G
E N E S I S
CHAP. XXIII.
Here is, I.
Abraham a mourner for the death of Sarah, ver. 1, 2. II. Abraham a purchaser
of a burying-place for Sarah. 1. The purchase humbly proposed by Abraham, ver.
3, 4. 2. Fairly treated of, and agreed to, with a great deal of mutual
civility and respect, ver. 5-16. 3. The purchase-money paid, ver. 16. 4. The
premises conveyed and secured to Abraham, ver. 17, 18, 20. 5. Sarah's funeral,
ver. 19.
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The Death of Sarah.
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B. C. 1857.
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1 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 Kirjath-arba; the same is Hebron in the land of
Canaan: and Abraham came to mourn for Sarah, and to weep for her.
We have here, 1.
Sarah's age, v. 1. Almost forty years before, she had called herself
old, ch. xviii. 12. Old people will die never the sooner, but may die
the better, for reckoning themselves old. 2. Her death, v. 2. The
longest liver must die at last. Abraham and Sarah had lived comfortably
together many years; but death parts those whom nothing else could part. The
special friends and favourites of Heaven are not exempted from the stroke of
death. She died in the land of Canaan, where she had been above sixty years a
sojourner. 3. Abraham's mourning for her; and he was a true mourner. He did
not only perform the ceremonies of mourning according to the custom of those
times, as the mourners that go about the streets, but he did sincerely lament
the great loss he had of a good wife, and gave proof of the constancy of his
affection to her to the last. Two words are used: he came both to mourn
and to weep. His sorrow was not counterfeit, but real. He came to her
tent, and sat down by the corpse, there to pay the tribute of his tears, that
his eye might affect his heart, and that he might pay the greater respect to
the memory of her that was gone. Note, It is not only lawful, but it is a
duty, to lament the death of our near relations, both in compliance with the
providence of God, who thus calls to weeping and mourning, and in honour to
those to whom honour is due. Tears are a tribute due to our deceased friends.
When a body is sown, it must be watered. But we must not sorrow as those that
have no hope; for we have a good hope through grace both concerning them and
concerning ourselves.
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The Cave of Machpelah.
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B. C. 1857.
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3 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 buryingplace 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. 7 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. 10 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. 12 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. 14 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.
Here is, I. The
humble request which Abraham made to his neighbours, the Hittites, for a
burying-place among them, v. 3, 4. It was strange he had this to do
now; but we are to impute it rather to God's providence than to his
improvidence, as appears Acts vi. 5, where it is said, God gave him no
inheritance in Canaan. It were well if all those who take care to provide
burying-places for their bodies after death were as careful to provide a
resting-place for their souls. Observe here, 1. The convenient diversion which
this affair gave, for the present, to Abraham's grief: He stood up from
before his dead. Those that find themselves in danger of over-grieving for
their dead relations, and are entering into that temptation, must take heed of
poring upon their loss and sitting alone and melancholy. There must be a time
of standing up from before their dead, and ceasing to mourn. For, thanks be to
God, our happiness is not bound up in the life of any creature. Care of the
funeral may, as here, be improved to divert grief for the death at first, when
it is most in danger of tyrannizing. Weeping must not hinder sowing. 2. The
argument he used with the children of Heth, which was this: "I am a
stranger and a sojourner with you, therefore I am unprovided, and must
become a humble suitor to you for a burying-place." This was one occasion
which Abraham took to confess that he was a stranger and a pilgrim upon earth;
he was not ashamed to own it thus publicly, Heb. xi. 13. Note, The death of
our relations should effectually remind us that we are not at home in this
world. When they are gone, say, "We are going." 3. His uneasiness
till this affair was settled, intimated in that word, that I may bury my
dead out of my sight. Note, Death will make those unpleasant to our sight
who while they lived were the desire of our eyes. The countenance that was
fresh and lively becomes pale and ghastly, and fit to be removed into the land
of darkness. While she was in his sight, it renewed his grief, which he would
prevent.
II. The generous
offer which the children of Heth made to him, v. 5, 6. They compliment
him, 1. With a title of respect: Thou art a prince of God among us, so
the word is; not only great, but good. He called himself a stranger and a
sojourner; they call him a great prince; for those that humble themselves
shall be exalted. God had promised to make Abraham's name great. 2. With a
tender of the best of their burying-places. Note, Even the light of nature
teaches us to be civil and respectful towards all, though they be strangers
and sojourners. The noble generosity of these Canaanites shames and condemns
the closeness, and selfishness, and ill-humour, of many that call themselves
Israelites. Observe, These Canaanites would be glad to mingle their dust with
Abraham's and to have their last end like his.
III. The
particular proposal which Abraham made to them, v. 7-9. He returns them
his thanks for their kind offer with all possible decency and respect; though
a great man, an old man, and now a mourner, yet he stands up, and bows himself
humbly before them, v. 7. Note, Religion teaches good manners; and
those abuse it that place it in rudeness and clownishness. He then pitches
upon the place he thinks most convenient, namely, the cave of Machpelah, which
probably lay near him, and had not yet been used for a burying-place. The present
owner was Ephron. Abraham cannot pretend to any interest in him, but he
desires that they would improve theirs with him to get the purchase of that
cave, and the field in which it was. Note, A moderate desire to obtain that
which is convenient for us, by fair and honest means, is not such a coveting
of that which is our neighbour's as is forbidden in the tenth commandment.
IV. The present
which Ephron made to Abraham of his field: The field give I thee, v.
10, 11. Abraham thought he must be entreated to sell it; but, upon the first
mention of it, without entreaty, Ephron freely gives it. Some men have more
generosity than they are thought to have. Abraham, no doubt, had taken all
occasions to oblige his neighbours, and do them any service that lay in his
power; and now they return his kindness: for he that watereth shall be
watered also himself. Note, If those that profess religion adorn their
profession by eminent civility and serviceableness to all, they shall find it
will rebound to their own comfort and advantage, as well as to the glory of
God.
V. Abraham's
modest and sincere refusal of Ephron's kind offer, v. 12, 13. Abundance
of thanks he returns him for it (v. 12), makes his obeisance to him
before the people of the land, that they might respect Ephron the more for the
respect they saw Abraham give him (1 Sam. xv. 30), but resolves to give him
money for the field, even the full value of it. It was not in pride that
Abraham refused the gift, or because he scorned to be beholden to Ephron; but,
1. In justice. Abraham was rich in silver and gold (ch. xiii. 2) and
was able to pay for the field, and therefore would not take advantage of
Ephron's generosity. Note, Honesty, as well as honour, forbids us to sponge
upon our neighbours and to impose upon those that are free. Job reflected upon
it with comfort, when he was poor, that he had not eaten the fruits of his
land without money, Job xxxi. 39. 2. In prudence. He would pay for it lest
Ephron, when this good humour was over, should upbraid him with it, and say, I
have made Abraham rich (ch. xiv. 23), or lest the next heir should
question Abraham's title (because that grant was made without any
consideration), and claim back the field. Thus David afterwards refused
Araunah's offer, 2 Sam. xxiv. 24. We know not what affronts we may hereafter
receive from those that are now most kind and generous.
VI. The price of
the land fixed by Ephron but not insisted on: The land is worth four
hundred shekels of silver (about fifty pounds of our money), but what
is that between me and thee? v. 14, 15. He would rather oblige his
friend than have so much money in his pocket. Herein Ephron discovers, 1. A
great contempt of worldly wealth. "What is that between me and thee? It
is a small matter, not worth speaking of." Many a one would have said,
"It is a deal of money; it will go far in a child's portion." But
Ephron says, "What is that?" Note, It is an excellent thing for
people to have low and mean thoughts of all the wealth of this world; it is
that which is not, and in the abundance of which a man's life does not
consist, Luke xii. 15. 2. Great courtesy, and obligingness to his friend and
neighbour. Ephron was not jealous of Abraham as a resident foreigner, nor
envious at him as a man likely to thrive and grow rich. He bore him no
ill-will for his singularity in religion, but was much kinder to him than most
people now-a-days are to their own brothers: What is that between me and
thee? Note, No little thing should occasion demurs and differences between
true friends. When we are tempted to be hot in resenting affronts, high in
demanding our rights, or hard in denying a kindness, we should answer the
temptation with this question: "What is that between me and my
friend?"
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Sarah's Funeral.
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B. C. 1857.
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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. 17 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.
We have here the
conclusion of the treaty between Abraham and Ephron about the burying-place.
The bargain was publicly made before all the neighbours, in the presence
and audience of the sons of Heth, v. 16, 17. Note, Prudence, as
well as justice, directs us to be fair, and open, and above-board, in our
dealings. Fraudulent contracts hate the light, and choose to be clandestine;
but those that design honestly in their bargains care not who are witnesses to
them. Our law countenances sales made in market-overt, and by deed enrolled.
Observe, 1. Abraham, without fraud, covin, or further delay, pays the
money, v. 16. He pays it readily, without hesitation,--pays it in full,
without diminution,--and pays it by weight, current money with the merchant,
without deceit. See how anciently money was used for the help of commerce; and
see how honestly money should be paid where it is due. Observe, Though all the
land of Canaan was Abraham's by promise, yet, the time of his possessing not
having come, what he had now occasion for he bought and paid for. Note,
Dominion is not founded in grace. The saints' title to an eternal inheritance
does not entitle them to the possessions of this world, nor justify them in
doing wrong. 2. Ephron honestly and fairly makes him a good title to the land,
v. 17, 18, 20. The field, with all its appurtenances, is conveyed to
Abraham and his heirs for ever, in open court, not by writing (it does not
appear that writing was then used), but by such a public solemn declaration
before witnesses as was sufficient to pass it. Note, As that which is bought
must be honestly paid for, so that which is sold must be honestly delivered
and secured. 3. Abraham, thereupon, takes possession, and buries Sarah in the
cave or vault (whether framed by nature or art is not certain) which was in
the purchased field. It is probable that Abraham had buried servants out of
his family since he came to Canaan, but the graves of the common people (2
Kings xxiii. 6) might suffice for them; now that Sarah was dead a peculiar
place must be found for her remains. It is worth noting, (1.) That a
burying-place was the first spot of ground Abraham possessed in Canaan. Note,
When we are entering into the world it is good to think of our going out of
it; for, as soon as we are born, we begin to die. (2.) That it was the only
piece of land he ever possessed, though the country was all his own in
reversion. Those that have least of this earth find a grave in it. Abraham
provided, not cities, as Cain and Nimrod, but a sepulchre, [1.] To be a
constant memorandum of death to himself and his posterity, that he and they
might learn to die daily. This sepulchre is said to be at the end of the
field (v. 9); for, whatever our possessions are, there is a
sepulchre at the end of them. [2.] To be a token of his belief and expectation
of the resurrection; for why should such care be taken of the body if it be
thrown away for ever, and must not rise again? Abraham, in this, said plainly
that he sought a better country, that is, a heavenly. Abraham is content to be
still flitting, while he lives, but secures a place where, when he dies his
flesh may rest in hope.
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