Translations
Original
Notes
Abraham did not want the whole field, but he was willing to take it to get the cave.
Abraham wanted to buy Ephron’s cave at Machpelah, but Ephron wanted him to buy the entire field.
She died: Abraham bought a piece of land for Sarah's burial. This was the first sign of a permanent change, as people usually buried their dead in their ancestral homeland (compare 49:29–50:13). By burying Sarah, Abraham separated himself from his ancestral home (where his relatives still lived, 22:20–24). His future would be in Canaan, where his descendants would fulfill the promise.
People
Abraham: Patriarch, chosen by God to father His people
Glossary
Abraham Bible, Manuscripts and Text of the (New Testament) Burial, Burial Customs Ebla Tablets Elder Ephron (Person) Gate Genesis, Book of Hebron (Place) Hittites Isaac Machpelah Patriarchs, Period of the Sarah
Topics
Abraham: He Purchases a Place for Her Burial, and Buries Her in a Cave Abraham: Independence of, in Character Burial: Antiquity of Purchasing Places For Cave: Burial Place Ephron: Son of Zohar, the Hittite: Sells to Abraham the Field Containing the Cave Machpelah Land: Bought and Sold Land: Conveyance of, by Written Deeds and Other Forms