Genesis Chapter 23

The Death of Sarah

¹ Sarah lived 127 years ² and died in Kiriath-arba (Hebron) in Canaan. Abraham went in to mourn for her and cry. ³ Then he got up from beside his dead and said to the descendants of Heth, ⁴ “I’m a foreigner among you. Let me have a place to bury my dead.”

[⁵ ] ⁶ “Listen, Sir, you’re a prince of God among us. Bury your dead in the best grave we have. None of us will refuse you his grave.”

⁷ Abraham stood up and bowed to the local people,

⁸ “If you’ll let me bury my dead, approach Ephron Ben-Zohar for me, ⁹ to let me have the Cave of Machpelah at the end of his field. Will he let me buy it at full price for a burial place among you?”           

Gen 23:1-9

¹⁰ Ephron was sitting there and answered Abraham in front of everyone that was going in his city gate, ¹¹ “No, Sir; listen. In my people’s presence, I’ll give you the field and the cave that’s in it. Bury your dead.”

¹² Abraham bowed ¹³ and told him, “I’ll pay you the price for the field. Accept it so I can bury my dead there.”

¹⁴ He answered, ¹⁵ “Listen, a piece of land worth 10 lbs ^{400 shekels} of silver—what’s that between us? Bury your dead.”

¹⁶ Abraham listened and weighed out 10 lbs ^{400 shekels} of silver, merchant’s standard. ¹⁷ Ephron deeded the field, its trees, and the cave ¹⁸ to Abraham in front of everyone in his city gate. It became a possession among the descendants of Heth. ¹⁹ Abraham buried Sarah in the Cave of Machpelah east of Mamre (Hebron) in Canaan. [ ²⁰ ]

Gen 23:10-20