Genesis 23 opens with Sarah’s death at 127 years - the first matriarch of Israel gone, Abraham left to mourn among people who are not his own. His grief becomes the occasion for the first land transaction in biblical history.
Full sung version coming soon.
Lyrics
Sarah lived one hundred and twenty-seven years This was the length of Sarah’s life Sarah died in Kiriath Arba also called Hebron In the land of Canaan
Abraham came to mourn for Sarah And to weep for her Abraham rose up from before his dead And spoke to the children of Heth saying I am a stranger and a foreigner living with you Give me a possession of a burying-place with you That I may bury my dead out of my sight
The children of Heth answered Abraham saying to him Hear us my lord You are a prince of God amongst us Bury your dead in the best of our tombs None of us will withhold from you his tomb Bury your dead
Abraham rose up and bowed himself to the people of the land To the children of Heth He talked with them saying If you agree that I should bury my dead out of my sight Hear me and entreat for me to Ephron the son of Zohar
That he may sell me the cave of Machpelah Which he has which is in the end of his field For the full price let him sell it to me Amongst you as a possession for a burial place
Now Ephron was sitting in the middle of the children of Heth Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham In the hearing of the children of Heth Even of all who went in at the gate of his city saying No my lord hear me I give you the field And I give you the cave that is in it
In the presence of the children of my people I give it to you Bury your dead Abraham bowed himself down before the people of the land He spoke to Ephron in the audience of the people of the land saying But if you will please hear me I will give the price of the field Take it from me and I will bury my dead there
Ephron answered Abraham saying to him My lord listen to me What is a piece of land worth four hundred shekels of silver Between me and you? Therefore bury your dead Abraham listened to Ephron Abraham weighed to Ephron the silver which he had named In the hearing of the children of Heth Four hundred shekels of silver according to the current merchants’ standard
So the field of Ephron which was in Machpelah Which was before Mamre The field, the cave which was in it And all the trees that were in the field That were in all of its borders Were deeded to Abraham for a possession
In the presence of the children of Heth before all who went in at the gate of his city After this Abraham buried Sarah his wife In the cave of the field of Machpelah Before Mamre that is Hebron In the land of Canaan The field and the cave that is in it Were deeded to Abraham by the children of Heth As a possession for a burial place
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Genesis 23 sung by Psalm Selah. The whole Bible, one chapter at a time.