John Calvin Commentary Genesis 23:7

"And Abraham rose up, and bowed himself to the people of the land, even to the children of Heth." — Genesis 23:7 (ASV)

And Abraham stood up. He declines the favor offered by the Hittites, as some suppose, with the intention of not placing himself under obligation to them in such a small matter.

Instead, he wished to show in this way that he would receive no gratuitous possession from those inhabitants who were to be ejected by the hand of God, allowing him to take their place. He always kept all his thoughts fixed on God, greatly preferring God's mere promise to present dominion over the land.

Moses also commends the modesty of the holy man when he says that he rose up to do reverence to the people of the land. Regarding the use of the word signifying ‘to adore,’ it is simply understood as the reverence that anyone declares, either by bowing the knee or by any other bodily gesture.

This reverence may be paid to men, as well as to God, but for a different purpose; men mutually either bend the knee or bow the head before each other for the sake of civil honor. However, if the same thing is done to them for the sake of religion, it is profanation.

For religion allows no other worship than that of the true God. And those childishly quibble who make a pretext for their idolatry with the words dulia and latria, since Scripture, in general terms, forbids transferring adoration to men.

But so that no one should be surprised that Abraham acted so humbly and submissively, we must be aware that it was done out of common custom and practice. It is well known that Eastern peoples were immoderate in their use of ceremonies; if we compare the Greeks or Italians with ourselves, we use them more sparingly than they do.

Indeed, Aristotle, in speaking of peoples from Asia and other groups then termed barbarians, notes this fault: that they are excessive in their adorations. Therefore, we must not measure the honor Abraham paid to the princes of the land by our own customs.