Genesis 23 - Death and Burial of Sarah

The Cave of Machpelah https://truthsnitch.com/the-holy-bible-tiffsnotes/genesis/chapter-23/#sthash.ndjSCwFf.dpbs

Photo: The building that covers the “Cave of the Patriarchs” at Machpelah in Hebron, courtesy of BiblePlaces.com https://bible.org/seriespage/4-hebron-cave-machpelah-stands-testimony-faith

Summary https://marksbiblejourney.blogspot.com/2019/10/genesis.html
"Sarah dies in Hebron at the age of 127 years old. Abraham buries his wife Sarah in a cave in Machpelah near Mamre; this location is in Hebron in the land of Canaan.  This place passed possession from the Hittites to Abraham as a burial place."

Reading from the Amplified Bible (AMP) version..

• "Sarah lived a hundred and twenty-seven years; this was the length of the life of Sarah. Sarah died in Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan, and Abraham went to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her." v.1-2

• “I am a stranger and a sojourner (resident alien) among you; give (sell) me property for a burial place among you so that I may bury my dead [in the proper manner].” The Hittites replied to Abraham, “Listen to us, my lord; you are a prince of God [a mighty prince] among us; bury your dead in the choicest of our graves; none of us will refuse you his grave or hinder you from burying your dead [wife].” v.4-6

• "And Abraham said to them, “If you are willing to grant my dead a [proper] burial, listen to me, and plead with Ephron the son of Zohar for me, so that he may give (sell) me the cave of Machpelah which he owns—it is at the end of his field; let him give it to me here in your presence for the full price as a burial site [which I may keep forever among you].” v.8-9

• "After this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah to the east of Mamre (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan. The field and the cave in it were deeded over to Abraham by the Hittites as a [permanent] possession and burial place." v.19-20

My personal observations and reflections...

• PHYSICAL DEATH. As sad as it is, this is the reality of our temporary life. We live, for God's purposes and plans, and then there will come a time, that we will all die. Abraham has faith in God, but naturally, it is still painful that he had to finally part from his better half, Sarah. He mourned and wept for her. But there are things to be done, so he went on to bury her..

* “Sarah is the only woman in the Bible whose age at death is recorded; it gives us some measure of how highly she is regarded in the Bible…Nowhere in in the Bible are we told to look to Mary the mother of Jesus as an example of a godly woman. Twice we are told to look to Sarah as such an example (Isaiah 51:1-2 and 1 Peter 3:3-6).” (David Guzik) https://truthsnitch.com/the-holy-bible-tiffsnotes/genesis/chapter-23/#sthash.ndjSCwFf.dpbs

"Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” John 11:25-26 New King James Version (NKJV)

• WHO ARE THE HITTITES. The following are interesting things about them:

* Bible Footnotes: Genesis 23:3 The Hittites, along with the Egyptians and the Assyrians, were among the great powers in the ancient Middle East. They were famous for their fine horses, many of which were acquired by Solomon through trade. They also discovered and held secret the process of smelting iron when iron was treasured almost as much as gold. These Hittites were of Indo-European origin. The relationship, if any, between these Anatolian Hittites and the descendants of Canaan’s son, Heth, is unclear.

* As a side note: For a long time secular historians claimed that the biblical Hittite people were mythical on the grounds that no archaeological evidence of their existence had been found. However, in 1906, archaeologist Hugo Winckler “discovered” the Hittites in Boghaz-Koy, Turkey. While excavating the city, he uncovered five temples, numerous sculptures, a castle, and a room containing over 10,000 clay tablets! After the tablets had been deciphered, it was revealed that Boghaz-Koy had indeed been the capital city of the Hittite people. (Apologetics Press, Hidden Hittites)

As it turns out, at one time the Hittites were one of three superpowers in the ancient world. (Biblical Archaeology, Who Were the Hittites) https://truthsnitch.com/the-holy-bible-tiffsnotes/genesis/chapter-23/#sthash.ndjSCwFf.dpbs

• STRANGER AND A SOJOURNER. NEGOTIATION. Being a resident alien to the Canaan land, Hebron-- Abraham had to ask, and buy a proper burial place for his loved one. Those Hittites recognize that Abraham is a man of God, and so they let him bury his wife. The negotiation or bargaining conversation proceeds after Abraham stated his chosen land/property which belongs to Ephron the son of Zohar, the cave of Machpelah. I found interesting reads about this:

* "To readers unaware of ancient customs these verses give the impression that Ephron was indeed willing to gift the field and the cave to Abraham as a burial site for Sarah. However, NLT Illustrated Study Bible explains the cultural context of this transaction, “Ephron did not intend to give the cave to Abraham; Abraham was expected to ‘give’ the full price in return. Ephron wanted to sell as much as he could to avoid responsibility for caring for the cave and to receive as high a price as possible. Abraham didn’t want the whole field, but he was willing to take it to get the cave. 400 pieces of silver was a very high price. Ephron’s politeness was typical of the bargaining process. Abraham paid the amount and finalized the transaction, avoiding indebtedness by accepting no gifts from the people. The Hittite elders witnessed the transaction, ensuring that no one could challenge Abraham’s full ownership of the land. The transaction took place at the city gate, where public legal and business dealings were conducted.” https://truthsnitch.com/the-holy-bible-tiffsnotes/genesis/chapter-23/#sthash.ndjSCwFf.dpbs

* "The Canaanite, 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." https://dwellingintheword.wordpress.com/2014/10/02/1414-genesis-23/

Abraham was willing to pay for the land that was promised to be his and his descendants land, to make sure that his loved ones will have a proper burial place.

*Bible Footnotes: Genesis 23:19 Here were buried Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah, and Jacob and Leah (Gen 49:31; 50:13).

Read the Bible here:

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis+23&version=AMP