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Text -- Genesis 23:1-17 (NET)
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Strongs On/Off
Context
The Death of Sarah
23:1 Sarah lived 127 years .
23:2 Then she died in Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron ) in the land of Canaan . Abraham went to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her.
23:3 Then Abraham got up from mourning his dead wife and said to the sons of Heth ,
23:4 “I am a temporary settler among you. Grant me ownership of a burial site among you so that I may bury my dead .”
23:5 The sons of Heth answered Abraham ,
23:6 “Listen , sir , you are a mighty prince among us! You may bury your dead in the choicest of our tombs . None of us will refuse you his tomb to prevent you from burying your dead .”
23:7 Abraham got up and bowed down to the local people , the sons of Heth .
23:8 Then he said to them, “If you agree that I may bury my dead , then hear me out. Ask Ephron the son of Zohar
23:9 if he will sell me the cave of Machpelah that belongs to him; it is at the end of his field . Let him sell it to me publicly for the full price , so that I may own it as a burial site .”
23:10 (Now Ephron was sitting among the sons of Heth .) Ephron the Hethite replied to Abraham in the hearing of the sons of Heth – before all who entered the gate of his city –
23:11 “No , my lord ! Hear me out. I sell you both the field and the cave that is in it. In the presence of my people I sell it to you. Bury your dead .”
23:12 Abraham bowed before the local people
23:13 and said to Ephron in their hearing , “Hear me, if you will. I pay to you the price of the field . Take it from me so that I may bury my dead there .”
23:14 Ephron answered Abraham , saying to him,
23:15 “Hear me, my lord . The land is worth 400 pieces of silver , but what is that between me and you? So bury your dead .”
23:16 So Abraham agreed to Ephron’s price and weighed out for him the price that Ephron had quoted in the hearing of the sons of Heth – 400 pieces of silver , according to the standard measurement at the time.
23:17 So Abraham secured Ephron’s field in Machpelah , next to Mamre , including the field , the cave that was in it, and all the trees that were in the field and all around its border ,
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Names, People and Places, Dictionary Themes and Topics
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expand allCommentary -- Verse Notes / Footnotes
NET Notes -> Gen 23:1; Gen 23:2; Gen 23:2; Gen 23:3; Gen 23:3; Gen 23:4; Gen 23:4; Gen 23:4; Gen 23:4; Gen 23:4; Gen 23:5; Gen 23:6; Gen 23:6; Gen 23:6; Gen 23:7; Gen 23:8; Gen 23:8; Gen 23:8; Gen 23:8; Gen 23:9; Gen 23:9; Gen 23:9; Gen 23:10; Gen 23:10; Gen 23:10; Gen 23:11; Gen 23:11; Gen 23:11; Gen 23:13; Gen 23:13; Gen 23:13; Gen 23:15; Gen 23:15; Gen 23:16; Gen 23:16; Gen 23:16; Gen 23:16; Gen 23:16; Gen 23:16; Gen 23:17
NET Notes: Gen 23:1 Heb “And the years of Sarah were one hundred years and twenty years and seven years, the years of the life of Sarah.”
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NET Notes: Gen 23:2 Mourn…weep. The description here is of standard mourning rites (see K. A. Kitchen, NBD3 149-50). They would have been carried out in the presenc...
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NET Notes: Gen 23:3 Some translate the Hebrew term “Heth” as “Hittites” here (also in vv. 5, 7, 10, 16, 18, 20), but this gives the impression tha...
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NET Notes: Gen 23:4 Heb “bury my dead out of my sight.” The last phrase “out of my sight” has not been included in the translation for stylistic r...
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NET Notes: Gen 23:6 The phrase “to prevent you” has been added in the translation for stylistic reasons.
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NET Notes: Gen 23:10 On the expression all who entered the gate see E. A. Speiser, “‘Coming’ and ‘Going’ at the City Gate,” BASOR 144 (...
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NET Notes: Gen 23:13 After the imperative, the cohortative with the prefixed conjunction expresses purpose or result.
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NET Notes: Gen 23:15 Four hundred pieces of silver. The standards for weighing money varied considerably in the ancient Near East, but the generally accepted weight for th...
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NET Notes: Gen 23:16 Heb “passing for the merchant.” The final clause affirms that the measurement of silver was according to the standards used by the merchan...
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