Charles Ellicott Commentary Genesis 23:3

"And Abraham rose up from before his dead, and spake unto the children of Heth, saying," — Genesis 23:3 (ASV)

Abraham stood up from before his dead. —His first care on arriving at Hebron had been to prostrate himself in Sarah’s tent, and give utterance to his grief. Only after this he rises to prepare for her burial.

The sons of Heth. —Up to this time we have read only of Amorites, Mamre and the others, at Hebron. It now appears that it was the property of the Hittites, a race who, while the Israelites sojourned in Egypt, became so powerful as to contend for empire with the Egyptians themselves. Their capital was Emesa in Northern Syria, and their history is now being made known to us not only by means of Egyptian records, but also of inscriptions in their own language (See Note on Genesis 10:15).