1 Sarah lived a hundred and twenty-seven years. These were the years of the life of Sarah. 2 Sarah died in Kiriath Arba, that is, Hebron, in the land of Canaan. Abraham mourned and wept for Sarah. 3 Then Abraham rose up and went from his dead wife, and spoke to the sons of Heth, saying, 4 “I am a foreigner among you. Please grant me a property for a burial place among you, so that I may bury my dead.” 5 The sons of Heth answered Abraham, saying, 6 “Listen to us, my master. You are a prince of God among us. Bury your dead in the choicest of our tombs. None of us will refuse you his tomb, so that you may bury your dead.” 7 Abraham arose and bowed down to the people of the land, to the sons of Heth. 8 He spoke to them, saying, “If you agree that I should bury my dead, then hear me and plead with Ephron son of Zohar, for me. 9 Ask him to sell me the cave of Machpelah, which he owns, which is at the end of his field. For the full price let him sell it to me publicly as a property for a burial place.” 10 Now Ephron was sitting among the sons of Heth, and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the hearing of the sons of Heth, of all those who had come into the gate of his city, saying, 11 “No, my master, hear me. I give you the field, and the cave that is in it. I give it to you in the presence of the sons of my people. I give it to you to bury your dead.” 12 Then Abraham bowed himself down before the people of the land. 13 He spoke to Ephron in the hearing of the people of the land, saying, “But if you are willing, please hear me. I will pay for the field. Take the money from me, and I will bury my dead there.” 14 Ephron answered Abraham, saying, 15 “Please, my master, listen to me. A piece of land worth four hundred shekels of silver, what is that between me and you? Bury your dead.” 16 Abraham listened to Ephron and Abraham weighed out to Ephron the amount of silver that he had spoken in the hearing of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, according to the standard measurement of the merchants. 17 So the field of Ephron, which was in Machpelah, which was next to Mamre, that is, the field, the cave that was in it, and all the trees that were in the field and all around its border, passed 18 to Abraham by purchase in the presence of the sons of Heth, before all those who had come into the gate of his city. 19 After this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah, which is next to Mamre, that is, Hebron, in the land of Canaan. 20 So the field and the cave in it passed to Abraham as a property for a burial place from the sons of Heth.
Genesis · Unlocked Literal Bible
Genesis 23 Unlocked Literal Bible
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
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