The Burial Of Sarah.

Genesis 23: 1-20 (NKJV)

23:1. Sarah lived one hundred and twenty-seven years; [these were] the years of the life of Sarah.

23:2. So 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.

23:3. Then Abraham stood up from before his dead, and spoke to the sons of Heth, saying,

23:4. “I [am] a foreigner and a visitor among you. Give me property for a burial place among you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight.”

23:5. And the sons of Heth answered Abraham, saying to him,

23:6. “Hear us, my lord: You [are] a mighty prince among us; bury your dead in the choicest of our burial places. None of us will withhold from you his burial place, that you may bury your dead.”

23:7. Then Abraham stood up and bowed himself to the people of the land, the sons of Heth.

23:8.  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,

23:9. “that he may give me the cave of Machpelah which he has, which [is] at the end of his field. Let him give it to me at the full price, as property for a burial place among you.”

23:10.  Now Ephron dwelt among the sons of Heth; and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the presence of the sons of Heth, all who entered at the gate of his city, saying,

23:11. “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!”

23:12. Then Abraham bowed himself down before the people of the land;

23:13.  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.”

23:14. And Ephron answered Abraham, saying to him,

23:15.  “My lord, listen to me; the land [is worth] four hundred shekels of silver. What [is] that between you and me? So bury your dead.”

23:16.  And Abraham listened to Ephron; and Abraham weighed out the silver for Ephron which he had named in the hearing of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, currency of the merchants.

23:17.  So 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, which [were] within all the surrounding borders, were deeded

23:18. to Abraham as a possession in the presence of the sons of Heth, before all who went in at the gate of his city.

23:19. 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.

23:20. So the field and the cave that [is] in it were deeded to Abraham by the sons of Heth as property for a burial place.

STUDY:

Sarah, Abraham’s wife, died at the age of 127 years in Hebron, in the land of Canaan. Thereafter, Abraham negotiated with the sons of Heth to buy a property for a burial ground. He also asked for the cave of Machpelah, belonging to Ephron.

Ephron offered to surrender his field, together with the cave, for 400 shekels of silver. Abraham paid the cost of 400 shekels of silver for Ephron’s field and cave located in Machpelah and the property was deeded to Abraham as his possession. This was done before all the sons of Heth. Then Abraham buried Sarah in the cave. Burial ceremonies differ from country to country, and from culture to culture.

In some cultures, the dead is buried in public burial grounds with just family members attending. In some other cultures, the dead is buried in the family compound or property with many people attending. Some people spend lots of money to bury their dead. Some even sell their land to finance such expensive burials.

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