וַיִּהְיוּ֙ חַיֵּ֣י שָׂרָ֔ה מֵאָ֥ה שָׁנָ֛ה וְעֶשְׂרִ֥ים שָׁנָ֖ה וְשֶׁ֣בַע שָׁנִ֑ים שְׁנֵ֖י חַיֵּ֥י שָׂרָֽה׃

The lifetime of Sarah was one hundred and twenty-seven years, the years of the life of Sarah. A literal rendition of the verse would read: The lifetime of Sarah was one hundred years and twenty years, and seven years, the years of the life of Sarah. Some commentaries explain that the repetition of “years” in the verse teaches that at each stage of her life, whether she was seven, twenty-seven, or one hundred, Sarah exhibited the same good qualities.1 The concluding phrase, “the years of the life of Sarah,” indicates that in each of those stages she lived a full and complete life.

וַתָּ֣מָת שָׂרָ֗ה בְּקִרְיַ֥ת אַרְבַּ֛ע הִ֥וא חֶבְר֖וֹן בְּאֶ֣רֶץ כְּנָ֑עַן וַיָּבֹא֙ אַבְרָהָ֔ם לִסְפֹּ֥ד לְשָׂרָ֖ה וְלִבְכֹּתָֽהּ׃

Sarah died in Kiryat Arba, which is Hebron, in the land of Canaan; Abraham came from Beersheba, where he lived before and after the binding of Isaac, to lament Sarah, as is customary when mourning someone, and to weep and move others to weep for her.

וַיָּ֙קָם֙ אַבְרָהָ֔ם מֵעַ֖ל פְּנֵ֣י מֵת֑וֹ וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר אֶל־בְּנֵי־חֵ֖ת לֵאמֹֽר׃

After mourning for Sarah, her husband must find a place to bury her. Abraham arose from before his dead, and he spoke to the children of Het, their leaders and elders, who sat at the entrance to the city of Hebron, saying:

גֵּר־וְתוֹשָׁ֥ב אָנֹכִ֖י עִמָּכֶ֑ם תְּנ֨וּ לִ֤י אֲחֻזַּת־קֶ֙בֶר֙ עִמָּכֶ֔ם וְאֶקְבְּרָ֥ה מֵתִ֖י מִלְּפָנָֽי׃

Although I am a foreigner here, my family and I have lived here for many years. And in addition, I am a resident alien with you: I do not have rights in this place, but I am an old acquaintance of yours. Therefore, give me a portion of your land that can serve as a burial portion with you, and I will bury my dead from before me.

וַיַּעֲנ֧וּ בְנֵי־חֵ֛ת אֶת־אַבְרָהָ֖ם לֵאמֹ֥ר לֽוֹ׃

The children of Het answered Abraham, saying to him. It is possible that they discussed the matter among themselves first, before providing him with an official response.

שְׁמָעֵ֣נוּ ׀ אֲדֹנִ֗י נְשִׂ֨יא אֱלֹהִ֤ים אַתָּה֙ בְּתוֹכֵ֔נוּ בְּמִבְחַ֣ר קְבָרֵ֔ינוּ קְבֹ֖ר אֶת־מֵתֶ֑ךָ אִ֣ישׁ מִמֶּ֔נּוּ אֶת־קִבְר֛וֹ לֹֽא־יִכְלֶ֥ה מִמְּךָ֖ מִקְּבֹ֥ר מֵתֶֽךָ׃

Hear us, my lord: Although you say that you are a foreigner and a resident alien, you are not merely an ordinary person. Rather, you are a prince of God in our midst, as your status is greater than that of the head of a small tribe. Therefore, in the choicest of our graves bury your dead; none of us shall withhold his grave from you, from burying your dead, as you may choose a burial plot in any place that you desire. The local residents thereby declared that they have given Abraham informal rights to their land.

וַיָּ֧קָם אַבְרָהָ֛ם וַיִּשְׁתַּ֥חוּ לְעַם־הָאָ֖רֶץ לִבְנֵי־חֵֽת׃

Abraham arose, and prostrated himself, or bowed his head, in a formal gesture of respect and gratitude, before the people of the land, before the children of Het.

וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר אִתָּ֖ם לֵאמֹ֑ר אִם־יֵ֣שׁ אֶֽת־נַפְשְׁכֶ֗ם לִקְבֹּ֤ר אֶת־מֵתִי֙ מִלְּפָנַ֔י שְׁמָע֕וּנִי וּפִגְעוּ־לִ֖י בְּעֶפְר֥וֹן בֶּן־צֹֽחַר׃

Despite his expression of gratitude, Abraham did not wish to bury his wife in the land of the children of Het. Rather, he wanted to purchase a separate piece of property. He spoke with them, saying: If you are truly willing to fulfill my request and bury my dead from before me, heed me, and intercede for me with a specific individual, Efron son of Tzohar,

וְיִתֶּן־לִ֗י אֶת־מְעָרַ֤ת הַמַּכְפֵּלָה֙ אֲשֶׁר־ל֔וֹ אֲשֶׁ֖ר בִּקְצֵ֣ה שָׂדֵ֑הוּ בְּכֶ֨סֶף מָלֵ֜א יִתְּנֶ֥נָּה לִ֛י בְּתוֹכְכֶ֖ם לַאֲחֻזַּת־קָֽבֶר׃

that he will give me the Cave of Makhpela, which was so called because it is a double [ kefula ] cave, that is his, which is at the edge of his field; he shall give it to me for a full price in your midst for a burial portion. Despite their offer to allow him to use any property he chose, Abraham insisted on purchasing a plot at full price, as he wanted it to be property held by the family in perpetuity. With regard to the retention of an ancestral inheritance, see, e.g., I Kings 21:1–3 and Nehemiah 2:2–5.

וְעֶפְר֥וֹן יֹשֵׁ֖ב בְּת֣וֹךְ בְּנֵי־חֵ֑ת וַיַּעַן֩ עֶפְר֨וֹן הַחִתִּ֤י אֶת־אַבְרָהָם֙ בְּאָזְנֵ֣י בְנֵי־חֵ֔ת לְכֹ֛ל בָּאֵ֥י שַֽׁעַר־עִיר֖וֹ לֵאמֹֽר׃

And Efron, who was not necessarily an important member of the city, was living at that time among the children of Het; and Efron the Hitite answered Abraham in hearing of the children of Het, of all those coming to his city gate. He too conducted himself ceremoniously, as he approached the city council and issued a public declaration, saying:

לֹֽא־אֲדֹנִ֣י שְׁמָעֵ֔נִי הַשָּׂדֶה֙ נָתַ֣תִּי לָ֔ךְ וְהַמְּעָרָ֥ה אֲשֶׁר־בּ֖וֹ לְךָ֣ נְתַתִּ֑יהָ לְעֵינֵ֧י בְנֵי־עַמִּ֛י נְתַתִּ֥יהָ לָּ֖ךְ קְבֹ֥ר מֵתֶֽךָ׃

No, my lord, you offered to purchase a portion of my field, but I cannot accept that proposal. Rather, heed me: The entire field I have given to you , and the cave that is in it, I have given it to you; in the eyes of my people, who are all listening to my declaration, I have given it to you and will not deter you from taking it. I will clear the land for such a distinguished man as yourself, and the entire plot will belong to you; go bury your dead.

וַיִּשְׁתַּ֙חוּ֙ אַבְרָהָ֔ם לִפְנֵ֖י עַ֥ם הָאָֽרֶץ׃

Abraham prostrated himself a second time before the people of the land, thereby formally expressing his gratitude for Efron’s generous offer.

וַיְדַבֵּ֨ר אֶל־עֶפְר֜וֹן בְּאָזְנֵ֤י עַם־הָאָ֙רֶץ֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר אַ֛ךְ אִם־אַתָּ֥ה ל֖וּ שְׁמָעֵ֑נִי נָתַ֜תִּי כֶּ֤סֶף הַשָּׂדֶה֙ קַ֣ח מִמֶּ֔נִּי וְאֶקְבְּרָ֥ה אֶת־מֵתִ֖י שָֽׁמָּה׃

Despite the offer, he, Abraham, spoke to Efron in the hearing of the people of the land, saying: Rather, if only you will heed me, when you originally said: No, my lord, heed me, I indeed listened to you. Now it is my turn to request that you listen to me: I have given you, that is, I am giving you, the silver for the field in order to purchase it; please take it from me, and I will bury my dead there.

וַיַּ֧עַן עֶפְר֛וֹן אֶת־אַבְרָהָ֖ם לֵאמֹ֥ר לֽוֹ׃

Until this point, Efron had spoken generally about the matter; now he must set a price. Therefore, Efron responded to Abraham, saying to him:

אֲדֹנִ֣י שְׁמָעֵ֔נִי אֶרֶץ֩ אַרְבַּ֨ע מֵאֹ֧ת שֶֽׁקֶל־כֶּ֛סֶף בֵּינִ֥י וּבֵֽינְךָ֖ מַה־הִ֑וא וְאֶת־מֵתְךָ֖ קְבֹֽר׃

My lord, heed me. This land is worth four hundred shekels of silver, between me and you what is it? We are close friends, and consequently such a small plot of land should not concern us; and therefore bury your dead, and let us not suffer delays over the price.

וַיִּשְׁמַ֣ע אַבְרָהָם֮ אֶל־עֶפְרוֹן֒ וַיִּשְׁקֹ֤ל אַבְרָהָם֙ לְעֶפְרֹ֔ן אֶת־הַכֶּ֕סֶף אֲשֶׁ֥ר דִּבֶּ֖ר בְּאָזְנֵ֣י בְנֵי־חֵ֑ת אַרְבַּ֤ע מֵאוֹת֙ שֶׁ֣קֶל כֶּ֔סֶף עֹבֵ֖ר לַסֹּחֵֽר׃

Abraham heeded Efron; and Abraham weighed for Efron the silver that he spoke in the hearing of the children of Het. It is almost certain that this silver was not in the form of minted coins; it was more likely a collection of metal pieces whose value was determined by weight. Abraham surprised Efron, who expected him to suggest a much lower price, after which the negotiations would continue until the two sides agreed upon a compromise sum. However, Abraham chose to refrain from the formal method of purchase, and instead immediately paid the entire sum, which was four hundred shekels of pure, choice silver, ready currency that would be accepted by anyone in the world.