Genesis 23

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 23:6

Hear us, my lord ,.... One of them spake in the name of the rest, who calls Abraham not "our lord", but "my lord"; addressing him very honourably, and desires he would hear what he had to say on the behalf of others with himself; "hear us", representing not the body of the common people, but the princes among them, the heads of their families: thou art a mighty prince amongst us ; though he was pleased to call himself a stranger and a sojourner, yet they had an high opinion of him, as... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 23:7

And Abraham stood up ,.... For, having made his speech to the children of Heth, he sat down waiting for an answer; or rather perhaps they obliged him to sit down, out of reverence to so great a personage; and when they had done speaking, he rose up: and bowed himself to the people of the land ; the principal of them, in token of the grateful sense he had of the honour they had done him, and of the great civility with which they had used him: even to the children of Heth ; this... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 23:8

And he communed with them ,.... Entered into a discourse and conversation with them upon the above subject: saying, if it be your mind that I should bury my dead out of my sight ; that is, in some place belonging to them, otherwise they could have no objection to the burying of his wife anywhere else: if now what they had said were not spoken in a complaisant way, but it was their real mind and will, and they were sincere and hearty in it, and very desirous of obliging him with a place... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 23:9

That he may, give me the cave of Machpelah, which he hath , which is in the end of his field ,.... The Targum of Jonathan renders it, "the double cave", and so do the Septuagint and Vulgate Latin versions; and, according to Aben Ezra and Ben Melech, it was so called because there was a cave within a cave in it; and, as Jarchi thinks, because it was a house and chamber over it F25 So in T. Bab. Erubin, fol. 53. 1. or, as he adds, because it was fit for couples, for two corpses to... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 23:10

And Ephron dwelt among the children of Heth ,.... Or "sat" F2 ישב , εκαθητο Sept. "sedens", Montanus; "sedebat", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Drusius, Schmidt. among them, in the present assembly of them; and, according to Jarchi, as their president for the time on this occasion; but if so, Abraham would have directed his speech to him: however, he was upon the spot, as appears from what follows: and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the audience of the children of... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 23:11

Nay, my lord, hear me ,.... Or not so, my lord, as Aben Ezra paraphrases it; not that he denied his request entirely, or refused him the cave at any rate, but that he should not buy it of him, he would give it to him, and therefore he desires he would hear what he had to say further: the field give I thee, and the cave that is therein I give it thee ; which was more than Abraham asked to purchase; he only desired to have the cave, which lay in one corner of the field, but Ephron... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 23:12

And Abraham bowed down himself before the people of the land. Showing hereby great respect, and giving much honour both to them and Ephron; and signifying that he had something to say, and desired audience of them, and humbly submitted to them what he should say. read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 23:13

And he spake unto Ephron in the audience of the people of the land ,.... He addressed himself to Ephron who spoke last, with an audible voice, so that all could hear him: saying, but if thou wilt give it , I pray thee, hear me ; the words are very concise, and in the original text are only "if thou", and differently supplied; by some, "if thou art he" F3 אם אתה "si tu is es", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator; so Ainsworth. , Ephron, whom it is supposed Abraham knew not by... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 23:14

And Ephron answered Abraham, saying unto him. The following words: read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 23:15

My lord, hearken unto me ,.... Since it is your mind to buy the field, and not receive it as a gift, then hear what I have to say as to the value of it: the land is worth four hundred shekels of silver ; which, reckoning a shekel at two shillings and sixpence, comes to fifty pounds of our money: what is that betwixt thee and me ? between two persons so rich, the sum was trifling and inconsiderable, whether the one paid it, and the other received it, or not; or between two such... read more

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