Gen 23 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for Gen 23:1-20: 23:1-20 When Sarah ... died , Abraham acquired a parcel of land for a burial place. This transaction was the first sign that a permanent transition had taken place, as people were normally buried in their ancestral homeland (cp. 49:29–50:13 ). In burying Sarah, Abraham detached from his just-mentioned ancestral home (where his relatives still lived, 22:20-24 ); his future would be in Canaan, where his descendants would realize the promise. Summary for Gen 23:1-2: 23:1-2 Sarah was 127 years old: Isaac was 37 at this time (cp. 17:17 ). • Hebron: See study note on 13:18.

Summary for Gen 23:1-20: 23:1-20 ^a When Sarah ... died, Abraham acquired a parcel of land for a burial place. This transaction was the first sign that a permanent transition had taken place, as people were normally buried in their ancestral homeland (cp. 49:29–50:13 ^b). In burying Sarah, Abraham detached from his just-mentioned ancestral home (where his relatives still lived, 22:20-24 ^c); his future would be in Canaan, where his descendants would realize the promise.
Summary for Gen 23:1-2: 23:1-2 ^d Sarah was 127 years old: Isaac was 37 at this time (cp. 17:17 ^e).

• Hebron: See study note on 13:18.
Summary for Gen 23:3-4: 23:3-4 ^f Abraham bargained with local Hittite elders for a piece of land for a burial site. These Hittites had apparently migrated south to Canaan from the great Hittite empire in eastern Asia Minor (modern Turkey; cp. 10:15 ^g).

• Abraham was a stranger and a foreigner among these people; his hope was in God’s promise that he would eventually possess the land.
Summary for Gen 23:5-6: 23:5-6 ^h my lord, you are an honored prince: Either Abraham was highly regarded by these people, or they were politely appealing to his generosity.

• Choose the finest... . No one here will refuse: They were willing to accommodate his request, especially if they could legally obligate him to themselves (23:11 ⁱ).
Summary for Gen 23:7-16: 23:7-16 ^j Abraham wanted to buy Ephron’s cave at Machpelah, but Ephron wanted him to buy the entire field.
23:9 ^k This would be a permanent burial place for Abraham’s family. The site was near Mamre (23:19 ^l), where Abraham lived (see 13:18 ^m; 14:13 ⁿ; 18:1 ^o). Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah, and Jacob and Leah would all be buried in this cave (23:19 ^p; 25:9 ^q; 35:27-29 ^r; 49:29-31 ^s; 50:13 ^t), their permanent place in the Promised Land.
23:11 ^u Ephron did not intend to give the cave to Abraham; Abraham was expected to “give” the full price in return. Ephron wanted to sell as much as he could to avoid responsibility for caring for the cave and to receive as high a price as possible.
Summary for Gen 23:12-13: 23:12-13 ^v Abraham didn’t want the whole field, but he was willing to take it to get the cave.
23:15 ^w 400 pieces of silver was a very high price. Ephron’s politeness was typical of the bargaining process.
Summary for Gen 23:16-20: 23:16-20 ^x Abraham paid the amount and finalized the transaction, avoiding indebtedness by accepting no gifts from the people (cp. 14:21-24 ^y). The Hittite elders witnessed the transaction, ensuring that no one could challenge Abraham’s full ownership of the land. The transaction took place at the city gate, where public legal and business dealings were conducted (cp. 19:1 ^z). The land became Abraham’s permanent possession, a down payment on God’s promise to give him the land. Abraham knew that God’s promise was not fulfilled (12:7 ^aa) by this acquisition, so he planned for the future. By buying land for his dead, he declared that God’s promises do not end with this life. This is the hope of all who die in faith.