Machpelah


Abraham buys a burial place for Sarah from Ephron the Hittite

Sarah lived 127 years and died at Kiriath-arba (Hebron) in Canaan. Abraham went in to mourn her, then he asked the Hittites, "I am a sojourner and foreigner among you; give me property among you for a burying place, that I may bury my dead out of my sight." They replied, "Hear us, my lord; you are a prince of God among us. Bury your dead in the choicest of our tombs. None of us will withhold from you his tomb to hinder you from burying your dead." Abraham rose and bowed to the Hittites and said, "If you are willing that I should bury my dead out of my sight, hear me and entreat for me Ephron the son of Zohar, that he may give me the cave of Machpelah, which he owns; it is at the end of his field. For the full price let him give it to me in your presence as property for a burying place."

Ephron answered before the Hittites who went in at the gate of his city, saying, "No, my lord, hear me: I give you the field, and I give you the cave that is in it. In the sight of the sons of my people I give it to you. Bury your dead." Abraham bowed down and insisted, "But if you will, hear me: I give the price of the field. Accept it from me, that I may bury my dead there." Ephron asked, "My lord, listen to me: a piece of land worth four hundred shekels of silver, what is that between you and me? Bury your dead." Then Abraham weighed out for Ephron the silver he had named in the hearing of the Hittites, according to the weights current among the merchants.

The field of Ephron in Machpelah, east of Mamre, with the cave and all the trees throughout its whole area was made over to Abraham as a possession in the presence of the Hittites, before all who went in at the gate of his city. After this, Abraham buried Sarah in the cave.

(Genesis 23)

Sarah's Burial Place

Sarah lived 127 years and died at Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan, and Abraham went in to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her.

Abraham asked the Hittites for property to bury her out of his sight. They were willing, so he asked for Ephron the Hittite to sell his field, and he answered him in the hearing of the Hittites of all who went in at the gate of his city. Despite Ephron's offer to give the field for free, Abraham weighed out the full price of 400 shekels of silver before witnesses. The field of Ephron in Machpelah, which was to the east of Mamre, the field with the cave that was in it and all the trees that were in the field, throughout its whole area, was made over to Abraham as a possession in the presence of the Hittites, before all who went in at the gate of his city.

After this, Abraham buried his wife in the cave at the end of the field.

(Genesis 23)

Abraham's Burial Place

Abraham breathed his last and died in a good old age, an old man and full of years, and was gathered to his people. Isaac and Ishmael his sons buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, east of Mamre, the field that Abraham purchased from the Hittites. There Abraham was buried, with Sarah his wife.

(Genesis 25:8-10)