Old Testament · Law

Genesis chapter 23

lived to be a hundred and twenty-seven years old -- that was .Sarah died at (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan. Abraham went in to for Sarah and to weep over her.Then Abraham got up from beside his dead wife and spoke to the . He said,“I am an among you. Sell me a here so I can bury my dead.”The Hittites answered Abraham,“Listen to us, my lord. You are a among us. Bury your dead in the . None of us would refuse you a tomb for burying your dead.”Abraham stood up and before the Hittites, the .He said to them, “If you are willing to let me bury my dead, then hear me out and with Ephron son of Zohar.”“Ask him to sell me the that belongs to him -- it’s at the edge of his field. Have him sell it to me at , right here in front of all of you, so I have a .”Now Ephron was sitting right there among the Hittites. Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham publicly, with everyone at the listening:“No, my lord -- listen. I’m you the field, and the cave in it too. Right here in front of my people, I’m giving it to you. Go bury your dead.”Abraham bowed low before the local landholders.Then he spoke to Ephron so everyone could hear: “If you would -- please listen. I will . Take it from me, and I will bury my dead there.”Ephron answered Abraham,“My lord, listen -- a piece of land worth , what’s that between friends like us? Just go bury your dead.”Abraham agreed to Ephron’s price. He for Ephron the silver they had agreed on in front of the Hittites -- four hundred shekels of silver, at the .So Ephron’s field in Machpelah, near -- the field and the cave in it, along with every tree within the boundaries of the field -- was to Abraham as his property, who had gathered at the city gate.After this, Abraham buried his wife Sarah in the cave in the field of Machpelah, near Mamre (that is, Hebron) in the land of .So the field and the cave in it were from the Hittites to Abraham as his .