Genesis 23:18

Updated Bible Version

to Abraham for a possession in the presence of the sons of Heth, before all that went in at the gate of his city.

Parallel Translations

Geneva Bible (1587)
Vnto Abraham for a possession, in ye sight of the Hittites, euen of all that went in at the gates of his citie.

George Lamsa Translation
And sold to Abraham in the presence of the Hittites and in the presence of all that went in at the gate of his city.

Hebrew Names Version
to Avraham for a possession in the presence of the children of Het, before all who went in at the gate of his city.

English Standard Version
to Abraham as a possession in the presence of the Hittites, before all who went in at the gate of his city.

American Standard Version
unto Abraham for a possession in the presence of the children of Heth, before all that went in at the gate of his city.

Bible in Basic English
Became the property of Abraham before the eyes of the children of Heth and of all who came into the town.

Complete Jewish Bible
to Avraham as his possession in the presence of the sons of Het who belonged to the ruling council of the city.

Darby Translation
were assured to Abraham for a possession before the eyes of the sons of Heth, before all who went in at the gate of his city.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
unto Abraham for a possession in the presence of the children of Heth, before all that went in at the gate of his city.

King James Version (1611)
Unto Abraham for a possession in the presence of the children of Heth, before all that went in at the gates of his Citie.

King James Version
Unto Abraham for a possession in the presence of the children of Heth, before all that went in at the gate of his city.

Amplified Bible
to Abraham as his possession in the presence of the Hittites, before all who were entering at the gate of his city.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
to Abraam for a possession, before the sons of Chet, and all that entered into the city.

English Revised Version
unto Abraham for a possession in the presence of the children of Heth, before all that went in at the gate of his city.

Berean Standard Bible
to Abraham's possession in the presence of all the Hittites who had come to the gate of his city.

Lexham English Bible
to Abraham as a property in the presence of the Hittites, with respect to all who were entering the gate of his city.

Literal Translation
to Abraham for a purchase before the sons of Heth, with all entering the gate of his city.

New English Translation
as his property in the presence of the sons of Heth before all who entered the gate of Ephron's city.

New King James Version
to Abraham as a possession in the presence of the sons of Heth, before all who went in at the gate of his city.

New Living Translation
It was transferred to Abraham as his permanent possession in the presence of the Hittite elders at the city gate.

New Life Bible
to Abraham for his own. It was handed over in front of the sons of Heth and all who came in through the gate of his city.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
to Abraham as a purchase in the eyes of the sons of Heth, - with all who were entering the gate of his city.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Was made sure to Abraham for a possession, in the sight of the children of Heth, and of all that went in at the gate of his city.

Revised Standard Version
to Abraham as a possession in the presence of the Hittites, before all who went in at the gate of his city.

Good News Translation
It was recognized as Abraham's property by all the Hittites who were there at the meeting.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
while the sones of Heth seiyen and alle men that entriden bi the yate of that citee.

Young's Literal Translation
to Abraham by purchase, before the eyes of the sons of Heth, among all entering the gate of his city.

World English Bible
to Abraham for a possession in the presence of the children of Heth, before all who went in at the gate of his city.

Webster's Bible Translation
To Abraham for a possession in the presence of the children of Heth, before all that entered the gate of his city.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Unto Abraham for a possession in the sight of the chyldren of Heth, before all that went in at the gates of the citie.

Christian Standard Bible®
Abraham’s possession in the sight of all the Hethites who came to the gate of his city.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
for Abrahams owne good, with all the trees of the felde also rounde aboute, in the sight of the Hethites, and of all that go out and in at the gates of his cite.

New American Standard Bible
to Abraham as a possession in the presence of the sons of Heth, before all who entered the gate of his city.

New Revised Standard
to Abraham as a possession in the presence of the Hittites, in the presence of all who went in at the gate of his city.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
to Abraham for a possession in the presence of the sons of Heth, before all who went in at the gate of his city.

Legacy Standard Bible
to Abraham as purchased in the sight of the sons of Heth, before all who came in at the gate of his city.

Contextual Overview

¹⁶ And Abraham listened to Ephron. And Abraham weighed to Ephron the silver which he had named in the audience of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, current [money] with the merchant. ¹⁷ So the field of Ephron, which was in Machpelah, which was before Mamre, the field, and the cave which was therein, and all the trees that were in the field, that were in all the border thereof round about, were made sure ¹⁸ to Abraham for a possession in the presence of the sons of Heth, before all that went in at the gate of his city. ¹⁹ And after this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah before Mamre (that is Hebron), in the land of Canaan. ²⁰ And the field, and the cave that is therein, were made sure to Abraham for a possession of a burying-place by the sons of Heth.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

all: Genesis 34:20, Ruth 4:1, Jeremiah 32:12

Reciprocal: Genesis 23:10 - all that Genesis 23:11 - in the Genesis 34:24 - went out Ruth 4:4 - before the inhabitants

Cross-References

Genesis 34:20
And Hamor and Shechem his son came to the gate of their city, and communed with the men of their city, saying,

Ruth 4:1
Now Boaz went up to the gate, and sat down there: and, look, the near kinsman of whom Boaz spoke came by; to whom he said, Ho, such a one! turn aside, sit down here. And he turned aside, and sat down.

Jeremiah 32:12
and I delivered the deed of the purchase to Baruch the son of Neriah, the son of Mahseiah, in the presence of Hanamel my cousin, and in the presence of the witnesses that subscribed the deed of the purchase, before all the Jews that sat in the court of the guard.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Unto Abraham for a possession,.... To be enjoyed by him and his for ever, as his own property, being purchased by his money:

in the presence of the children of Heth; they being witnesses of the bargain, and of the payment of the money by Abraham, and of the surrender of the field unto him, for his own use:

before all that went in at the gates of his city; not of Abraham's city, for he had none, but of Ephron's city, which was Hebron, see

Genesis 23:10; these are either the same with the children of Heth, and so the clause is added by way of explanation, and including all the inhabitants of the place; or else different from them, they intending the princes of the people that composed the assembly Abraham addressed, and these the common people, the inhabitants of the place. Aben Ezra takes them to be the travellers that passed and repassed through the gates of the city: however, the design of the expression is to show in what a public manner this affair was transacted, and that the field was made as firm and as sure to Abraham as it could well be, no writings on such occasion being used so early.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

- The Death of Sarah

2. ארבע קרית qı̂ryat-'arba‛, “Qirjath-arba‘, city of Arba.” ארבע 'arba‛, “Arba‘, four.”

8. עפרון ‛eprôn, “‘Ephron, of the dust, or resembling a calf.” צחר tshochar, “Tsochar, whiteness.”

9. מכפלה makpêlâh, “Makpelah, doubled.”

The death and burial of Sarah are here recorded. This occasions the purchase of the field of Makpelah, in the cave of which is her sepulchre.

Genesis 23:1-2

Sarah is the only woman whose age is recorded in Scripture. She meets with this distinction as the wife of Abraham and the mother of the promised seed. “A hundred and twenty and seven years,” and therefore thirty-seven years after the birth of her son. “In Kiriatharba.” Arba is called the father of Anak Joshua 15:13; Joshua 21:11; that is, of the Anakim or Bene Anak, a tall or gigantic tribe Numbers 13:22; Numbers 28:0; Numbers 33:0, who were subsequently dispossessed by Kaleb. The Anakim were probably Hittites. Abraham had been absent from Hebron, which is also called Mamre in this very chapter Genesis 23:17, Genesis 23:19, not far from forty years, though he appears to have still kept up a connection with it, and had at present a residence in it. During this interval the sway of Arba may have commenced. “In the land of Kenaan,” in contradistinction to Beer-sheba in the land of the Philistines, where we last left Abraham. “Abraham went to mourn for Sarah,” either from Beer-sheba or some out-field where he had cattle pasturing.

Genesis 23:3-16

Abraham purchases a burying-ground in the land. “The sons of Heth.” These are the lords of the soil. “A stranger and a sojourner.” He is a stranger, not a Hittite; a sojourner, a dweller in the land, not a mere visitor or traveller. The former explains why he has no burial-ground; the latter, why he asks to purchase one. “Bury my dead out of my sight.” The bodies of those most dear to us decay, and must be removed from our sight. Abraham makes his request in the most general terms. In the somewhat exaggerated style of Eastern courtesy, the sons of Heth reply, “Hear us, my lord.” One speaks for all; hence, the change of number. “My lord” is simply equivalent to our “Sir,” or the German “mein Herr.” “A prince of God” in those times of simple faith was a chief notably favored of God, as Abraham had been in his call, his deliverance in Egypt, his victory over the kings, his intercession for the cities of the vale, and his protection the court of Abimelek. Some of these events were well known to the Hittites, as they had occurred while he was residing among them.

Genesis 23:7-9

Abraham now makes a specific offer to purchase the field of Makpelah from Ephron the son of Zohar. “Treat for me” - deal, use your influence with him. Abraham approaches in the most cautious manner to the individual with whom he wishes to treat. “The cave of Makpelah.” The burial of the dead in caves, natural and artificial, was customary in this Eastern land. The field seems to have been called Makpelah (doubled) from the double form of the cave, or the two caves perhaps communicating with each other, which it contained. “For the full silver.” Silver seems to have been the current medium of commerce at this time. God was known, and mentioned at an earlier period Genesis 2:11; Genesis 13:2. “A possession of a burying-ground.” We learn from this passage that property in land had been established at this time. Much of the country, however, must have been a common, or unappropriated pasture ground.

Genesis 23:10-16

The transaction now comes to be between Abraham and Ephron. “Was sitting.” The sons of Heth were seated in council, and Ephron among them. Abraham seems to have been seated also; for he stood up to make his obeisance and request Genesis 23:7. “Before all that went in at the gate of his city.” The conference was public. The place of session for judicial and other public business was the gate of the city, which was common ground, and where men were constantly going in and out. “His city.” This implies not that he was the king or chief, but simply that he was a respectable citizen. If Hebron was the city of the Hittites here intended, its chief at the time seems to have been Arba. “The field give I thee.” Literally, have I given thee - what was resolved upon was regarded as done. “In the sight of the sons of my people.” This was a public declaration or deed before many witnesses.

He offers the field as a gift, with the Eastern understanding that the receiver would make an ample recompense. This mode of dealing had its origin in a genuine good-will, that was prepared to gratify the wish of another as soon as it was made known, and as far as it was reasonable or practicable. The feeling seems to have been still somewhat fresh and unaffected in the time of Abraham, though it has degenerated into a mere form of courtesy. “If thou wilt, hear me.” The language is abrupt, being spoken in the haste of excitement. “I give silver.” “I have given” in the original; that is, I have determined to pay the full price. If the Eastern giver was liberal, the receiver was penetrated with an equal sense of the obligation conferred, and a like determination to make an equivalent return. “The land is four hundred shekels.” This is the familiar style for “the land is worth so much.” The shekel is here mentioned for the first time. It was originally a weight, not a coin. The weight at least was in common use before Abraham. If the shekel be nine pennyweights and three grains, the price of the field was about forty-five pounds sterling. “And Abraham weighed.” It appears that the money was uncoined silver, as it was weighed. “Current with the merchant.” The Kenaanites, of whom the Hittites were a tribe, were among the earliest traders in the world. The merchant, as the original imports, is the traveller who brings the wares to the purchasers in their own dwellings or towns. To him a fixed weight and measure were necessary.

Genesis 23:17-20

The completion of the sale is stated with great formality. No mention is made of any written deed of sale. Yet Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob remained in undisturbed possession of this burial-ground. Undisputed tenure seems to have been acknowledged as a title. The burial of Sarah is then simply noted. The validity of Abraham’s title is practically evinced by the actual burial of Sarah, and is recited again on account of the importance of the fact.

This chapter is interesting as containing the first record of mourning for the dead, of burial, of property in land, of purchase of land, of silver as a medium of purchase, and of a standard of weight. Mourning for the dead was, no doubt, natural on the first death. Burial was a matter of necessity, in order, as Abraham says, to remove the body out of sight, as soon as it was learned by experience that it would be devoured by beasts of prey, or become offensive by putrefaction. To bury or cover it with earth was a more easy and natural process than burning, and was therefore earlier and more general. Property in land was introduced where tribes became settled, formed towns, and began to practise tillage. Barter was the early mode of accommodating each party with the articles he needed or valued. This led gradually to the use of the precious metals as a “current” medium of exchange - first by weight, and then by coins of a fixed weight and known stamp.

The burial of Sarah is noted because she was the wife of Abraham and the mother of the promised seed. The purchase of the field is worthy of note, as it is the first property of the chosen race in the promised land. Hence, these two events are interwoven with the sacred narrative of the ways of God with man.