The Bible

 

Genesis 23

Study

   

1 And Sara lived a hundred and twenty-seven years.

2 And she died in the city of Arbee which is Hebron, in the land of Chanaan: and Abraham came to mourn and weep for her.

3 And after he rose up from the funeral obsequies, he spoke to the children of Heth, saying:

4 I am a stranger and sojourner among you: give me the right of a burying-place with you, that I may bury my dead.

5 The children of Heth answered, saying:

6 My Lord, hear us, thou art a prince of God among us: bury thy dead in our principle sepulchers: and no man shall have power to hinder thee from burying thy dead in his sepulcher.

7 Abraham rose up, and bowed down to the people of the land, to wit the children of Heth:

8 And said to them: If it please your soul that I should bury my dead, hear me, and intercede for me to Ephron the son of Seor.

9 That he may give me the double cave, which he hath in the end of his field: for as much money as it is worth he shall give it me before you, for a possession of a buryingplace.

10 Now Ephron dwelt in the midst of the children of Heth. And Ephron made answer to Abraham in the hearing of all that went in at the gate of the city, saying:

11 Let it not be so, my lord, but do thou rather hearken to what I say: The field I deliver to thee, and the cave that is therein, in the presence of the children of my people, bury thy dead.

12 Abraham bowed down before the people of the land,

13 And he spoke to Ephron, in the presence of the people: I beseech thee to hear me: I will give money for the field: take it, and so I will bury my dead in it.

14 And Ephron answered:

15 My lord, hear me. The ground which thou desirest, is worth four hundred sicles of silver: this is the price between me and thee: but what is this? bury thy dead.

16 And when Abraham had heard this, he weighed out the money that Ephron had asked, in the hearing of the children of Heth, four hundred sicles of silver of common current money.

17 And the field that before was Ephron's, wherein was the double cave, looking towards Mambre, both it and the cave, and all the trees thereof in all its limits round about,

18 Was made sure to Abraham for a possession, in the sight of the children of Heth, and of all that went in at the gate of his city.

19 And so Abraham buried Sara his wife, in a double cave of the field, that looked towards Mambre, this is Hebron in the land of Chanaan.

20 And the field was made sure to Abraham, and the cave that was in it, for a possession to bury in, by the children of Heth.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #2901

Study this Passage

  
/ 10837  
  

2901. Genesis 23

1. And the life 1 of Sarah was a hundred and twenty-seven years - the years of the life 1 of Sarah.

2. And Sarah died in Kiriath Arba, which is Hebron in the land of Canaan; and Abraham came to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her.

3. And Abraham rose up from before his dead, and spoke to the sons of Heth, saying,

4. I am a stranger and an inhabitant among you; give me possession of a grave among you, and I will bury my dead from before me.

5. And the sons of Heth answered Abraham, saying to him,

6. Hear us, my lord; you are a prince of God in the midst of us; in the choicest of our graves bury your dead; none of us will withhold his grave from you, from burying your dead.

7. And Abraham rose up and bowed to the people of the land, to the sons of Heth.

8. And he spoke to them, saying, If you are willing 2 to let me bury my dead from before me, hear me and intercede for me with Ephron the son of Zohar.

9. And let him give me the cave of Machpelah which is his, which is at the end of his field; for the full price 3 let him give it to me in the midst of you, as a possession for a grave.

10. And Ephron was sitting in the midst of the sons of Heth; and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham, in the ears of the sons of Heth, to all entering into the gate of his city, saying,

11. No, my lord, hear me; the field I give to you, and the cave that is in it I give to you; before the eyes of the sons of my people I give it to you; bury your dead.

12. And Abraham bowed before the people of the land.

13. And he spoke to Ephron in the ears of the people of the land, saying, Even so, please hear me; I will give the price 4 of the field; accept it from me, and I will bury my dead there.

14. And Ephron answered Abraham, saying to him,

15. My lord, hear me; the land [is worth] four hundred shekels of silver; what is that between me and you? So bury your dead.

16. And Abraham listened to Ephron, and Abraham weighed out for Ephron the silver which he had spoken of in the ears of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, current with the merchant.

17. And the field of Ephron, which was in Machpelah - which was before Mamre - the field and the cave which was in it, and every tree which was in the field, which was in all its borders round about, was made over

18. To Abraham as an acquisition, before the eyes of the sons of Heth, in [the presence] of all entering the gate of his city.

19. And after this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife at the cave of the field of Machpelah facing Mamre, which is Hebron, in the land of Canaan.

20. And the field and the cave which was in it were made over to Abraham as a possession for a grave, from the sons of Heth.

CONTENTS

The subject here in the internal sense is the new spiritual Church which was raised up by the Lord after the previous one had altogether breathed its last, and also the reception of faith among those who belonged to the Church. 'Sarah' here is Divine truth that breathed its last; 'burial' is a raising up again; 'Ephron' and 'the sons of Heth' are those people among whom the good and truth of the Church was received; 'Machpelah, which was before Mamre' is regeneration; 'Hebron in the land of Canaan' is a new Church.

Footnotes:

1. literally, lives

2. literally, If it is with your soul

3. literally, in full silver or money

4. literally, the silver or the money

  
/ 10837  
  

Thanks to the Swedenborg Society for the permission to use this translation.