by the children of Heth." — Genesis 23:1-20 (ASV)

1. ארבע קרית qı̂ryat - 'arba‛, “Qirjath-arba‘, city of Arba.” ארבע 'arba‛ — “Arba‘, four.”
2. עפרון ‛ eprôn, “‘Ephron, of the dust, or resembling a calf.” צחר tshochar — “Tsochar, whiteness.”
3. מכפלה makpêlâh — “Makpelah, doubled.”

The death and burial of Sarah are here recorded. This occasions the purchase of the field of Makpelah, in the cave of which is her sepulcher.

Sarah is the only woman whose age is recorded in Scripture. She meets with this distinction as the wife of Abraham and the mother of the promised seed. “A hundred and twenty and seven years,” and therefore thirty-seven years after the birth of her son. “In Kiriatharba.” Arba is called the father of Anak (Joshua 15:13; Joshua 21:11); that is, of the Anakim or Bene Anak, a tall or gigantic tribe (Numbers 13:22; Numbers 28:0; Numbers 33:0), who were subsequently dispossessed by Caleb. The Anakim were probably Hittites. (Genesis 23:1–2)

Abraham had been absent from Hebron, which is also called Mamre in this very chapter (Genesis 23:17; Genesis 23:19), not far from forty years, though he appears to have still kept up a connection with it and had at present a residence in it. During this interval, the sway of Arba may have commenced. “In the land of Canaan,” in contradistinction to Beer-sheba in the land of the Philistines, where we last left Abraham. “Abraham went to mourn for Sarah,” either from Beer-sheba or some outlying field where he had cattle pasturing.

Abraham purchases a burial ground in the land. He addresses The sons of Heth. These are the lords of the soil. He describes himself as A stranger and a sojourner. He is a stranger, not a Hittite; a sojourner, a dweller in the land, not a mere visitor or traveler. The former explains why he has no burial ground; the latter, why he asks to purchase one. He requests, Bury my dead out of my sight. The bodies of those most dear to us decay and must be removed from our sight. Abraham makes his request in the most general terms. (Genesis 23:3–16)

In the somewhat exaggerated style of Eastern courtesy, the sons of Heth reply, Hear us, my lord. One speaks for all; hence, the change of number. “My lord” is simply equivalent to our “Sir,” or the German “mein Herr.” A prince of God in those times of simple faith was a chief notably favored by God, as Abraham had been in his call, his deliverance in Egypt, his victory over the kings, his intercession for the cities of the valley, and his protection in the court of Abimelech. Some of these events were well known to the Hittites, as they had occurred while he was residing among them.

Abraham now makes a specific offer to purchase the field of Makpelah from Ephron the son of Zohar. He asks them to Treat for me—deal, use your influence with him. Abraham approaches the individual with whom he wishes to treat in the most cautious manner. He specifies The cave of Makpelah. The burial of the dead in caves, natural and artificial, was customary in this Eastern land. The field seems to have been called Makpelah (doubled) from the double form of the cave, or the two caves perhaps communicating with each other, which it contained. He offers to pay For the full silver. Silver seems to have been the current medium of commerce at this time. (Genesis 23:7–9)

Gold was known and mentioned at an earlier period (Genesis 2:11; Genesis 13:2). Abraham sought A possession of a burying-ground. We learn from this passage that property in land had been established at this time. Much of the country, however, must have been a common, or unappropriated pasture ground.

The transaction now comes to be between Abraham and Ephron. Ephron Was sitting among the sons of Heth, who were seated in council. Abraham seems to have been seated also, for he stood up to make his obeisance and request (Genesis 23:7). The discussion took place Before all that went in at the gate of his city. The conference was public. The place of session for judicial and other public business was the gate of the city, which was common ground, and where men were constantly going in and out. His city implies not that he was the king or chief, but simply that he was a respectable citizen. (Genesis 23:10–16)

If Hebron was the city of the Hittites here intended, its chief at the time seems to have been Arba. Ephron says, The field give I thee. Literally, this means "have I given you"—what was resolved upon was regarded as done. He declares this In the sight of the sons of my people. This was a public declaration or deed before many witnesses.

He offers the field as a gift, with the Eastern understanding that the receiver would make an ample recompense. This mode of dealing had its origin in a genuine goodwill that was prepared to gratify the wish of another as soon as it was made known, and as far as it was reasonable or practicable. The feeling seems to have been still somewhat fresh and unaffected in the time of Abraham, though it has degenerated into a mere form of courtesy.

Abraham responds, saying, If thou wilt, hear me. The language is abrupt, being spoken in the haste of excitement. He declares, I give silver. The original tense suggests his meaning: “I have given,” that is, “I have determined to pay the full price.” If the Eastern giver was liberal, the receiver was penetrated with an equal sense of the obligation conferred and a similar determination to make an equivalent return. Ephron then states the value: The land is four hundred shekels. This is the familiar style for “the land is worth so much.” The shekel is mentioned here for the first time.

It was originally a weight, not a coin. The weight at least was in common use before Abraham. If the shekel is nine pennyweights and three grains, the price of the field was about forty-five pounds sterling.

Scripture states, And Abraham weighed. It appears that the money was uncoined silver, as it was weighed. This silver was Current with the merchant. The Canaanites, of whom the Hittites were a tribe, were among the earliest traders in the world. The merchant, as the original word implies, is the traveler who brings wares to the purchasers in their own dwellings or towns. To him, a fixed weight and measure were necessary.

The completion of the sale is stated with great formality. No mention is made of any written deed of sale. Yet Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob remained in undisturbed possession of this burial ground. Undisputed tenure seems to have been acknowledged as a title. The burial of Sarah is then simply noted. The validity of Abraham’s title is practically evinced by the actual burial of Sarah and is recited again on account of the importance of the fact. (Genesis 23:17–20)

This chapter is interesting as containing the first record of mourning for the dead, of burial, of property in land, of purchase of land, of silver as a medium of purchase, and of a standard of weight. Mourning for the dead was, no doubt, natural on the first death. Burial was a matter of necessity, in order, as Abraham says, to remove the body out of sight, as soon as it was learned by experience that it would be devoured by beasts of prey or become offensive by putrefaction.

To bury or cover it with earth was an easier and more natural process than burning, and was therefore earlier and more general. Property in land was introduced where tribes became settled, formed towns, and began to practice tillage. Barter was the early mode of accommodating each party with the articles he needed or valued. This led gradually to the use of the precious metals as an current medium of exchange—first by weight, and then by coins of a fixed weight and known stamp.

The burial of Sarah is noted because she was the wife of Abraham and the mother of the promised seed. The purchase of the field is worthy of note, as it is the first property of the chosen race in the promised land. Hence, these two events are interwoven with the sacred narrative of the ways of God with man.