Genesis 23

Genesis 23

New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

Sarah’s Death and Burial

23 Sarah lived one hundred twenty-seven years; this was the length of Sarah’s life. 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. ³ Abraham rose up from beside his dead, and said to the Hittites, ⁴ “I am a stranger and an alien residing among you; give me property among you for a burying place, so that I may bury my dead out of my sight.” ⁵ The Hittites answered Abraham, ⁶ “Hear us, my lord; you are a mighty prince among us. Bury your dead in the choicest of our burial places; none of us will withhold from you any burial ground for burying your dead.” ⁷ Abraham rose and bowed to the Hittites, the people of the land. ⁸ 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 son of Zohar, ⁹ so 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 a possession for a burying place.” 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, ¹¹ “No, my lord, hear me; I give you the field, and I give you the cave that is in it; in the presence of my people I give it to you; bury your dead.” ¹² Then Abraham bowed down before the people of the land. ¹³ He said to Ephron in the hearing of the people of the land, “If you only will listen to me! I will give the price of the field; accept it from me, so that I may bury my dead there.” 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.” ¹⁶ Abraham agreed with 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.

¹⁷ So 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, passed ¹⁸ to Abraham as a possession in the presence of the Hittites, in the presence of all who went in at the gate of his city.¹⁹ After this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah facing Mamre (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan. ²⁰ The field and the cave that is in it passed from the Hittites into Abraham’s possession as a burying place.

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Abraham is highly honored among the Hittites.  They call him a prince.  They mourn with him over the passing of his wife.  They offer to give him any land that he desires to bury his wife.  Multiple times they refuse payment, only to finally agree to his terms.  They all see the hand of God on Abraham's life and respect him, even if they hold different beliefs.

Why does Abraham refuse such generous offers?  We would look at such an offer today as a gift from God, a blessing from on high through other people.  I think it hearkens back to his refusal after the battle of the 9 kings.  Abraham does not want any of the credit for his success or wealth to go to anyone other than God.  Also, I think he is wary of owing favors to someone.  The land is now legally purchased and passed over.  It is easy to get into trading favors and find yourself in a compromising situation.  Someone may request your help in a questionable enterprise or they may ask for your time when you are already stretched to the limit.  Responding out of love brings joy and freedom.  Responding out of duty and obligation brings bitterness and strain.  In a land where he is an alien, Abraham has chosen to remain free of favors so that he can freely bless whomever he chooses in whatever way that he chooses.