Verses 1-2 And Sarah was an hundred and seven and twenty years old: these were the years of the life of Sarah. 2 And Sarah died in Kirjatharba; the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan: and Abraham came to mourn for Sarah, and to weep for her.
Sarah was 90 years old when Isaac was born. At her death she was 127 years old. Abraham was ten years older and so he was 137 years old at her death. Isaac was 37 years old at her death.
Verses 3-6 And Abraham stood up from before his dead, and spake unto the sons of Heth, saying, 4 I am a stranger and a sojourner with you: give me a possession of a burying place with you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight. 5 And the children of Heth answered Abraham, saying unto him, 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.
The name “Heth” means “terror” and his descendants are believed to be part of the Hittite nation. Notice that Abraham was held in high esteem by these men and that he was immediately given permission to start a family cemetery in their land.
Application: Abraham never owned any land of his own (except a small field and cave that served as a cemetery) even though the land he traveled over was given to him by God. He lived off the land by permission of the different citizens already living there when he arrived. As a result, he had no ownership of any land in which to bury himself or his dead until the death of Sarah. So he had to rely on the kindness of others to provide a place for burying. Abraham is a type of Jesus Christ in that, like Abraham, Jesus lived on the Earth for approximately 33 years and never owned any real estate even though, as God, it all belonged to Him. He lived and traveled throughout Judah and parts of Samaria with the support of different citizens. When He was crucified by the Jews and Romans, he had no place for His body to be buried and had to rely on the kindness of the people he had been living amongst for a sepulchre. The difference between Abraham and Jesus is that Jesus rose from the dead and the sepulchre given to Jesus was emptied at His resurrection and therefore returned to its previous owner. Praise the LORD! “For he (Abraham) looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.” Hebrews 11:10
Verses 7-9 And Abraham stood up, and bowed himself to the people of the land, even to the children of Heth. 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, 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 buryingplace amongst you.
The name “Machpelah” means “portion” or “double”. Abraham did not want the cave to be gifted to him, but wanted to buy the burying place legally so that no disputes could occur later on.
Verses 10-11 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, 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.
The gates of the cities were where business transactions were carried out as there would be plenty of witnesses to verify the transactions.
Verses 12-13 And Abraham bowed down himself before the people of the land. 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.
Abraham insists of paying for the burying place and does so with complete humbleness before the people gathered at the gate.
Application: So the only land that Abraham bought during his earthly sojourn was for the purpose of burying the dead. This is metaphor for the Christian believer today in that this world is for the spiritually dead and the believer is sojourning here for just a short time before acquiring the heavenly land of inheritance because of being a son of God and therefore having life eternal with the LORD in His heavenly Kingdom. So don’t get attached to the physical aspects of this life, but be like Abraham and look for that city above. “But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.” Hebrews 11:16 “Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.” 2 Peter 3:13
Verses 14-17 And Ephron answered Abraham, saying unto him, 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. 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.
The shekel was the unit of weight used for money in Abraham’s day. Shekels were both gold, silver and copper.
Verses 17-20 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 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. 19 And after this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah before Mamre: the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan. 20 And the field, and the cave that is therein, were made sure unto Abraham for a possession of a buryingplace by the sons of Heth.
Abraham now owned a piece of land in Canaan as a family burying place which included the field and the cave.