Notes for Gen 23:1LEB
Heb "And the years of Sarah were one hundred years and twenty years and seven years, the years of the life of Sarah."
Notes for Gen 23:2LEB
Heb "Sarah." The proper name has been replaced in the translation by the pronoun ("she") for stylistic reasons.
Mourn…weep. The description here is of standard mourning rites (see K. A. Kitchen, NBD 149–50). They would have been carried out in the presence of the corpse, probably in Sarah’s tent. So Abraham came in to mourn; then he rose up to go and bury his dead (v. 3).
Notes for Gen 23:3LEB
Heb "And Abraham arose from upon the face of his dead."
Some translate the Hebrew term "Heth" as "Hittites" here (also in vv. 5, 7, 10, 16, 18, 20), but this gives the impression that these people were the classical Hittites of Anatolia. However, there is no known connection between these sons of Heth, apparently a Canaanite group (see Gen 10:15LEB), and the Hittites of Asia Minor. See H. A. Hoffner, Jr., "Hittites," Peoples of the Old Testament World, 152–53.
Notes for Gen 23:4LEB
Heb "a resident alien and a settler."
Heb "give," which is used here as an idiom for "sell" (see v. 9). The idiom reflects the polite bartering that was done in the culture at the time.
Or "possession."
Following the imperative, the cohortative with the prefixed conjunction expresses purpose.
Heb "bury my dead out of my sight." The last phrase "out of my sight" has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.
Notes for Gen 23:5LEB
Heb "answered Abraham saying to him."
Notes for Gen 23:6LEB
Heb "Hear us, my Elohim."
Heb "prince of Elohim." The divine name may be used here as a means of expressing the superlative, "mighty prince." The word for "prince" probably means "tribal chief" here. See M. H. Gottstein, "Nasi’ ‘elohim (Gen 23:6LEB)," VT 3 (1953) 298-99; and D. W. Thomas, "Consideration of Some Unusual Ways of Expressing the Superlative in Hebrew," VT 3 (1953) 215-16.
The phrase "to prevent you" has been added in the translation for stylistic reasons.
Notes for Gen 23:7LEB
Heb "to the people of the land" (also in v. 12).
Notes for Gen 23:8LEB
Heb "If it is with your purpose." The Hebrew noun נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh) here has the nuance "purpose" or perhaps "desire" (see BDB 661 s.v. נֶפֶשׁ).
Heb "bury my dead out of my sight." The last phrase "out of my sight" has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.
Or "hear me."
Heb "intercede for me with."
Notes for Gen 23:9LEB
Heb "give." This is used here (also a second time later in this verse) as an idiom for "sell"; see the note on the word "grant" in v. 4.
Heb "in your presence."
Heb "silver."
Notes for Gen 23:10LEB
Or perhaps "Hittite," but see the note on the name "Heth" in v. 3.
Heb "ears." By metonymy the "ears" stand for the presence or proximity (i.e., within earshot) of the persons named.
On the expression all who entered the gate see E. A. Speiser, "‘Coming’ and ‘Going’ at the City Gate," BASOR 144 (1956): 20-23; and G. Evans, "‘Coming’ and ‘Going’ at the City Gate: A Discussion of Professor Speiser’s Paper," BASOR 150 (1958): 28-33.
Notes for Gen 23:11LEB
Heb "give." The perfect tense has here a present nuance; this is a formal, legally binding declaration. Abraham asked only for a burial site/cave within the field; Ephron agrees to sell him the entire field.
The Hebrew text adds "to you I give [i.e., sell] it." This is redundant in English and has not been translated for stylistic reasons.
Heb "in the presence of the sons of my people."
Notes for Gen 23:13LEB
Heb "give."
Heb "silver."
After the imperative, the cohortative with the prefixed conjunction expresses purpose or result.
Notes for Gen 23:15LEB
The word "worth" has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
Four hundred pieces of silver. The standards for weighing money varied considerably in the ancient Near East, but the generally accepted weight for the shekel is 11.5 grams (0.4 ounce). This makes the weight of silver here 4.6 kilograms, or 160 ounces (about 10 pounds).
Notes for Gen 23:16LEB
Heb "listened to Ephron."
Heb "and Abraham weighed out."
Heb "to Ephron." The proper name has been replaced by the pronoun ("him") in the translation for stylistic reasons.
Heb "silver."
Heb "that he had spoken." The referent (Ephron) has been specified here in the translation for clarity and for stylistic reasons.
Heb "passing for the merchant." The final clause affirms that the measurement of silver was according to the standards used by the merchants of the time.
Notes for Gen 23:17LEB
Heb "And it was conveyed." The recipient, Abraham (mentioned in the Hebrew text at the beginning of v. 18) has been placed here in the translation for stylistic reasons.
Notes for Gen 23:18LEB
Heb "his city"; the referent (Ephron) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
See G. M. Tucker, "The Legal Background of Genesis 23, " JBL 85 (1966):77-84; and M. R. Lehmann, "Abraham’s Purchase of Machpelah and Hittite Law," BASOR 129 (1953): 15-18.
Notes for Gen 23:20LEB
Heb "possession of a grave."