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Genesis 23

1Sarah's life was 127 years; these were the years of Sarah's life. 2Sarah died in Kiriath-arba, that is, Hebron, in the land of Canaan. Abraham came to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her. 3Abraham rose from beside his dead and spoke to the sons of Heth, saying, 4“I am a foreigner and resident among you. Give me a burial holding among you, so that I may bury my dead out of my sight.” 5The sons of Heth answered Abraham, saying to him, 6“Hear us, my lord. You are a prince of God among us. Bury your dead in the choicest of our graves. None of us will withhold his grave from you for burying your dead.”

7Abraham rose and bowed to the people of the land, the sons of Heth. 8He spoke with them, saying, “If it is your will that I bury my dead out of my sight, hear me and intercede for me with Ephron son of Zohar, 9so that he may give me the cave of Machpelah that belongs to him, at the edge of his field. Let him give it to me for its full price in silver, among you, as a burial holding.” 10Ephron was sitting among the sons of Heth. Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the hearing of the sons of Heth, of everyone entering his city's gate, saying, 11“No, my lord, hear me. I give you the field, and I give you the cave in it. In the sight of the sons of my people I give it to you. Bury your dead.” 12Abraham bowed before the people of the land. 13He spoke to Ephron in the hearing of the people of the land, saying, “But if only you would hear me! I give the silver for the field. Take it from me, and I will bury my dead there.” 14Ephron answered Abraham, saying to him, 15“My lord, hear me. Land worth four hundred shekels of silver—what is that between me and you? Bury your dead.” 16Abraham listened to Ephron. Abraham weighed out for Ephron the silver he had specified in the hearing of the sons of Heth: four hundred shekels of silver, at the merchants' current weight.

17Ephron's field in Machpelah, facing Mamre—the field, the cave in it, and every tree within all the field's surrounding boundaries—was confirmed 18to Abraham as a purchase in the sight of the sons of Heth, before everyone entering his city's gate. 19Afterward Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah, facing Mamre, that is, Hebron, in the land of Canaan. 20The field and the cave in it were confirmed to Abraham as a burial holding from the sons of Heth.

Translation notes 3

23:3–9 — Resident; holding. Abraham identifies himself as a resident foreigner while seeking a permanent burial holding. Sons of Heth is the chapter's kinship designation of the Hittites. “Prince of God” can also be an honorific meaning a mighty prince; the draft retains the divine expression without making the speakers confess a particular theology.

23:10–16 — Giving; silver. Repeated giving language belongs to the public negotiation; the final transaction explicitly includes weighing four hundred shekels of silver. A shekel is a weight, not a minted coin here. The chapter does not itself establish that the price was ordinary, excessive, or a special legal tariff.

23:17–20 — Confirmed purchase. The field, cave, trees, boundaries, witnesses, burial, and transfer are stated in detail. “Was confirmed” renders the legal effect of the Hebrew “stood” without inventing a written deed or a particular surviving law code. The transaction secures a burial holding before the larger promised land is possessed.