A. Genesis 22:20 - And it came to pass after these things, that it was told Abraham, saying, Behold, Milcah, she hath also born children unto thy brother Nahor;
1. Who told him?
B. Genesis 22:21 - Huz his firstborn, and Buz his brother, and Kemuel the father of Aram
C. Genesis 22:22 - And Chesed, and Hazo, and Pildash, and Jidlaph, and Bethuel.
D. Genesis 22:23 - And Bethuel begat Rebekah: these eight Milcah did bear to Nahor, Abraham's brother.
1. Nahor – נחור Nachowr, "snorting"
2. Milcah – מלכה Milkah, "queen" (interesting that Nahor’s wife’s name means queen and Abraham’s wife’s original name Sarai meant princess)
a. Huz – עוץ `Uwts, "wooded"
b. Buz – בוז Buwz, "contempt"
c. Kemuel – קמואל Qĕmuw'el, "raised of God"
· Aram Aram
d. Chesed – כשד Kesed, "increase"
e. Hazo – חזו Chazow, "vision"
f. Pildash – פלדש Pildash, "flame of fire"
g. Jidlaph – ידלף Yidlaph, "weeping"
h. Bethuel – בתואל Bĕthuw'el, "God destroys" or "man of God" or "dweller in God"
· Rebekah – רבקה Ribqah, "ensnarer", future wife of Isaac, is brought into the picture for the first time.
E. Genesis 22:24 - And his concubine, whose name [was] Reumah, she bare also Tebah, and Gaham, and Thahash, and Maachah.
1. Reumah – ראומה Rĕ'uwmah, "elevated"
a. Tebah – טבח Tebach, "a slaughter"
b. Gaham – גחם Gacham, "burning"
c. Thahash – תחש Tachash, "dugong"
d. Maachah – מעכה Ma`akah, "oppression"
2. So Nahor had 12 sons between his wife and concubine
Genesis Chapter 23
I. The Death of Sarah (Genesis 23:1-2)
A. Genesis 23:1 – And Sarah was an hundred and seven and twenty years old: [these were] the years of the life of Sarah.
1. Only time in scripture that the age of a woman at death is mentioned
2. Makes Isaac 37 and Abraham 137, they were married 62 years
3. We are told to look to Sarah as an example in both Old and New Testaments
a) Isaiah 51:2 - Look unto Abraham your father, and unto Sarah [that] bare you: for I called him alone, and blessed him, and increased him.
b) 1 Peter 3:6 - Even as Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose daughters ye are, as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement.
4. Rebekah is mentioned in the preceding chapter 22 depicting the passing of the baton to the next generation
B. Genesis 23:2 - And Sarah died in Kirjatharba; the same [is] Hebron land of Canaan
1. Kirjatharba - קרית ארבע Qiryath `Arba`, "city of Arba
a) early name of the city which after the conquest was called 'Hebron
2. Shows the love Abraham had for his wife contrasts to the instances with Pharaoh and Abimelech
3. Abraham grieved for Sarah, shows that grieving is natural process that we go through to mourn our dead. Abraham is the example we are given to emulate his faith, therefore mourning is ok. Some take the passage 1 Thessalonians that we are not to grieve for our dead.
a) 1 Thessalonians 4:13 - But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
b) This verse explains that we should not be sorrowful for those who die in faith as we are for those who do not. It doesn’t say we are not to be sorrowful, just not like we weep for those who die with no hope
c) Weeping for a loved one articulates the sadness brought on by the curse of death and that it remains our enemy.
II. Abraham Buries Sarah (Genesis 23:3-20)
A. Genesis 23:3 - And Abraham stood up from before his dead, and spake unto the sons of Heth, saying,
B. Genesis 23:4 - I [am] a stranger and a sojourner with you: give me a possession of a buryingplace with you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight.
1. 1 Peter 2:11 – Dearly beloved, I beseech [you] as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;
a) We are all strangers here for this is not our home
2. Psalm 39:12 – Hear my prayer, O LORD, and give ear unto my cry; hold not thy peace at my tears: for I [am] a stranger with thee, [and] a sojourner, as all my fathers [were].
3. Abraham refers to himself as a stranger in the very land that the Lord has promised him. He owns no property in this region at this time, yet he knows this is the land that the Lord has promised his descendants. This is why he wants to bury her in this region.
4. Abraham’s request is a typical opening negotiating strategy during this time period.
C. Genesis 23:5 - And the children of Heth answered Abraham, saying unto him,
D. Genesis 23:6 - Hear us, my lord: thou [art] a mighty prince among us: in the choice of our sepulchres bury thy dead; none of us shall withhold from thee his sepulchre, but that thou mayest bury thy dead.
1. As a gesture of good-will, the seller would offer the property as a gift to the buyer; normally the buyer would then insist that the seller name a fair price.
2. The Hittites are offering to sell (not give) this plot to Abraham even though it appears they are giving it to him.
3. It seems clear that Abraham has a very strong reputation with the inhabitants here, how is our reputation among those who do not believe in God.
E. Genesis 23:7 - And Abraham stood up, and bowed himself to the people of the land, [even] to the children of Heth.
1. Heth - חת Cheth, "terror", son of Canaan and the progenitor of the Hittites
2. Abraham knows and exercises proper etiquette for the culture
3. Hittites were not followers of God
F. Genesis 23:8 - And he communed with them, saying, If it be your mind that I should bury my dead out of my sight; hear me, and intreat for me to Ephron the son of Zohar,
1. Mind – נפש nephesh, soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion
2. Ephron – עפרון `Ephrown, "fawn-like"
3. Zohar – צחר Tsochar, "tawny" (of a dark yellowish or dull yellowish-brown color)
G. Genesis 23:9 - That he may give me the cave of Machpelah, which he hath, which [is] in the end of his field; for as much money as it is worth he shall give it me for a possession of a burying place amongst you.
1. Machpelah - מכפלה Makpelah, "double" or "portion"
2. Likely a double cave or a very large cave
H. Genesis 23:10 - And Ephron dwelt among the children of Heth: and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the audience of the children of Heth, [even] of all that went in at the gate of his city, saying,
I. Genesis 23:11 - Nay, my lord, hear me: the field give I thee, and the cave that [is] therein, I give it thee; in the presence of the sons of my people give I it thee: bury thy dead.
1. Abraham only wanted the cave, Ephron doesn’t want to sell the cave only but also the field
2. Possibly this was a lot much like a lot today and for taxing purposes had to be sold together
J. Genesis 23:12 - And Abraham bowed down himself before the people of the land.
1. Abraham demonstrates humility and knowledge of the cultural normas.
2. We can learn from Abraham in our dealings as professionals.
K. Genesis 23:13 - And he spake unto Ephron in the audience of the people of the land, saying, But if thou [wilt give it], I pray thee, hear me: I will give thee money for the field; take [it] of me, and I will bury my dead there.
1. Abraham insists on purchasing this particular plot of land, why?
2. This is part of the land God had promised to Abraham’s progeny
L. Genesis 23:14 - And Ephron answered Abraham, saying unto him,
M. Genesis 23:15 - My lord, hearken unto me: the land [is worth] four hundred shekels of silver; what [is] that betwixt me and thee? bury therefore thy dead.
1. “Ephron, follows the cultural customs of bargaining. First, the seller offers to give the item. Then, when that is refused, the seller suggests a price, which he claims is modest but is really very high. This is understood to be the starting point, and from there the bargaining begins.” (David Guzik, Study Guide on Genesis 23)
N. Genesis 23:16 - And Abraham hearkened unto Ephron; and Abraham weighed to Ephron the silver, which he had named in the audience of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, current [money] with the merchant.
1. Four hundred shekels – How many years were children of Israel Egypt
a) Genesis 15:13 - And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land [that is] not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years;
b) Abraham may have recognized Ephron’s offer as being too high, but recalled this promise from God and therefore did not engage in any negotiations.
2. Shekel - שקל sheqel, silver - 1/3000 of a talent and equal to 132 grains
3. Witnesses were present for the business transactions
O. Genesis 23:17 - And the field of Ephron, which [was] in Machpelah, which [was] before Mamre, the field, and the cave which [was] therein, and all the trees that [were] in the field, that [were] in all the borders round about, were made sure.
1. Mamre - ממרא Mamre', an Amorite who had previously allied himself with Abraham against the 5 kings of Babylon
a) Moffett translation – “…east of Mamre…”
2. “were made sure” - קום quwm, verb, to confirm, ratify, establish, impose, Moffett translates this as “conveyed over to Abraham”
P. Genesis 23:18 - Unto Abraham for a possession in the presence of the children of Heth, before all that went in at the gate of his city.
1. Note that there is also a purchase agreement 80 years later mentioned in Chapter 33 v. 19 that Acts 7:16 appears to attribute to Abraham.
a) Genesis 33:18-19 - And Jacob came to Shalem, a city of Shechem land of Canaan
b) Acts 7:15-16 - So Jacob went down into Egypt, and died, he, and our fathers, And were carried over into Sychem, and laid in the sepulchre that Abraham bought for a sum of money of the sons of Emmor [the father] of Sychem.
· Here we have two discrepancies with this verse:
i. Abraham did not purchase a sepulcher in Shecham…Jacob did.
ii. Jacob was buried in the cave of Machpelah
· Either Abraham had two burial plots or there has been some copyist mistake in the manuscripts for there is no mention of Stephen being challenged on the accuracy of this testimony.
c) Genesis 50:12-13 – And his sons did unto him according as he commanded them: For his sons carried him into the land of Canaan , and buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah, which Abraham bought with the field for a possession of a buryingplace of Ephron the Hittite, before Mamre.
d) Joshua 24:32 - And the bones of Joseph, which the children of Israel brought up out of Egypt, buried they in Shechem, in a parcel of ground which Jacob bought of the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem for an hundred pieces of silver: and it became the inheritance of the children of Joseph.
Q. Genesis 23:19 - And after this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah before Mamre: the same [is] Hebron land of Canaan
1. Sarah is the first to be buried here
2. Abraham, Isaac, Rebekah and Leah are also buried here (exclusively)
3. I –Isaac, S – Sarah, R – Rebekah, A – Abraham, L – Leah
4. י –יצחק, ש-שרה, ר-רבקה, א-אברהם, ל-לאה
5. ישראל – Israel
R. Genesis 23:20 - And the field, and the cave that [is] therein, were made sure unto Abraham for a possession of a burying place by the sons of Heth.
Property rights were conveyed to Abraham in accordance with the law.
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