Gênesis 23
Bob Utley · You Can Understand the Bible
Gênesis 23:1-16
23:1 Rabbinical Midrash says that when Abraham returned home and told Sarah what he had done, in response she issued seven loud cries and died. Her death is recorded in chapter 23. Whether this is true or not, we can certainly see where the rabbis got their interpretation! ▣ "these were the years of the life of Sarah" This phrase is missing in the LXX but present in the Peshitta. The UBS Text Project, p. 32, suggests it as a later gloss and gives it a "C" rating (considerable doubt). It suggests that translators omit the secondary phrase (cf. TEV, NJB, Net). 23:2 "Kiriath-arba" This name (BDB 900) is made up of "Kiriath" means "city" "Arba" usually translated "city of four" (i.e., Anak and his three sons or four villages together) the same root means "ambush" (BDB 70) a person's name, one of the Anakim, Jos. 14:15; 15:13; 21:11 SPECIAL TOPIC: GIANTS ▣ "Abraham went in to mourn Sarah and weep for her" One wonders how long this mourning and the negotiating with the locals lasted. The body of Sarah would deteriorate quickly in this climate (see the chapter on Death and Funeral Rites" in Ancient Israel: Social Institutions, vol. 1 by Roland deVaux, pp. 56-61 and SPECIAL TOPIC: BURIAL PRACTICES). Today in Israel (which still does not embalm) one must be buried within twenty four hours. For "Sarah" see SPECIAL TOPIC: SARAI/SARAH 23:3-13 What follows through the rest of the chapter is a record of the dialogue (using formalized and standard Oriental customs) between the local inhabitants near Hebron and Abraham. Note the formalities expressed in IMPERATIVES (note paragraphing of TEV). "give me," Gen. 23:4, BDB 678, KB 733, Qal IMPERATIVE in the sense of a request "burial site," Gen. 23:4 (lit. possession for a burying place), BDB 868, KB 1064, Qal COHORTATIVE "hear," Gen. 23:6, BDB 1033, KB 1570, Qal IMPERATIVE (used by the sons of Heth to Abraham) "bury your dead," Gen. 23:6, BDB 868, KB 1064, Qal IMPERATIVE (this was not what Abraham wanted to do, i.e., bury Sarah on one of their lands) "hear," Gen. 23:8, same as #3, but Abraham speaks to them "approach" (or entreat), Gen. 23:8, BDB 803, KB 910, Qal IMPERATIVE (as request) "give," Gen. 23:9, BDB 678, KB 733 Qal JUSSIVE Qal IMPERFECT used in a JUSSIVE sense (Ephron responds in Gen. 23:11 [three Qal PERFECTS], but this is not a literal offer of a gift of the land, rather part of the expected negotiations; it basically denotes a pending sale) "hear," Gen. 23:11, same as #3 and #5 (Ephron speaks to Abraham and offers the cave and the field) "bury," Gen. 23:11, same as #4 "listen" (lit. "hear"), Gen. 23:13, same as #3,5,8 (Abraham speaks to Ephron) "hear," Gen. 23:15, same as #3,5,8,10 (Ephron speaks to Abraham in such a way about the price of the field that all negotiation over the price is excluded, and this was apparently a high price) Much of this dialogue seems formal or repetitious to us, but it was the expected protocol of Canaanite society in the second millennium B.C. 23:3 "the sons of Heth" The name Heth (תח, BDB 366) is an ancestor of the Hittites (יתח, BDB 366, cf. Gen. 10:15; 1 Chr. 1:13). SPECIAL TOPIC: PRE-ISRAELITE INHABITANTS OF PALESTINE 23:4 "a stranger and a sojourner" These two terms have different connotations, but are probably here a hendiadys. "a stranger" (BDB 158) implies an alien resident, cf. Gen. 15:13; Exod. 22:21; 23:9; Lev. 19:34; Deut. 10:19; 23:8 "a sojourner" (BDB 444) is an alien just passing through with no legal rights, Lev. 22:10; 25:40 Possibly taken together, they imply someone who moved into an unsettled area, but did not own land. See article on "Resident Aliens" in Ancient Israel: Social Institutions, vol. 1, by Roland deVaux, pp. 74-76. 23:6 "you are a mighty prince" The term translated "mighty" is the term elohim (BDB 43), which can be used of God, see SPECIAL TOPIC: NAMES FOR DEITY judges angels here denoting a powerful, local, family leader The translation "mighty" comes from the root meaning of el (BDB 42, cf. 1 Chr. 12:22; Ps. 68:15; Jonah 3:3). Some commentators want to translate it "prince of God." The term translated "prince" (BDB 672) means "one lifted up" (from basic root, BDB 669). The NASB translates it as "prince" in Gen. 17:20; 25:16; 34:2 "leader" in Exod. 16:22; Num. 1:16,44; 2:3; Jos. 22:32 "ruler" in Exod. 22:28; 34:31; 35:27; 1 Kgs. 11:34 "chief" in Josh 13:21 In this highly stylized negotiation this is a polite title of respect. The Hittites are not making a religious statement. 23:9 "the cave of Machpelah" This seems to be a cave (common burial place) located in the district of Machpelah, an outlying region from Hebron toward Mamre (cf. Gen. 13:18; 14:13; 18:1). Several of Abraham's family were buried here. Sarah, Gen. 23:19 Abraham, Gen. 25:9 Isaac, Gen. 35:29 Rebekah and Leah, Gen. 49:31 Jacob, Gen. 50:13 23:10 "the Hittite" See SPECIAL TOPIC: PRE-ISRAELITE INHABITANTS OF PALESTINE ▣ "at the gate" This would have been the place where local leaders met for fellowship, commerce, and legal matters. 23:15 "shekels" See SPECIAL TOPIC: ANE WEIGHTS AND VOLUMES
Gênesis 23:17-20
23:17 "were deeded over" The VERB (BDB 877, KB 1086, Qal IMPERFECT with waw) means to raise or stand up. It came to refer to legal transactions as being established. Abraham now officially owned land in Palestine/Canaan. He was no longer a sojourner and alien.