The Death of Sarah in Genesis Chapter 23

Did you know? That only Sarah’s age is ever recorded among all the women in the Holy Bible.

What more? Compare this chapter versus the Greek book chapter 7 of Acts. You will discover the mistake on its accounts. Instead of Machpelah, Hebron, mistakenly recorded Shechem.

But there is more…

“Sarah’s Death”
“Purchase of the Burial Site in Machpelah, Hebron”

Sarah’s lifetime was one hundred years, twenty years, and seven years, the years of Sarah’s life.
23:1
He spoke to Ephron in the hearing of the members of the council, saying: “Rather, if only you would heed me! I give the price of the field, accept it from me, that I may bury my dead there.”
:13
And afterwards Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah facing Mamre, which is in Hebron, in the land of Canaan.
:19

1 And the life of Sarah was one hundred years and twenty years and seven years; [these were] the years of the life of Sarah.
2 And Sarah died in Kiriath arba, which is Hebron, in the land of Canaan, and Abraham came to eulogize Sarah and to bewail her.
3 And Abraham arose from before his dead, and he spoke to the sons of Heth, saying,
4 “I am a stranger and an inhabitant with you. Give me burial property with you, so that I may bury my dead from before me.”
5 And the sons of Heth answered Abraham, saying to him,
6 “Listen to us, my lord; you are a prince of God in our midst; in the choicest of our graves bury your dead. None of us will withhold his grave from you to bury your dead.”
7 And Abraham arose and prostrated himself to the people of the land, to the sons of Heth.
8 And he spoke with them, saying, “If it is your will that I bury my dead from before me, listen to me and entreat for me to Ephron the son of Zohar.
9 That he may give me the Machpelah (double) Cave, which belongs to him, which is at the end of his field; for a full price let him give it to me in your midst for burial property.”
10 Now Ephron was sitting in the midst of the sons of Heth, and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the hearing of the sons of Heth, of all those who had come into the gate of his city, saying,
11 “No, my lord, listen to me. I have given you the field, and the cave that is in it, I have given it to you. Before the eyes of the sons of my people, I have given it to you; bury your dead.”
12 And Abraham prostrated himself before the people of the land.
13 And he spoke to Ephron in the hearing of the people of the land, saying, “But, if only you would listen to me. I am giving the money for the field; take [it] from me, and I will bury my dead there.”
14 And Ephron replied to Abraham, saying to him,
15 “My lord, listen to me; a [piece of] land worth four hundred shekels of silver, what is it between me and you? Bury your dead.”
16 And Abraham listened to Ephron, and Abraham weighed out to Ephron the silver that he had named in the hearing of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, accepted by the merchant.
17 And so the field of Ephron which was in Machpelah, facing Mamre, was established (as Abraham’s possession). [This included] the field and the cave that was in it, and all the trees that were in the field, which were within its entire border around.
18 [It was] to Abraham as a possession before the eyes of the sons of Heth, in the presence of all who had come within the gate of his city.
19 And afterwards, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah, facing Mamre, which is Hebron, in the land of Canaan.
20 And the field and the cave within it were established to Abraham as burial property, [purchased] from the sons of Heth.