The Final Journey: Sarah's Death and Burial

GEN 23

Sarah's Death and Burial

1 Sarah lived 127 years; these were the years of the life of Sarah.

Rashi

Sarah lived 127 years—The word "years" is written after every digit. Each digit must be explained by itself as a complete number: at the age of one hundred she was as a woman of twenty as regards sin—for just as at the age of twenty one may regard her as having never sinned, since she had not then reached the age when she was subject to punishment, so, too, when she was one hundred years old she was sinless—and when she was twenty she was as beautiful as when she was seven (Bereishit Rabbah 58:1).

The years of the life of Sarah—All of them equally good.

2 And Sarah 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.

Bereishit Rabbah 58:5

Abraham went in to eulogize Sarah—From where did he come? Rabbi levi said: He went in to Sarah from the burial of Terah. Rabbi Yossi said to him: And did not the burial of Terah precede the burial of Sarah by two years?! Rather, from where did he come? From Mount Moriah.

Rashi

At Kiriath-arba literally, the city of the four. So called because of the four giants who lived there: Ahiman, Sheshai, Talmai and their father (Num 13:22). Another explanation: Because of the four couples who were buried there, man and wife—Adam and Eve, Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah, Jacob and Leah (Bereshit Rabbah 58:4).

And Abraham went in from Beersheba.

To mourn for Sarah and to weep for her—The narrative of the death of Sarah follows immediately on that of the binding of Isaac, because through the announcement of the binding—that her son had been made ready for sacrifice and had almost been sacrificed—her soul flew from her, and she died (Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer 32).

31 When the Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary rise quickly and go out, they followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there.

35 Jesus wept. JOH 11:31, 35

In all their affliction he was afflicted,

and the angel of his presence saved them;

in his love and in his pity he redeemed them;

he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old. ISA 63:9

Taanit 16a:5

The Gemara further asks: And why do they cover themselves in sackcloth? Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba said: This is as though to say: We are considered before you like animals, which are likewise covered with hide. And why do they place burnt ashes on top of the ark? Rabbi Yehuda ben Pazi said: This is as though to say in God’s name: “I will be with him in trouble” (Psa 91:15). Reish Lakish said that the same idea can be derived from a different verse: “In all their affliction he was afflicted” (Isa 63:9). By placing burnt ash on the ark, which is the symbol of the divine presence, it is as though God himself joins the Jews in their pain. Rabbi Zeira said: At first, when I saw the sages place burnt ashes upon the ark, my entire body trembled from the intensity of the event.

3 And Abraham rose up from before his dead and said to the Hittites,

John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

And Abraham rose up from before his dead—The corpse of Sarah, by which he sat pensive and mourning, perhaps upon the ground, as was the custom of mourners (Job 1:13); where having sat awhile, he rose up and went out of the tent, to provide for the funeral of his wife as became him.

And said to the Hittites—The descendants of Heth the son of Canaan, see Gen 10:15; who were at this time the inhabitants and proprietors of that part of the land where Abraham now was.

4 "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."

Commentary on the Bible, by Adam Clarke

I am a sojourner and foreigner—It appears from Heb 11:13-16; 1Pe 2:11, that these words refer more to the state of his mind than of his body. He felt that he had no certain dwelling place, and was seeking by faith a city that had foundations.

Give me property . . . for a burying place—It has been remarked that in different nations it was deemed ignominious to be buried in another's ground; probably this prevailed in early times in the east, and it may be in reference to a sentiment of this kind that Abraham refuses to accept the offer of the children of Heth to bury in any of their sepulchers, and earnestly requests them to sell him one, that he might bury his wife in a place that he could claim as his own.

Rashi

I am a sojourner and foreigner among you—I am a sojourner from another land, and I have settled among you. The Midrash Aggadah states: if you agree to sell me the land, I am a sojourner, but if not, I shall claim it as a foreigner and will take it legally, for the Holy One, blessed be he, said to me (12:7), “To your offspring I will give this land” (Bereshit Rabbah 58:6).

Property—The possession of land for a burial place.

5 The Hittites answered Abraham,

John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

The Hittites answered Abraham—In a very civil and respectful manner.

6 "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."

Rashi

None . . . will withhold means will not withhold, as Psa 40:12 “You will not restrain your mercy,” and Gen 8:2 “the rain was restrained.”

1 See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him.

2 Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. 1JN 3:1-2

7 Abraham rose and bowed to the Hittites, the people of the land.

John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Abraham rose—For, having made his speech to the Hittites, he sat down waiting for an answer; or rather perhaps they obliged him to sit down, out of reverence to so great a personage; and when they had done speaking, he rose up.

And bowed to . . . the people of the land—The principal of them, in token of the grateful sense he had of the honour they had done him, and of the great civility with which they had used him.

To the Hittites—This seems to be added to distinguish them from the common people, and as an explanation of the preceding clause (see Gill on Gen 23:3).

8 And he said to them, "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,

Commentary on the Bible, by Adam Clarke

Entreat for me Ephron—Abraham had already seen the cave and field, and finding to whom they belonged, and that they would answer his purpose, came to the gate of Hebron, where the elders of the people sat to administer justice, etc., and where bargains and sales were made and witnessed, and having addressed himself to the elders, among whom Ephron was, though it appears he was not personally known to Abraham, he begged them to use their influence with the owner of the cave and field to sell it to him, that it might serve him and his family for a place of sepulture.

Rashi

And entreat for me—This phrase signifies entreaty, as Rth 1:16 “Do not urge me.”

3 When the centurion heard about Jesus, he sent to him elders of the Jews, asking him to come and heal his servant.

4 And when they came to Jesus, they pleaded with him earnestly, saying, "He is worthy to have you do this for him . . ." LUK 7:3-4

David Guzik Study Guide for Luke 7

He is worthy to have you do this for him—The Jewish leaders did this for the centurion because he was a worthy man. In contrast, we can come to Jesus directly without a representative even when we are unworthy; he justifies the ungodly (Rom 4:5).

"These considerations suggest that the captain was a God-fearer, a Gentile who embraced Israel's God but who did not undergo circumcision" (Pate).

9 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."

Rashi

Machpelah—A structure with an upper cavern over it. Another explanation: It was called so because it was doubled with couples (see Rashi in verse 2) (Eruvin 53a).

For the full price—Meaning its full value. Thus, too, did David say to Ornan (1Ch 21:24), “for the full price.”

10 Now Ephron was sitting among the Hittites, and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the hearing of the Hittites, of all who went in at the gate of his city,

A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown

Ephron was sitting—Was sitting among the Hittites in the gate of the city where all business was transacted. But, though a chief man among them, he was probably unknown to Abraham.

Rashi

Now Ephron was sitting—The verb is written without a “vav” so that it may be read in the past tense, indicating that on that very day they had appointed him to be an officer over them. Because of the high standing of Abraham who needed him, he was elevated to a dignified position (Bereshit Rabbah 58:7).

Of all who went in at the gate of his city—For they all left their work and came to pay their last respect to Sarah (Bereshit Rabbah 58:7).

11 "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."

Rashi

No, my lord—You are not to buy it with money.

I give you—It is as though I give it to you.

12 Then Abraham bowed down before the people of the land.

13 And he said to Ephron in the hearing of the people of the land, "But if you will, hear me: I give the price of the field. Accept it from me, that I may bury my dead there."

Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible, by John Wesley

I give the price of the field—It was not in pride that Abraham refused the gift; but In justice. Abraham was rich in silver and gold, and therefore would not take advantage of Ephron's generosity. In prudence. He would pay for it, lest Ephron, when this good humour was over, should upbraid him with it.

Rashi

But if you will, hear me—You tell me to listen to you (verse 11) and to accept it without payment.

I do not desire this: but if you will, hear me!—i.e. if you will, hear me.

I give—Old French donai; I give. I have the money ready and I only wish that I had already given it to you.

14 Ephron answered Abraham,

15 "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."

Rashi

Between you and me—Between two friends such as we are, of what importance is it? None! Rather leave the sale and bury your dead.

16 Abraham listened to Ephron, and Abraham weighed out for Ephron the silver that he had named in the hearing of the Hittites, four hundred shekels of silver, according to the weights current among the merchants.

Rashi

And Abraham weighed out for Ephron—He promised much but did not do even a little i.e., he promised the cave as a gift but took a great deal of money for it, for he took from him large shekels, viz. centenaria worth one hundred smaller shekels, as it is stated: "according to the weights current among the merchants," i.e., they are accepted as a full shekel everywhere, for some places have large shekels, viz. centenaria, centeniers or zenteniyers in Old French, (hundred-unit weights.)