John Calvin Commentary Genesis 23:6

"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." — Genesis 23:6 (ASV)

Thou art a mighty prince among us. The Hittites freely offer a burial place to Abraham wherever he might please to choose one. They testify that they do this as a tribute to his virtues. We have seen before that the Hebrews give a divine title to anything that excels.

Therefore, we are to understand by the expression, ‘a prince of God’, a person of great and singular excellence. And they properly distinguish him whom they revere for his virtues with this eulogy, thereby testifying that they ascribe to God alone whatever virtues in people are deserving of praise and reverence.

Now, some seed of piety manifests itself in the Hittites by thus honoring Abraham, whom they acknowledge to be adorned with rare gifts of the Spirit of God. For profane and brutal people trample underfoot, with barbarous contempt, every excellent gift of God, as swine do pearls.

And yet, we know with how many vices those nations were defiled. How much greater, then, and more disgraceful is our ingratitude, if we give no honor to the image of God when it shines before our eyes? Abraham’s holiness of conduct gains him such favor with the Hittites that they do not envy his preeminence among them. What excuse, then, is there for us, if we hold in less esteem those virtues in which the majesty of God is conspicuous? Truly, their madness is diabolical, who not only despise the favors of God but even ferociously oppose them.