1 And the life of Sarah was a hundred and twenty-seven years. 2 And Sarah died in the city of Arba, which is in the valley, this is Hebron in the land of Canaan; and Abraham came to lament for Sarah and to mourn. 3 And Abraham stood up from before his dead; and Abraham spoke to the sons of Heth, saying, 4 I am a sojourner and a stranger among you, give me therefore possession of a burying place among you, and I will bury my dead away from me. 5 And the sons of Heth answered to Abraham, saying, Not so, Sir, 6 but hear us; thou art in the midst of us a king from God; bury thy dead in our choice sepulchers, for not one of us will by any means withhold his sepulcher from thee, so that thou shouldest not bury thy dead there. 7 And Abraham rose up and did obeisance to the people of the land, to the sons of Heth. 8 And Abraham spoke to them, saying, If ye have it in your mind that I should bury my dead out of my sight, hearken to me, and speak for me to Ephron the son of Zohar. 9 And let him give me the double cave which he has, which is in a part of his field, let him give it me for the money it is worth for possession of a burying place among you. 10 Now Ephron was sitting in the midst of the children of Heth, and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham and spoke in the hearing of the sons of Heth, and of all who entered the city, saying, 11 Attend to me, my lord, and hear me, I give to thee the field and the cave which is in it; I have given it thee before all my countrymen; bury thy dead. 12 And Abraham did obeisance before the people of the land. 13 And he said in the ears of Ephron before the people of the land, Since thou art on my side, hear me; take the price of the field from me, and I will bury my dead there. 14 But Ephron answered Abraham, saying, 15 Nay, my lord, I have heard indeed, the land [is worth] four hundred silver didrachmas, but what can this be between me and thee? nay, do thou bury thy dead. 16 And Abraham hearkened to Ephron, and Abraham rendered to Ephron the money, which he mentioned in the ears of the sons of Heth, four hundred didrachmas of silver approved with merchants. 17 And the field of Ephron, which was in Double Cave, which is opposite Mamre, the field and the cave, which was in it, and every tree which was in the field, and whatever is in its borders round about, were made sure 18 to Abraham for a possession, before the sons of Heth, and all that entered into the city. 19 After this Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the Double Cave of the field, which is opposite Mamre, this is Hebron in the land of Canaan. 20 So the field and the cave which was in it were made sure to Abraham for possession of a burying place, by the sons of Heth.
Genesis · Updated Brenton English Septuagint
Genesis 23 Updated Brenton English Septuagint
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
Notes on this text (1)
- Same Septuagint text as Brenton, with modernised spelling.
People & places in this chapter
From this site's family tree and Bible maps, only where those guides cite this chapter.
People
Abraham
Called by God, he left home in faith to become the father of a chosen people.
Cited in the guide: Genesis 12–25
Ephron
A Hittite at Hebron, son of Zohar, who sold Abraham the field and cave of Machpelah for four hundred shekels of silver, where Abraham buried Sarah and was himself buried.
Cited in the guide: Genesis 23:8–10; Genesis 23:16; Genesis 25:9
Zohar
A Hittite named only as the father of Ephron, from whom Abraham bought the cave of Machpelah.
Cited in the guide: Genesis 23:8; Genesis 25:9
Places
Hebron
One of the region's oldest cities, holding the patriarchs' burial cave (Machpelah). It was David's first royal capital, over Judah.
Cited in the guide: Genesis 23:19; Genesis 13:18; 2 Samuel 5:3
Cross references (17)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 2 Genesis 23:19; Genesis 13:18; 1 Chronicles 6:57; Judges 1:10; Genesis 27:41
- 3 Genesis 10:15; Genesis 23:7; Genesis 23:5; Genesis 27:46; 2 Samuel 23:39
- 4 Hebrews 11:9; 1 Chronicles 29:15; Genesis 17:8; Psalm 119:19; Psalm 39:12
- 6 Genesis 24:35; Genesis 14:14; Genesis 44:5; Genesis 13:2; Genesis 32:4–5
- 7 Hebrews 12:14; Romans 12:17–18; Genesis 19:1; Genesis 18:2; Proverbs 18:24
- 8 1 Kings 2:17; Hebrews 7:26; Genesis 25:9; 1 John 2:1–2; Luke 7:3–4
- 9 Romans 12:17; Romans 13:8
- 10 Genesis 34:20; Genesis 34:24; Genesis 23:18; Matthew 9:1; Ruth 4:1–4
- 11 Luke 19:24; Isaiah 32:8; 2 Samuel 24:20–24; Genesis 23:6; Jeremiah 32:7–12
- 12 Genesis 19:1; Genesis 18:2; Genesis 23:7
- 13 Romans 13:8; Genesis 14:22–23; 2 Samuel 24:24; Acts 20:35; Hebrews 13:5
- 15 Ezekiel 45:12; Exodus 30:13; Exodus 30:15
- 16 Jeremiah 32:9; Zechariah 11:12; Exodus 30:13; Romans 13:8; Matthew 7:12
- 17 Genesis 50:13; Genesis 25:9; Genesis 23:20; Acts 7:16; Genesis 49:29–32
- 18 Jeremiah 32:12; Genesis 34:20; Ruth 4:1
- 19 Genesis 49:29–32; Genesis 25:9–10; Genesis 50:25; Genesis 50:13; Genesis 35:27–29
- 20 Jeremiah 32:10–14; Ruth 4:7–10; 2 Kings 21:18; Genesis 50:5; Genesis 25:9
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences