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Selected Verse: Genesis 23:3 - Strong Concordance
Verse |
Translation |
Text |
Ge 23:3 |
Strong Concordance |
And Abraham [085] stood up [06965] from before [06440] his dead [04191], and spake [01696] unto the sons [01121] of Heth [02845], saying [0559], |
|
King James |
And Abraham stood up from before his dead, and spake unto the sons of Heth, saying, |
Summary Of Commentaries Associated With The Selected Verse
A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882] |
PURCHASE OF A BURYING-PLACE. (Gen. 23:3-20)
Abraham stood up, &c.--Eastern people are always provided with family burying-places; but Abraham's life of faith--his pilgrim state--had prevented him acquiring even so small a possession (Act 7:5).
spake unto the sons of Heth--He bespoke their kind offices to aid him in obtaining possession of a cave that belonged to Ephron--a wealthy neighbor. |
Commentary on the Old Testament, by Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch [1857-78] |
He then went to the Hittites, the lords and possessors of the city and its vicinity at that time, to procure from them "a possession of a burying-place." The negotiations were carried on in the most formal style, in a public assembly "of the people of the land," i.e., of natives (Gen 23:7), in the gate of the city (Gen 23:10). As a foreigner and sojourner, Abraham presented his request in the most courteous manner to all the citizens ("all that went in at the gate," Gen 23:10, Gen 23:18; a phrase interchangeable with "all that went out at the gate," Gen 34:24, and those who "go out and in," Jer 17:19). The citizens with the greatest readiness and respect offered "the prince of God," i.e., the man exalted by God to the rank of a prince, "the choice" (מבחר, i.e., the most select) of their graves for his use (Gen 23:6). But Abraham asked them to request Ephron, who, to judge from the expression "his city" in Gen 23:10, was then ruler of the city, to give him for a possession the cave of Machpelah, at the end of his field, of which he was the owner, "for full silver," i.e., for its full worth. Ephron thereupon offered to make him a present of both field and cave. This was a turn in the affair which is still customary in the East; the design, so far as it is seriously meant at all, being either to obtain a present in return which will abundantly compensate for the value of the gift, or, what is still more frequently the case, to preclude any abatement in the price to be asked. The same design is evident in the peculiar form in which Ephron stated the price, in reply to Abraham's repeated declaration that he was determined to buy the piece of land: "a piece of land of 400 shekels of silver, what is that between me and thee" (Gen 23:15)? Abraham understood it so (ישׁמע Gen 23:16), and weighed him the price demanded. The shekel of silver "current with the merchant," i.e., the shekel which passed in trade as of standard weight, was 274 Parisian grains, so that the price of the piece of land was 52, 10s.; a very considerable amount for that time. |
Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826 |
Abraham stood up from before his dead - He had probably sat on the ground some days in token of sorrow, as the custom then was, (see Tobit 2:12, 13; Isa 47:1; and Gen 37:35); and when this time was finished he arose and began to treat about a burying place. |
5 And [2532] he gave [1325] him [846] none [3756] inheritance [2817] in [1722] it [846], no, not [3761] so much as to set [968] his foot [4228] on [968]: yet [2532] he promised [1861] that he would give [1325] it [846] to him [846] for [1519] a possession [2697], and [2532] to his [846] seed [4690] after [3326] him [846], when as yet he [846] had [5607] no [3756] child [5043].
16 And Abraham [085] hearkened [08085] unto Ephron [06085]; and Abraham [085] weighed [08254] to Ephron [06085] the silver [03701], which he had named [01696] in the audience [0241] of the sons [01121] of Heth [02845], four [0702] hundred [03967] shekels [08255] of silver [03701], current [05674] money with the merchant [05503].
15 My lord [0113], hearken [08085] unto me: the land [0776] is worth four [0702] hundred [03967] shekels [08255] of silver [03701]; what is that betwixt [0996] me and thee? bury [06912] therefore thy dead [04191].
10 And Ephron [06085] dwelt [03427] among [08432] the children [01121] of Heth [02845]: and Ephron [06085] the Hittite [02850] answered [06030] Abraham [085] in the audience [0241] of the children [01121] of Heth [02845], even of all that went in [0935] at the gate [08179] of his city [05892], saying [0559],
6 Hear us [08085], my lord [0113]: thou art a mighty [0430] prince [05387] among us [08432]: in the choice [04005] of our sepulchres [06913] bury [06912] thy dead [04191]; none [03808] [0376] of us shall withhold [03607] from thee his sepulchre [06913], but that thou mayest bury [06912] thy dead [04191].
19 Thus said [0559] the LORD [03068] unto me; Go [01980] and stand [05975] in the gate [08179] of the children [01121] of the people [05971], whereby the kings [04428] of Judah [03063] come in [0935], and by the which they go out [03318], and in all the gates [08179] of Jerusalem [03389];
24 And unto Hamor [02544] and unto Shechem [07927] his son [01121] hearkened [08085] all that went out [03318] of the gate [08179] of his city [05892]; and every male [02145] was circumcised [04135], all that went out [03318] of the gate [08179] of his city [05892].
18 Unto Abraham [085] for a possession [04736] in the presence [05869] of the children [01121] of Heth [02845], before all that went in [0935] at the gate [08179] of his city [05892].
10 And Ephron [06085] dwelt [03427] among [08432] the children [01121] of Heth [02845]: and Ephron [06085] the Hittite [02850] answered [06030] Abraham [085] in the audience [0241] of the children [01121] of Heth [02845], even of all that went in [0935] at the gate [08179] of his city [05892], saying [0559],
10 And Ephron [06085] dwelt [03427] among [08432] the children [01121] of Heth [02845]: and Ephron [06085] the Hittite [02850] answered [06030] Abraham [085] in the audience [0241] of the children [01121] of Heth [02845], even of all that went in [0935] at the gate [08179] of his city [05892], saying [0559],
7 And Abraham [085] stood up [06965], and bowed [07812] himself to the people [05971] of the land [0776], even to the children [01121] of Heth [02845].
35 And all his sons [01121] and all his daughters [01323] rose up [06965] to comfort [05162] him; but he refused [03985] to be comforted [05162]; and he said [0559], For I will go down [03381] into the grave [07585] unto my son [01121] mourning [057]. Thus his father [01] wept [01058] for him.
1 Come down [03381], and sit [03427] in the dust [06083], O virgin [01330] daughter [01323] of Babylon [0894], sit [03427] on the ground [0776]: there is no throne [03678], O daughter [01323] of the Chaldeans [03778]: for thou shalt no more [03254] be called [07121] tender [07390] and delicate [06028].