The Death and Burial of Sarah

Back to Genesis in my chronological Bible study:

(Genesis 23:1) And Sarah was a hundred and twenty-seven years old; these were the years of the life of Sarah. (2) And Sarah died in Kirjath Arba, that is, Hebron, in the land of Canaan; and Abraham came to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her.

Abraham not only came to mourn for Sarah by performing the usual mourning customs of the time, but he also wept for Sarah, indicating he was sincerely saddened by the loss of his wife.  Kirjath Arba means "city of Arba", or "city of the four giants".  Some of the oldest commentaries speculate that it was so named for a Canaanite, one of the Anakim (a mixed race of giant people), called Arba.  He was probably the chief of four brothers who dwelt there.  This appears to have been deduced because of later scriptures:

And the name of Hebron before was Kirjath Arba (Arba was a great man among the Anakim).  And the land had rest from war. - Joshua 14:15

Then Judah went against the Canaanites who dwelt in Hebron (now the name of Hebron before was Kirjath Arba), and they slew Sheshai, and Ahiman, and Talmai. - Judges 1:10

Normally, I would not have made such a big study out of the name of the place, but I rather liked one speculation by early commentaries that the place had been named for the four greats, Adam, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, because they were buried there, or for the four great couples, as their wives, Eve, Sarah, Rebekah, and Leah were also buried there.  But as it would have been named long after the time in which Sarah died, and with the scripture references above, I am now after that study, more inclined to believe the former explanation of the name.

(3) And Abraham stood up from before his dead, and spoke to the sons of Heth, saying, (4) "I am a stranger and a sojourner with you; give me possession of a burial place with you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight."

After he finished the customs of mourning, Abraham went about to provide for a burial place for his wife.  He, not a native of the place, spoke to the sons or descendants of Heth, whom we learned was the son of Canaan in Genesis 10:15, who were at this time the inhabitants of that part of the land where Abraham now was.  Wanting Sarah buried out of his sight would have been simply because death will make even the most lovely, most unpleasant.

(5) And the children of Heth answered Abraham, saying to him, (6) "Hear us, my lord; you are a mighty prince among us; bury your dead in the choice of our sepulchres; none of us will withhold from you his sepulchre, that you may bury your dead."

Although Abraham called himself a stranger and a sojourner, the inhabitants had a high opinion of him, and gave him his choice of burial places.  There was not a man among them who would deny him the use of his sepulchre in which to bury Sarah.

(7) And Abraham stood up, and bowed himself to the people of the land, to the children of Heth. (8) And he communed with them, saying, "If it be your desire that I should bury my dead out of my sight, hear me, and intreat for me to Ephron the son of Zohar, (9) That he may give me the cave of Machpelah, which he has, which is at the end of his field; for as much money as it is worth, let him give it to me for a possession of a burial place among you."

Abraham bowed himself out of respect and as was the custom, as he was grateful for their kind offer.  He continued communication on the subject, saying if it was their wish to allow him to bury his wife anywhere he chose, then he chose the cave of Machpelah, and asked that they intercede for him with the cave's owner, Ephron.  Abraham was not looking for a free gift, but was willing to pay what it was worth. 

(10) And Ephron dwelt among the children of Heth; and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the hearing of the children of Heth, of all who entered the gate of his city, saying, (11) "No, my lord, hear me, I give you the field and the cave that is in it; I give it to you; in the presence of the sons of my people, I give it to you; bury your dead."

Ephron answered for himself in the presence of the descendants of Heth, with whom Abraham had spoken.  "All who entered the gate" probably means all of the citizens of the city.  Ephron offered to give the cave and the field in which it lay to Abraham. 

(12) And Abraham bowed down himself before the people of the land. (13) And he spoke to Ephron in the hearing of the people of the land, saying, "If you will give it, please hear me, I will give you money for the field; take it from me and I will bury my dead there."

Again Abraham bowed out of respect and probably gratitude, but he told Ephron that if he would allow Abraham to take the cave and the field, then he would pay for it.

(14) And Ephron answered Abraham, saying to him, (15) "My lord, listen to me; the land is worth four hundred shekels of silver; what is that between you and me? Therefore bury your dead."

Ephron told Abraham the worth of the land, but asked the rhetorical question about what that trifling amount really mattered, and so to therefore bury his dead.

(16) And Abraham listened to Ephron; and Abraham weighed out the silver to Ephron which he had named in the hearing of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, currency of the merchants.

Abraham listened and immediately paid Ephron the amount he mentioned, all of this done with the inhabitants, descendants of Heth, as witnesses.  Abraham paid in shekels of silver, which were particular weights of silver that he weighed out, and it appears this was a common currency used by merchants of the time.

(17) And the field of Ephron which was in Machpelah, which was before Mamre, the field and the cave which was in it, and all the trees that were in the field, that were within all the surrounding borders, were made sure (18) To Abraham as a possession in the presence of the children of Heth, before all who went in at the gate of his city.

We read a description of the land "made sure" or deeded to Abraham, once again mentioning it was in the presence of the citizens, the descendants of Heth.

(19) And after this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah before Mamre, that is, Hebron, in the land of Canaan. (20) And the field and the cave that is in it were made sure to Abraham as a possession of a burial place by the sons of Heth.

Abraham buried Sarah in the cave in the field which he had just purchased from Ephron.  As is the way with God and Biblical truths written for our benefit, the words are spoken or written twice to establish them as fact.

...In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established. - 2 Corinthians 13:1b

And that Biblical truth is established by at least two more mentions in the Bible, one time by God in His laws in Deuteronomy, specifically Deut. 19:15, and another by Jesus in Matthew 18:16.  That surely makes it solidly established!