_AND SARAH WAS AN HUNDRED AND SEVEN AND TWENTY YEARS OLD: THESE WERE THE YEARS OF THE LIFE OF SARAH._ Sarah was an hundred and seven and twenty years old, ... - the only woman in Scripture whose age, death, and burial are mentioned, probably to do honour to the venerable mother of the Hebrew people... [ Continue Reading ]
_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._ SARAH IN KIRJATH-ARBA - i:e., the city of Arba; an Anakite chief. A Rabbinical tradition, which Jerome embodied in his commentary, interprets the name Kirjath-arba as... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND ABRAHAM STOOD UP FROM BEFORE HIS DEAD, AND SPAKE UNTO THE SONS OF HETH, SAYING,_ Abraham stood up, ... Eastern people are always provided with family burying-places; even nomadic shepherds have their ancestral sepulchres; but Abraham's life of faith-his pilgrim state-had prevented him acquirin... [ Continue Reading ]
_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._ No JFB commentary on these verses.... [ Continue Reading ]
_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._ Thou art a mighty prince - literally, a prince of God. NONE OF US SHALL WITHHOLD FROM THEE HIS SEPULCHRE. Th... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND ABRAHAM STOOD UP, AND BOWED HIMSELF TO THE PEOPLE OF THE LAND, EVEN TO THE CHILDREN OF HETH._ No JFB commentary on these verses.... [ Continue Reading ]
_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._ Machpelah - signifies double. [The Hebrew text has _ MAKPEELAAH_ (H4375); the Septuagint, to speelaion t... [ Continue Reading ]
_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,_ Ephron dwelt - literally, was 'sitting' among the children of Heth in the gate of the city, where social intercou... [ Continue Reading ]
_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._ Ephron answered, Nay, my lord, ... Here is a great show of generosity, but it was only a show-a characteristically Oriental scene; fo... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND ABRAHAM BOWED DOWN HIMSELF BEFORE THE PEOPLE OF THE LAND._ No JFB commentary on these verses.... [ Continue Reading ]
_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._ The land is worth four hundred shekels, ... - as if Ephron had said, Since you wish to know the value of the property, it is so and so; but that is a trifle which... [ Continue Reading ]
_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._ Abraham weighed ... the silver. The term shekel-the original word retained by our translators, and... [ Continue Reading ]
_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_ No JFB commentary on this verse.... [ Continue Reading ]
_UNTO ABRAHAM FOR A POSSESSION IN THE PRESENCE OF THE CHILDREN OF HETH, BEFORE ALL THAT WENT IN AT THE GATE OF HIS CITY._ The field of Ephron was made sure unto Abraham for a possession. This is the earliest instance of a transference of property on record. There was no attorney, no parchment, no s... [ Continue Reading ]
_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._ Abraham buried Sarah. Thus, he got possession of Machpelah, and deposited the remains of his lamented partner in a family vault, which was the only spot o... [ Continue Reading ]