GENESIS CHAPTER 23 ------------------ Verse 1, Sarah brought forth Isaac when she was 90 years old and now she dies at 127 years of age. Isaac is now 37 years of age. Some have speculated that this occurred right after the offering of Isaac, therefore making Isaac some 37 years of age when he was offered by Abraham. However the phrase, "these were the years of the life of Sarah" could lead one to believe that several years may have passed. Sarah is the only woman in the scripture whose years of life are summed up. Verse 2, Kirjath-arba = "city of Arba" 1) early name of the city which after the conquest was called 'Hebron' Abraham wept and mourned for Sarah, his wife, whom was his companion for many years. The phrase "came to mourn" may suggest that Abraham was away when Sarah died, or else he came into her tent, where her body lay, to mourn for her. Verse 3, Abraham stood up before the dead body of his wife, Sarah, and spoke to the sons of Heth. Heth = "terror" 1) a son of Canaan and the progenitor of the Hittites The "sons of Heth" were the inhabitants and proprietors of that part of the land where Abraham was now residing. Verse 4, Abraham confesses to the "sons of Heth" that he is a stranger in their land and asks for a burying place for his dead wife. Evidently there was not a foot of ground that Abraham could call his own, in which he could bury Sarah's body. "my dead" - The only thing that he has of Sarah is her dead body, which is NOT Sarah at all. Notice: he didn't say "that I may bury Sarah out of my sight," but "my dead." Ec 12:7 Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it. Verses 5-6, The sons of Heth had much respect for Abraham, the one speaking for the group, calling him "my Lord," and recognizing him as a "mighty prince" among them. They offered him the "choice" or best of their sepulchres in which to bury his dead. Verses 7-9, Abraham desires to buy the cave of Machpelah which is in the end of a field owned by Ephron the son of Zohar. Machpelah = "double" or "portion" 1) the location of a burial cave for the patriarchs, near Hebron Verses 10-11, Ephron the son of Zohar offers to give, not just the cave but the field also, that the cave is in, to Abraham. He says that he is giving it to Abraham, three times, and in the presence of his people, and that without further delay he should bury his dead in the cave. Verses 12-13, Abraham desires not to receive it as a free gift, but rather to purchase the field and the cave with it, so that it might be his. Verses 14-15, Ephron the son of Zohar tells Abraham what the field and cave are worth (four hundred shekels of silver). He tells Abraham that it was nothing to him. Verses 16-18, Abraham pays the four hundred shekels of silver to Ephron and so makes the spot of land his sure for a possession. Verses 19-20, Abraham buried his wife Sarah in the cave which he had purchased. Abraham was later buried in the same place and also Isaac and Rebekah, and Jacob and Leah. See: 25:9-10; 49:29-33; 50:13. Is this a contradiction to Acts 7:5? Ac 7:5 And he gave him none inheritance in it, no, not [so much as] to set his foot on: yet he promised that he would give it to him for a possession, and to his seed after him, when [as yet] he had no child. Not at all, for Abraham never used this land to plant on or live on, but only to be buried in.