What is the meaning of Genesis 23:20? So the field • This little parcel in Hebron is more than farmland. It is the first piece of the promised land Abraham actually owns. Earlier the LORD said, “To your offspring I will give this land” (Genesis 12:7), and here that promise moves from word to deed. • Owning real soil in Canaan confirms God’s covenant faithfulness. Much later David will insist on paying full price for his own sacred plot, saying, “I will not offer burnt offerings to the LORD my God that cost me nothing” (2 Samuel 24:24). Like David, Abraham refuses a gift; he purchases the land so the title is incontestable. and its cave • The cave of Machpelah becomes the family tomb: Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah, Jacob and Leah will all rest here (Genesis 49:29-32; 50:13). • Caves offered permanence and protection. Securing both field and cave ensures the family’s remains stay in the land of promise, witnessing to future generations that God will bring them back. When Joseph later says, “Carry my bones up from here” (Genesis 50:25), he is echoing this same confidence. were deeded • “Deeded” tells us a public, legal transfer took place. The city gate elders watch; silver is weighed; boundaries are listed (Genesis 23:16-18). Everything is transparent. • Scripture treats written deeds as enduring proof. Jeremiah likewise signs and seals a purchase during national crisis, declaring, “Houses and fields and vineyards will again be bought in this land” (Jeremiah 32:9-15). In both cases, buying property testifies to trust in God’s future. by the Hittites • The Hittites (sons of Heth) are resident Canaanites. They address Abraham as “a mighty prince among us” (Genesis 23:6), recognizing God’s blessing on him even though he is still, technically, an immigrant (Hebrews 11:9). • Their participation means pagan witnesses affirm the sale, eliminating future disputes. Later conflicts over burial places—such as concerning Jesus’ empty tomb—show how vital public verification can be (Matthew 27:62-66). to Abraham • Though the land is promised to his offspring, the deed bears Abraham’s own name. Acts 7:5 reminds us, “He gave him no inheritance here, not even a foot of ground. But He promised that he and his descendants would possess it.” Genesis 23 is that “foot of ground.” • The transaction underlines Abraham’s faith in God’s timing. He buries Sarah in hope, trusting that the God who gave him Isaac can also fill the land with descendants (Genesis 17:8). as a burial site • Burial fixes Abraham’s family story in God’s story. They choose not to return to Ur; their cemetery stakes their future in Canaan. Hebrews 11:13-16 says they “acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth… desiring a better country, that is, a heavenly one.” • Resurrection hope gleams here. Jesus later declares, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in Me will live, even though he dies” (John 11:25-26). Believers still honor graves, not as dead ends but as seedbeds for resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:42-44). summary Genesis 23:20 records a simple real-estate closing, yet it radiates covenant faithfulness. The purchased field anchors Abraham’s family in the promised land, provides a testimony before unbelievers, and points forward to resurrection hope. God keeps His promises—down to the very last plot of ground. |
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