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Genesis 23 :: Christian Standard Bible (CSB)

Sarah’s Burial
Gen 23:1

Now Sarah lived 127 years; these were all the years of her life.

Gen 23:2

Sarah died in Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan, and Abraham went in to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her.

Gen 23:3

When Abraham got up from beside his dead wife, he spoke to the Hethites:

Gen 23:4

“I am an alien residing among you. Give me burial property among you so that I can bury my dead.”[fn]

Gen 23:5

The Hethites replied to Abraham,[fn]

Gen 23:6

“Listen to us, my lord. You are a prince of God[fn] among us. Bury your dead in our finest burial place.[fn] None of us will withhold from you his burial place for burying your dead.”

Gen 23:7

Then Abraham rose and bowed down to the Hethites, the people of the land.

Gen 23:8

He said to them, “If you are willing for me to bury my dead, listen to me and ask Ephron son of Zohar on my behalf

Gen 23:9

“to give me the cave of Machpelah that belongs to him; it is at the end of his field. Let him give it to me in your presence, for the full price, as burial property.”

Gen 23:10

Ephron was sitting among the Hethites. So in the hearing[fn] of all the Hethites who came to the gate of his city, Ephron the Hethite answered Abraham:

Gen 23:11

“No, my lord. Listen to me. I give you the field, and I give you the cave that is in it. I give it to you in the sight[fn] of my people. Bury your dead.”

Gen 23:12

Abraham bowed down to the people of the land

Gen 23:13

and said to Ephron in the hearing of the people of the land, “Listen to me, if you please. Let me pay the price of the field. Accept it from me, and let me bury my dead there.”

Gen 23:14

Ephron answered Abraham and said to him,

Gen 23:15

“My lord, listen to me. Land worth four hundred shekels of silver ​— ​what is that between you and me? Bury your dead.”

Gen 23:16

Abraham agreed with Ephron, and Abraham weighed out to Ephron the silver that he had agreed to in the hearing of the Hethites: four hundred standard shekels[fn] of silver.

Gen 23:17

So Ephron’s field at Machpelah near Mamre ​— ​the field with its cave and all the trees anywhere within the boundaries of the field ​— ​became

Gen 23:18

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

Gen 23:19

After this, Abraham buried his wife Sarah in the cave of the field at Machpelah near Mamre (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan.

Gen 23:20

The field with its cave passed from the Hethites to Abraham as burial property.

CSB Footnotes
Lit dead from before me
Lit Abraham, saying to him
Or a mighty prince
Or finest graves
Lit ears, also in vv. 13,16
Lit in the eyes of the sons
Lit 400 shekels passing to the merchant
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Genesis Chapter 23 — Additional Translations: