Section 7 - Part 12: Lost Love and Land Purchased

Now Sarah lived one hundred and twenty-seven years; these were the years of the life of Sarah. Sarah died in Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan; and Abraham went in to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her. Then Abraham rose from before his dead, and spoke to the sons of Heth, saying, “I am a stranger and a sojourner among you; give me a burial site among you that I may bury my dead out of my sight.” The sons of Heth answered Abraham, saying to him, “Hear us, my lord, you are a mighty prince among us; bury your dead in the choicest of our graves; none of us will refuse you his grave for burying your dead.” So Abraham rose and bowed to the people of the land, the sons of Heth. And he spoke with them, saying, “If it is your wish for me to bury my dead out of my sight, hear me, and approach Ephron the son of Zohar for me, that he may give me the cave of Machpelah which he owns, which is at the end of his field; for the full price let him give it to me in your presence for a burial site.” Now Ephron was sitting among the sons of Heth; and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the hearing of the sons 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 sons of my people I give it to you; bury your dead.” And Abraham bowed before the people of the land. He spoke to Ephron in the hearing of the people of the land, saying, “If you will only please listen to me; I will give the price of the field, accept it from me that I may bury my dead there.” Then Ephron answered Abraham, saying to him, “My lord, listen to me; a piece of land worth four hundred shekels of silver, what is that between me and you? So bury your dead.” Abraham listened to Ephron; and Abraham weighed out for Ephron the silver which he had named in the hearing of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, commercial standard. So Ephron’s field, which was in Machpelah, which faced Mamre, the field and cave which was in it, and all the trees which were in the field, that were within all the confines of its border, were deeded over to Abraham for a possession in the presence of the sons 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 at Machpelah facing Mamre (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan. So the field and the cave that is in it, were deeded over to Abraham for a burial site by the sons of Heth.

Genesis 23:1–2 NASB95

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge Chapter 23

1 A.M. 2144. B.C. 1860. Sarah. It is worthy of remark, that Sarah is the only woman whose age, death, and burial are distinctly noted in the Sacred Writings. an. ch. 17:17.

About Kiriath-Arba:

Joshua 14:15 (NASB95) Now the name of Hebron was formerly Kiriath-arba; for Arba was the greatest man among the Anakim. Then the land had rest from war.

Joshua 15:13 (NASB95) Now he gave to Caleb the son of Jephunneh a portion among the sons of Judah, according to the command of the Lord to Joshua, namely, Kiriath-arba, Arba being the father of Anak (that is, Hebron).

Joshua 21:11 (NASB95) Thus they gave them Kiriath-arba, Arba being the father of Anak (that is, Hebron), in the hill country of Judah, with its surrounding pasture lands.

Earliest Mention of Hebron, Kiriath-arba, or Mamre

After leaving Egypt, Abram and Sarah went there.

Genesis 13:18 NASB95

Then Abram moved his tent and came and dwelt by the oaks of Mamre, which are in Hebron, and there he built an altar to the Lord.

Genesis 23:3–4 NASB95

Then Abraham rose from before his dead, and spoke to the sons of Heth, saying, “I am a stranger and a sojourner among you; give me a burial site among you that I may bury my dead out of my sight.”

Who are the sons of Heth?

Genesis 10:15 NASB95

Canaan became the father of Sidon, his firstborn, and Heth

Canaan was the son of Ham[1], and his descendants included Sidon (his firstborn), Heth, the Jebusites, the Amorites, the Girgashites, the Hivites, the Arkites, the Sinites, the Arvadites, the Zemarites, and the Hamathites[1].

The most prominent of these descendants were:

Sidon: Sidon, the firstborn, founded the great city Sidon with which the sister city Tyre is associated in antiquity[2]. This ancient Phoenician city was most noted for its skill in woodcraft, and Solomon acknowledged to Hiram that “there is not among us any that can skill to hew timber like unto the Sidonians”[2].

Heth: Heth is said to be the progenitor of the Hittites[2]. The listing of the Hittites among the Canaanites so consistently in the Bible establishes the conclusion that they were a Canaanite people[2].

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge Chapter 23

Heth. ver. 5, 7; ch. 10:15; 25:10; 27:46; 49:30.

Genesis 23:5 (NASB95) The sons of Heth answered Abraham, saying to him,

Genesis 23:7 (NASB95) So Abraham rose and bowed to the people of the land, the sons of Heth.

Genesis 10:15 (NASB95) Canaan became the father of Sidon, his firstborn, and Heth

Genesis 25:10 (NASB95) the field which Abraham purchased from the sons of Heth; there Abraham was buried with Sarah his wife.

Genesis 27:46 (NASB95) Rebekah said to Isaac, “I am tired of living because of the daughters of Heth; if Jacob takes a wife from the daughters of Heth, like these, from the daughters of the land, what good will my life be to me?”

Genesis 49:30 (NASB95) in the cave that is in the field of Machpelah, which is before Mamre, in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought along with the field from Ephron the Hittite for a burial site.

1 Samuel 26:6 (NASB95) Then David said to Ahimelech the Hittite and to Abishai the son of Zeruiah, Joab’s brother, saying, “Who will go down with me to Saul in the camp?” And Abishai said, “I will go down with you.”

2 Samuel 23:39 (NASB95) Uriah the Hittite; thirty-seven in all.

The Jebusites: The Jebusites dwelt in and around Jebus, which ultimately became Jerusalem, and David fought against the Jebusites and subjugated them[2].

The Amorites: The Amorites were one of the most powerful Canaanite tribes who were tall and strong yet were destroyed by the Israelites and their remnant subjugated by Solomon[2].

The Girgashites, Hivites, Arkites, Sinites, Arvadites, and Zemarites all experienced the fate of the other tribes[2], though Hamath was not subjected to the Israelites, as the northern border of Israel was at the entering in of Hamath[2].

[1] Eugene H. Peterson, The Message: The Bible in Contemporary Language (Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress, 2005). [See here, here.] [2] C. Herbert Oliver, No Flesh Shall Glory: How the Bible Destroys the Foundations of Racism (Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing, 2021), 56–57.

Genesis 23:5–6 (NASB95) The sons of Heth answered Abraham, saying to him, “Hear us, my lord, you are a mighty prince among us; bury your dead in the choicest of our graves; none of us will refuse you his grave for burying your dead.”

Genesis 15:20 (NASB95) and the Hittite and the Perizzite and the Rephaim

Genesis 23:7–9 NASB95

So Abraham rose and bowed to the people of the land, the sons of Heth. And he spoke with them, saying, “If it is your wish for me to bury my dead out of my sight, hear me, and approach Ephron the son of Zohar for me, that he may give me the cave of Machpelah which he owns, which is at the end of his field; for the full price let him give it to me in your presence for a burial site.”

Genesis 23:10–11 NASB95

Now Ephron was sitting among the sons of Heth; and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the hearing of the sons 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 sons of my people I give it to you; bury your dead.”

Genesis 23:12–13 NASB95

And Abraham bowed before the people of the land. He spoke to Ephron in the hearing of the people of the land, saying, “If you will only please listen to me; I will give the price of the field, accept it from me that I may bury my dead there.”

Genesis 23:14–16 NASB95

Then Ephron answered Abraham, saying to him, “My lord, listen to me; a piece of land worth four hundred shekels of silver, what is that between me and you? So bury your dead.” Abraham listened to Ephron; and Abraham weighed out for Ephron the silver which he had named in the hearing of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, commercial standard.

Genesis 23:16 NASB95

Abraham listened to Ephron; and Abraham weighed out for Ephron the silver which he had named in the hearing of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, commercial standard.

Genesis 23:17–20 NASB95

So Ephron’s field, which was in Machpelah, which faced Mamre, the field and cave which was in it, and all the trees which were in the field, that were within all the confines of its border, were deeded over to Abraham for a possession in the presence of the sons 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 at Machpelah facing Mamre (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan. So the field and the cave that is in it, were deeded over to Abraham for a burial site by the sons of Heth.

Abraham Purchases the First of the Land, and Rejects the Gift

This would be the Future Burial Place for Abraham’s Descendants and their WIves:

Genesis 12–50 (Place within the Book) Later in Genesis, the burial cave that Abraham purchased from Ephron the Hittite will also become the resting place for Abraham himself (Gen 25:9), along with his son Isaac (Gen 35:27–29) and grandson Jacob (Gen 50:13). Their wives, Rebekah and Leah, will also be buried there (Gen 49:31).

Genesis 25:9 (NASB95) Then his sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, facing Mamre,

Genesis 35:27–29 (NASB95) Jacob came to his father Isaac at Mamre of Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac had sojourned. Now the days of Isaac were one hundred and eighty years. Isaac breathed his last and died and was gathered to his people, an old man of ripe age; and his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.

Genesis 50:13 (NASB95) for his sons carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah before Mamre, which Abraham had bought along with the field for a burial site from Ephron the Hittite.

Genesis 49:31 (NASB95) “There they buried Abraham and his wife Sarah, there they buried Isaac and his wife Rebekah, and there I buried Leah—

Speaking of Sarah: What is Sarah’s legacy?

The New Testament contains five direct references to Sarah, all appearing in Paul’s epistles and the book of Hebrews:

Romans 4:19 — Paul mentions Sarah’s infertility when discussing Abraham’s faith, noting the biological impossibility of conception given both Abraham’s advanced age and Sarah’s inability to bear children.

Romans 4:19 (NASB95) Without becoming weak in faith he contemplated his own body, now as good as dead since he was about a hundred years old, and the deadness of Sarah’s womb;

Romans 9:9 — Paul quotes God’s promise to Abraham: “At this time I will come, and Sarah shall have a son”, using this as evidence of God’s sovereign purpose in election.

Romans 9:9 (NASB95) For this is the word of promise: “At this time I will come, and Sarah shall have a son.”

Galatians 4:21–31 — Paul references Abraham’s two sons—one born to a slave woman and one to a free woman—contrasting the son born through ordinary means with the son born through divine promise. He then interprets these women allegorically as representing two covenants (Gal 4:21–31), with Sarah implicitly representing the covenant of promise and freedom, though she is not explicitly named in this passage.

Galatians 4:21–31 (NASB95) Tell me, you who want to be under law, do you not listen to the law? For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the bondwoman and one by the free woman. But the son by the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and the son by the free woman through the promise. This is allegorically speaking, for these women are two covenants: one proceeding from Mount Sinai bearing children who are to be slaves; she is Hagar. Now this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. But the Jerusalem above is free; she is our mother. For it is written, “Rejoice, barren woman who does not bear; Break forth and shout, you who are not in labor; For more numerous are the children of the desolate Than of the one who has a husband.” And you brethren, like Isaac, are children of promise. But as at that time he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so it is now also. But what does the Scripture say? “Cast out the bondwoman and her son, For the son of the bondwoman shall not be an heir with the son of the free woman.” So then, brethren, we are not children of a bondwoman, but of the free woman.

Hebrews 11:11 — The author credits Sarah with receiving the capacity to conceive through faith, despite her age, because she trusted in God’s faithfulness to fulfill His promise.

Hebrews 11:11 (NASB95) By faith even Sarah herself received ability to conceive, even beyond the proper time of life, since she considered Him faithful who had promised.

1 Peter 3:6 — Peter holds Sarah up as a model of obedience and submission, noting how she called Abraham “lord,” and encourages Christian women to follow her example by living righteously without fear.

1 Peter 3:6 (NASB95) just as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, and you have become her children if you do what is right without being frightened by any fear.

These references consistently present Sarah as a figure of faith and obedience, central to God’s covenant promises and the fulfillment of His purposes through Abraham’s descendants.

APPLICATION:

It would have been a challenge to purchase a burial plot so far away from home, trusting God will give your future family the land

Women, faithfully emulating Sarah’s faith in God

She was not perfect - she laughed and lied to God but kept maturing and stayed faithful

She obeyed Abraham, and called him lord and is the example for Israelite women to follow

She is used as an example and was a woman fulfilling the promises of God

She was central to God’s covenant

NOTES:

The Lexham Bible Dictionary Hebron

HEBRON (חֶבְרוֹן, chevron). A city associated with several significant Old Testament figures, including Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joshua, and David; also known by the names Mamre and Kiriath-arba.

Names

The Bible uses three names for the city best known as Hebron (e.g., see

During Abraham’s era, Hittites occupied settled communities in Canaan, particularly around Hebron and Beersheba1. These were not the imperial Hittites of Asia Minor but rather a distinct tribal element within Canaan, descended from Heth son of Canaan according to genealogical records2. The biblical references to Hittites should not be confused with the Hittite empire that dominated Anatolia around 1900 B.C.2

Abraham, arriving as a foreigner, purchased a burial cave from Ephron the Hittite at Hebron to entomb his wife Sarah1. This transaction reflects sophisticated legal and customary practices consistent with Hittite law of Abraham’s period3. Beyond this landmark purchase, the Hittites maintained control of the southern hill country, particularly the Hebron region, where Abraham lived as a resident alien4.

The patriarchal narratives also reveal tensions between Hittite and Hebrew communities. Esau’s marriages to Hittite women caused significant distress to his parents4, reflecting deeper concerns about religious and cultural separation. Esau’s choice to marry Hittites—listed among the wicked Canaanites—violated his family’s understanding that God had condemned these peoples and would eventually give Abraham’s descendants their land5.

The Hittite presence in Canaan persisted well beyond the patriarchal period. The Israelites never fully expelled the Hittites during their conquest1, and Hittite communities remained identifiable through Solomon’s reign before being absorbed into the broader population3. These Canaanite Hittites thus represent a significant indigenous element with whom the patriarchs and their descendants repeatedly negotiated, married, and coexisted.

1Jack R. Lundbom, Deuteronomy: A Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI; Cambridge, U.K.: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2013), 329–330.

2J. A. Thompson, The Bible and Archaeology (Grand Rapids, MI: W.B. Eerdmans Pub. Co., 1982), 22.

3F. F. Bruce, “Hittites,” in New Bible Dictionary, ed. D. R. W. Wood et al. (Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 477.

4Kelm George L., “Hittites,” in Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary, ed. Chad Brand et al. (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2003), 769.

5Kenneth O. Gangel and Stephen J. Bramer, Genesis, ed. Max Anders, Holman Old Testament Commentary (B&H Publishing Group, 2002), 222.

Related Media

Related Sermons

Earn an accredited degree from Redemption Seminary with Logos.