Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version He said to them, “If you are willing to let me bury my dead, then listen to me and intercede with Ephron son of Zohar on my behalf New Living Translation and said, “Since you are willing to help me in this way, be so kind as to ask Ephron son of Zohar English Standard Version And he said to them, “If you are willing that I should bury my dead out of my sight, hear me and entreat for me Ephron the son of Zohar, Berean Standard Bible “If you are willing for me to bury my dead,” he said to them, “listen to me, and approach Ephron son of Zohar on my behalf King James Bible And he communed with them, saying, If it be your mind that I should bury my dead out of my sight; hear me, and intreat for me to Ephron the son of Zohar, New King James Version And he spoke with them, saying, “If it is your wish that I bury my dead out of my sight, hear me, and meet with Ephron the son of Zohar for me, New American Standard Bible And he spoke with them, saying, “If you are willing to let me bury my dead out of my sight, listen to me, and plead with Ephron the son of Zohar for me, NASB 1995 And he spoke with them, saying, “If it is your wish for me to bury my dead out of my sight, hear me, and approach Ephron the son of Zohar for me, NASB 1977 And he spoke with them, saying, “If it is your wish for me to bury my dead out of my sight, hear me, and approach Ephron the son of Zohar for me, Legacy Standard Bible And he spoke with them, saying, “If it is your desire for me to bury my dead out of my sight, hear me, and meet with Ephron the son of Zohar for me, Amplified Bible And Abraham said to them, “If you are willing to grant my dead a [proper] burial, listen to me, and plead with Ephron the son of Zohar for me, Christian Standard Bible He said to them, “If you are willing for me to bury my dead, listen to me and ask Ephron son of Zohar on my behalf Holman Christian Standard Bible He said to them, “If you are willing for me to bury my dead, listen to me and ask Ephron son of Zohar on my behalf American Standard Version And he communed with them, saying, If it be your mind that I should bury my dead out of my sight, hear me, and entreat for me to Ephron the son of Zohar, Contemporary English Version and replied, "If you are willing to let me bury my wife here, please ask Zohar's son Ephron English Revised Version And he communed with them, saying, If it be your mind that I should bury my dead out of my sight, hear me, and entreat for me to Ephron the son of Zohar, GOD'S WORD® Translation He said to them, "If you are willing to let me bury my wife, listen to me. Encourage Ephron, son of Zohar, Good News Translation and said, "If you are willing to let me bury my wife here, please ask Ephron son of Zohar International Standard Version and addressed them, "If you are willing that I should bury my dead out of my sight, listen to me and make a request of Zohar's son Ephron on my behalf. Majority Standard Bible ?If you are willing for me to bury my dead,? he said to them, ?listen to me, and approach Ephron son of Zohar on my behalf NET Bible Then he said to them, "If you agree that I may bury my dead, then hear me out. Ask Ephron the son of Zohar New Heart English Bible He talked with them, saying, "If you agree that I may remove my dead for burial, hear me, and approach Ephron the son of Zohar for me, Webster's Bible Translation And he communed with them, saying, If it is your mind that I should bury my dead out of my sight, hear me, and entreat for me to Ephron the son of Zohar, World English Bible He talked with them, saying, “If you agree that I should bury my dead out of my sight, hear me, and entreat for me to Ephron the son of Zohar, Literal Translations Literal Standard Versionand he speaks with them, saying, “If it is your desire to bury my dead from before me, hear me, and meet for me with Ephron, son of Zoar; Young's Literal Translation and he speaketh with them, saying, 'If it is your desire to bury my dead from before me, hear me, and meet for me with Ephron, son of Zoar; Smith's Literal Translation And he will speak to them, saying, If it is your soul to bury my dead from my face, hear me, and entreat for me to Ephron, son of Zohar. Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleAnd said to them: If it please your soul that I should bury my dead, hear me, and intercede for me to Ephron the son of Seor. Catholic Public Domain Version And he said to them: “If it pleases your soul that I should bury my dead, hear me, and intercede on my behalf with Ephron, the son of Zohar, New American Bible and said to them: “If you will allow me room for burial of my dead, listen to me! Intercede for me with Ephron, son of Zohar, New Revised Standard Version He said to them, “If you are willing that I should bury my dead out of my sight, hear me, and entreat for me Ephron son of Zohar, Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleAnd he discussed the matter with them and said to them, If you consent that I may bury my dead out of my sight, hear me and entreat for me to Ephron the son of Zohar, Peshitta Holy Bible Translated And he spoke with them and said to them: “If your souls are willing that I bury my dead from before me, hear me and ask for me of Aphron son of Tsakhar, OT Translations JPS Tanakh 1917And he spoke with them, saying: 'If it be your mind that I should bury my dead out of my sight, hear me, and entreat for me to Ephron the son of Zohar, Brenton Septuagint Translation And Abraam 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 Saar. Additional Translations ... Audio Bible Context The Death and Burial of Sarah…7Then Abraham rose and bowed down before the people of the land, the Hittites. 8“If you are willing for me to bury my dead,” he said to them, “ listen to me, and approach Ephron son of Zohar on my behalf 9to sell me the cave of Machpelah that belongs to him; it is at the end of his field. Let him sell it to me in your presence for full price, so that I may have a burial site.”… Cross References Genesis 50:5-6 my father made me swear an oath when he said, ‘I am about to die. You must bury me in the tomb that I dug for myself in the land of Canaan.’ Now let me go and bury my father, and then return.” / Pharaoh replied, “Go up and bury your father, as he made you swear to do.” Genesis 49:29-32 Then Jacob instructed them, “I am about to be gathered to my people. Bury me with my fathers in the cave in the field of Ephron the Hittite. / The cave is in the field of Machpelah near Mamre, in the land of Canaan. This is the field Abraham purchased from Ephron the Hittite as a burial site. / There Abraham and his wife Sarah are buried, there Isaac and his wife Rebekah are buried, and there I buried Leah. ... Genesis 33:19 And the plot of ground where he pitched his tent, he purchased from the sons of Hamor, Shechem’s father, for a hundred pieces of silver. Genesis 25:9-10 His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah near Mamre, in the field of Ephron son of Zohar the Hittite. / This was the field that Abraham had bought from the Hittites. Abraham was buried there with his wife Sarah. Genesis 47:29-30 When the time drew near for Israel to die, he called his son Joseph and said to him, “If I have found favor in your eyes, put your hand under my thigh and promise to show me kindness and faithfulness. Do not bury me in Egypt, / but when I lie down with my fathers, carry me out of Egypt and bury me with them.” Joseph answered, “I will do as you have requested.” Ruth 4:1-10 Meanwhile, Boaz went to the gate and sat down there. Soon the kinsman-redeemer of whom he had spoken came along, and Boaz said, “Come over here, my friend, and sit down.” So he went over and sat down. / Then Boaz took ten of the elders of the city and said, “Sit here,” and they did so. / And he said to the kinsman-redeemer, “Naomi, who has returned from the land of Moab, is selling the piece of land that belonged to our brother Elimelech. ... 1 Kings 21:2-3 So Ahab said to Naboth, “Give me your vineyard to use as a vegetable garden, since it is next to my palace. I will give you a better vineyard in its place—or if you prefer, I will give you its value in silver.” / But Naboth replied, “The LORD forbid that I should give you the inheritance of my fathers.” Jeremiah 32:7-12 Behold! Hanamel, the son of your uncle Shallum, is coming to you to say, ‘Buy for yourself my field in Anathoth, for you have the right of redemption to buy it.’ / Then, as the LORD had said, my cousin Hanamel came to me in the courtyard of the guard and urged me, ‘Please buy my field in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin, for you own the right of inheritance and redemption. Buy it for yourself.’” Then I knew that this was the word of the LORD. / So I bought the field in Anathoth from my cousin Hanamel, and I weighed out seventeen shekels of silver. ... Acts 7:16 Their bones were carried back to Shechem and placed in the tomb that Abraham had bought from the sons of Hamor at Shechem for a price he paid in silver. Hebrews 11:13-16 All these people died in faith, without having received the things they were promised. However, they saw them and welcomed them from afar. And they acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. / Now those who say such things show that they are seeking a country of their own. / If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. ... Matthew 27:57-60 When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea named Joseph, who himself was a disciple of Jesus. / He went to Pilate to ask for the body of Jesus, and Pilate ordered that it be given to him. / So Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, ... John 19:38-42 Afterward, Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus (but secretly for fear of the Jews), asked Pilate to let him remove the body of Jesus. Pilate gave him permission, so he came and removed His body. / Nicodemus, who had previously come to Jesus at night, also brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds. / So they took the body of Jesus and wrapped it in linen cloths with the spices, according to the Jewish burial custom. ... Acts 8:2 God-fearing men buried Stephen and mourned deeply over him. Acts 9:37-39 At that time, however, she became sick and died, and her body was washed and placed in an upper room. / Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, hearing that Peter was there, sent two men to urge him, “Come to us without delay.” / So Peter got up and went with them. On his arrival, they took him to the upper room. All the widows stood around him, weeping and showing him the tunics and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was still with them. Acts 5:6-10 Then the young men stepped forward, wrapped up his body, and carried him out and buried him. / About three hours later his wife also came in, unaware of what had happened. / “Tell me,” said Peter, “is this the price you and your husband got for the land?” “Yes,” she answered, “that is the price.” ... Treasury of Scripture And he communed with them, saying, If it be your mind that I should bury my dead out of my sight; hear me, and entreat for me to Ephron the son of Zohar, intreat. 1 Kings 2:17 And he said, Speak, I pray thee, unto Solomon the king, (for he will not say thee nay,) that he give me Abishag the Shunammite to wife. Luke 7:3,4 And when he heard of Jesus, he sent unto him the elders of the Jews, beseeching him that he would come and heal his servant… Hebrews 7:26 For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; Jump to Previous Approach Behalf Bury Communed Dead Desire Entreat Ephron Hear Intercede Meet Mind Request Rest Sight Speaketh Talked Willing Wish Zoar ZoharJump to Next Approach Behalf Bury Communed Dead Desire Entreat Ephron Hear Intercede Meet Mind Request Rest Sight Speaketh Talked Willing Wish Zoar ZoharGenesis 23 1. The age and death of Sarah.3. The purchase of the field and cave of Machpelah; 19. where Sarah is buried. If you are willing for me to bury my dead, This phrase reflects Abraham's respectful approach to the Hittites, acknowledging their authority in the land. It highlights the cultural practice of seeking permission from local inhabitants for land use, especially for burial purposes. The phrase also underscores the importance of burial in ancient Near Eastern culture, where proper burial was essential for honoring the deceased. Abraham's request shows his desire to secure a permanent burial site for his family, indicating his faith in God's promise of the land to his descendants. he said to them, listen to me, and approach Ephron son of Zohar on my behalf Persons / Places / Events 1. AbrahamThe patriarch of the Israelites, who is seeking a burial place for his wife, Sarah, after her death. 2. Sarah Abraham's wife, whose death prompts Abraham to seek a burial site. 3. Ephron son of Zohar A Hittite landowner from whom Abraham wishes to purchase a burial site. 4. Hittites The people living in the land of Canaan, among whom Abraham is residing as a foreigner. 5. Canaan The land where Abraham is living, which God promised to his descendants. Teaching Points Faith in God's PromisesAbraham's actions demonstrate his faith in God's promise of the land to his descendants, even though he himself does not possess it fully. Integrity in Dealings Abraham's respectful negotiation with the Hittites shows the importance of integrity and respect in our interactions with others. Respect for the Dead The care Abraham takes in securing a burial place for Sarah highlights the importance of honoring and respecting our loved ones in death. Community Relations Abraham's interaction with the Hittites illustrates the importance of maintaining good relationships with those around us, even when we are in a foreign or secular environment. Legacy and Heritage The purchase of the burial site is a step in establishing a lasting heritage for Abraham's descendants, reminding us of the importance of thinking about the legacy we leave behind.Verses 8, 9. - And he communed with them, saying, If it be year mind - literally, if it be with your souls, the word nephesh being used in this sense in Psalm 27:12; Psalm 41:3; Psalm 105:22 - that I should bury my dead out of my might; hear me, and entreat for me to Ephron the son of Zohar. The ruler of the city (Keil); but this is doubtful (Lange). "There is scarcely anything in the habits of Orientals more annoying to us Occidentals than this universal custom of employing mediators to pass between you and-those with whom you wish to do business. Nothing can be done without them. A merchant cannot sell a piece of print, nor a farmer a yoke of oxen, nor any one rent a house, buy a horse, or get a wife, without a succession of go-betweens. Of course Abraham knew that this matter of the field could not be brought about without the intervention of the neighbors of Ephron, and therefore he applies to them first" ('Land and Book,' p. 579). That he may give me the cave of Machpelah, - Machpelah is regarded as a proper noun (Gesenius, Keil, Kalisch, Rosenmüller), as in Genesis 49:30, though by others it is considered as an appellative, signifying that the cave was double (LXX., Vulgate), either as consisting of a cave within a cave (Hamerus), or of one cave exterior and another interior (Abort Ezra), or as having room for two bodies (Calvin), or as possessing two entrances (Jewish interpreters). It is probable the cave received its name from its peculiar form, - which he hath (Ephron s ownership of the cave is expressly recognized, and its situation is next described), which is in the end of his field - "so that the cession of it will not injure his property" (Wordsworth). At the same time Abraham makes it clear that an honest purchase is what he contemplates. For as much money as it is worth - literally, for full silver (1 Chronicles 21:22). Cf. siller (Scotch) for money. This is the first mention of the use of the precious metals as a medium of exchange, though they must have been so employed at a very early period (vide Genesis 13:2) - he shall give it me for a possession of a burying-place amongst you. The early Chaldaeans were accustomed to bury their dead in strongly-constructed brick vaults. Those found at Mughheir are seven feet long, three feet seven inches broad, and five feet high, are composed of sun-dried bricks embedded in mud, and exhibit a remarkable form and construction of arch, resembling that occur ring in Egyptian buildings and Scythian tombs, in which the successive layers of brick are made to overlap until they come so close that the aperture may be covered by a single brick (Rawlinson's 'Ancient Monarchies,' Vol. 1. p. 86). In the absence of such artificial receptacles for the dead, the nearest substitute the patriarch could obtain was one of those natural grottoes which the limestone hills of Canaan so readily afforded. Parallel Commentaries ... Hebrew “Ifאִם־ (’im-) Conjunction Strong's 518: Lo!, whether?, if, although, Oh that!, when, not you are willing נַפְשְׁכֶ֗ם (nap̄·šə·ḵem) Noun - feminine singular construct | second person masculine plural Strong's 5315: A soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, passion, appetite, emotion for me to bury לִקְבֹּ֤ר (liq·bōr) Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct Strong's 6912: To inter my dead,” מֵתִי֙ (mê·ṯî) Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular construct | first person common singular Strong's 4191: To die, to kill he said וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר (way·ḏab·bêr) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular Strong's 1696: To arrange, to speak, to subdue to them, אִתָּ֖ם (’it·tām) Preposition | third person masculine plural Strong's 854: Nearness, near, with, by, at, among “listen to me, שְׁמָע֕וּנִי (šə·mā·‘ū·nî) Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural | first person common singular Strong's 8085: To hear intelligently and approach וּפִגְעוּ־ (ū·p̄iḡ·‘ū-) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural Strong's 6293: To impinge, by accident, violence, by importunity Ephron בְּעֶפְר֥וֹן (bə·‘ep̄·rō·wn) Preposition-b | Noun - proper - masculine singular Strong's 6085: Ephron -- a Hittite, also a mountain and a place in Israel son בֶּן־ (ben-) Noun - masculine singular construct Strong's 1121: A son of Zohar צֹֽחַר׃ (ṣō·ḥar) Noun - proper - masculine singular Strong's 6714: Zohar -- a Hittite, also two Israelites on my behalf לִ֖י (lî) Preposition | first person common singular Strong's Hebrew Links Genesis 23:8 NIVGenesis 23:8 NLT Genesis 23:8 ESV Genesis 23:8 NASB Genesis 23:8 KJV Genesis 23:8 BibleApps.com Genesis 23:8 Biblia Paralela Genesis 23:8 Chinese Bible Genesis 23:8 French Bible Genesis 23:8 Catholic Bible OT Law: Genesis 23:8 He talked with them saying If it (Gen. Ge Gn) |