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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "//www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="//www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1" /><title>Genesis 23:20 So the field and its cave were deeded by the Hittites to Abraham as a burial site.</title><link rel="canonical" href="https://biblehub.com/genesis/23-20.htm" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/new9.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><meta property="og:image" content="https://biblehub.com/visuals/18/01_Gen_23_20.jpg" /><meta property="og:title" content="Genesis 23:20 - The Death and Burial of Sarah" /><meta property="og:site_name" content="Bible Hub" /><meta property="og:description" content="So the field and its cave were deeded by the Hittites to Abraham as a burial site." /><script type="application/javascript" 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id="movebox2"><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="/genesis/23-19.htm" title="Genesis 23:19">◄</a> Genesis 23:20 <a href="/genesis/24-1.htm" title="Genesis 24:1">►</a></div></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="topverse"> <a href="#study" class="clickchap2" title="Context and Study Bible"> Audio </a> <a href="#crossref" class="clickchap2" title="Cross References"> Crossref </a> <a href="#commentary" class="clickchap2" title="Commentary"> Comm </a> <a href="#lexicon" class="clickchap2" title="Lexicon"> Hebrew </a> </div><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><div class="vheadingv"><b>Verse</b><a href="/bsb/genesis/23.htm" class="clickchap" style="color:#001320" title="Click any translation name for full chapter">  (Click for Chapter)</a></div><div id="par"><span class="versiontext"><a href="/niv/genesis/23.htm">New International Version</a></span><br />So the field and the cave in it were deeded to Abraham by the Hittites as a burial site.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nlt/genesis/23.htm">New Living Translation</a></span><br />So the field and the cave were transferred from the Hittites to Abraham for use as a permanent burial place.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/esv/genesis/23.htm">English Standard Version</a></span><br />The field and the cave that is in it were made over to Abraham as property for a burying place by the Hittites.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/bsb/genesis/23.htm">Berean Standard Bible</a></span><br />So the field and its cave were deeded by the Hittites to Abraham as a burial site.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/kjv/genesis/23.htm">King James Bible</a></span><br />And the field, and the cave that <i>is</i> therein, were made sure unto Abraham for a possession of a buryingplace by the sons of Heth.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nkjv/genesis/23.htm">New King James Version</a></span><br />So the field and the cave that <i>is</i> in it were deeded to Abraham by the sons of Heth as property for a burial place.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb_/genesis/23.htm">New American Standard Bible</a></span><br />So the field and the cave that was in it were deeded over to Abraham for a burial site by the sons of Heth.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb/genesis/23.htm">NASB 1995</a></span><br />So the field and the cave that is in it, were deeded over to Abraham for a burial site by the sons of Heth.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb77/genesis/23.htm">NASB 1977 </a></span><br />So the field, and the cave that is in it, were deeded over to Abraham for a burial site by the sons of Heth.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lsb/genesis/23.htm">Legacy Standard Bible </a></span><br />So the field and the cave that is in it were deeded over to Abraham for a possession for a burial site by the sons of Heth.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/amp/genesis/23.htm">Amplified Bible</a></span><br />The field and the cave in it were deeded over to Abraham by the Hittites as a [permanent] possession <i>and</i> burial place.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/csb/genesis/23.htm">Christian Standard Bible</a></span><br />The field with its cave passed from the Hethites to Abraham as burial property.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/hcsb/genesis/23.htm">Holman Christian Standard Bible</a></span><br />The field with its cave passed from the Hittites to Abraham as a burial place. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/asv/genesis/23.htm">American Standard Version</a></span><br />And the field, and the cave that is therein, were made sure unto Abraham for a possession of a burying-place by the children of Heth.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/cev/genesis/23.htm">Contemporary English Version</a></span><br />he had bought from the Hittites. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/erv/genesis/23.htm">English Revised Version</a></span><br />And the field, and the cave that is therein, were made sure unto Abraham for a possession of a buryingplace by the children of Heth.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/gwt/genesis/23.htm">GOD'S WORD® Translation</a></span><br />So the field and its cave were sold by the Hittites to Abraham as his property to be used as a tomb.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/gnt/genesis/23.htm">Good News Translation</a></span><br />So the field which had belonged to the Hittites, and the cave in it, became the property of Abraham for a burial ground. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/isv/genesis/23.htm">International Standard Version</a></span><br />And so the field with its cave was deeded by the Hittites to Abraham as a burial site.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/msb/genesis/23.htm">Majority Standard Bible</a></span><br />So the field and its cave were deeded by the Hittites to Abraham as a burial site.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/net/genesis/23.htm">NET Bible</a></span><br />So Abraham secured the field and the cave that was in it as a burial site from the sons of Heth. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nheb/genesis/23.htm">New Heart English Bible</a></span><br />The field, and the cave that is in it, were deeded to Abraham as a possession for a burial place by the sons of Heth.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/wbt/genesis/23.htm">Webster's Bible Translation</a></span><br />And the field, and the cave that is in it were made sure to Abraham for a possession of a burying-place, by the sons of Heth.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/web/genesis/23.htm">World English Bible</a></span><br />The field, and the cave that is in it, were deeded to Abraham by the children of Heth as a possession for a burial place. <div class="vheading2"><b>Literal Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lsv/genesis/23.htm">Literal Standard Version</a></span><br />and established are the field, and the cave which [is] in it, to Abraham for a possession of a burying-place, from the sons of Heth.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/ylt/genesis/23.htm">Young's Literal Translation</a></span><br /> and established are the field, and the cave which is in it, to Abraham for a possession of a burying-place, from the sons of Heth.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/slt/genesis/23.htm">Smith's Literal Translation</a></span><br />And the field will stand, and the cave which is in it, to Abraham for the possession of a burying place, from the sons of Heth.<div class="vheading2"><b>Catholic Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/drb/genesis/23.htm">Douay-Rheims Bible</a></span><br />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. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/cpdv/genesis/23.htm">Catholic Public Domain Version</a></span><br />And the field was confirmed to Abraham, with the cave that was in it, as a memorial possession before the sons of Heth.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nabre/genesis/23.htm">New American Bible</a></span><br />Thus the field with its cave was transferred from the Hittites to Abraham as a burial place.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nrsvce/genesis/23.htm">New Revised Standard Version</a></span><br />The field and the cave that is in it passed from the Hittites into Abraham’s possession as a burying place.<div class="vheading2"><b>Translations from Aramaic</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lamsa/genesis/23.htm">Lamsa Bible</a></span><br />Thus the field and the cave that is in it were deeded to Abraham for a possession of a burial ground by the Hittites.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/hpbt/genesis/23.htm">Peshitta Holy Bible Translated</a></span><br />And the field of the cave remained, and the cave which is in it, for Abraham as an inheritance of the tomb which was with the sons of Khyth. <div class="vheading2"><b>OT Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/jps/genesis/23.htm">JPS Tanakh 1917</a></span><br />And the field, and the cave that is therein, were made sure unto Abraham for a possession of a burying-place by the children of Heth.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/sep/genesis/23.htm">Brenton Septuagint Translation</a></span><br />So the field and the cave which was in it were made sure to Abraam for possession of a burying place, by the sons of Chet.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/parallel/genesis/23-20.htm">Additional Translations ...</a></span></div></div></div><div id="centbox"><div class="padcent"><a name="study" id="study"></a><div class="vheadingv"><b>Audio Bible</b></div><iframe width="100%" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/7ehevn8iSgc?start=5174" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe><span class="p"><br /><br /><br /></span><div class="vheadingv"><b>Context</b></div><span class="hdg"><a href="/bsb/genesis/23.htm">The Death and Burial of Sarah</a></span><br>…<span class="reftext">19</span>After this, Abraham buried his wife Sarah in the cave of the field at Machpelah near Mamre (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan. <span class="reftext">20</span><span class="highl"><a href="/hebrew/7704.htm" title="7704: haś·śā·ḏeh (Art:: N-ms) -- Field, land. Or saday; from an unused root meaning to spread out; a field.">So the field</a> <a href="/hebrew/834.htm" title="834: ’ă·šer- (Pro-r) -- Who, which, that. A primitive relative pronoun; who, which, what, that; also when, where, how, because, in order that, etc.">and its</a> <a href="/hebrew/bōw (Prep:: 3ms) -- "></a> <a href="/hebrew/4631.htm" title="4631: wə·ham·mə·‘ā·rāh (Conj-w, Art:: N-fs) -- A cave. From uwr; a cavern.">cave</a> <a href="/hebrew/6965.htm" title="6965: way·yā·qām (Conj-w:: V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3ms) -- To arise, stand up, stand. A primitive root; to rise.">were deeded</a> <a href="/hebrew/1121.htm" title="1121: bə·nê- (N-mpc) -- Son. From banah; a son, in the widest sense (like 'ab, 'ach, etc.).">by the Hittites</a> <a href="/hebrew/2845.htm" title="2845: ḥêṯ (N-proper-ms) -- A son of Canaan and probably ancestor of the Hittites. From chathath; terror; Cheth, an aboriginal Canaanite."></a> <a href="/hebrew/85.htm" title="85: lə·’aḇ·rā·hām (Prep-l:: N-proper-ms) -- Contracted from 'ab and an unused root; father of a multitude; Abraham, the later name of Abram.">to Abraham</a> <a href="/hebrew/6913.htm" title="6913: qā·ḇer (N-ms) -- A grave, sepulcher. Or qibrah; from qabar; a sepulchre.">as a burial</a> <a href="/hebrew/854.htm" title="854: mê·’êṯ (Prep-m:: DirObjM) -- With (denoting proximity). Probably from 'anah; properly, nearness, near; hence, generally, with, by, at, among, etc."></a> <a href="/hebrew/272.htm" title="272: la·’ă·ḥuz·zaṯ- (Prep-l:: N-fsc) -- A possession. Feminine passive participle from 'achaz; something seized, i.e. A possession.">site.</a> </span><div class="cred"><a href="//berean.bible">Berean Standard Bible</a> · <a href="//berean.bible/downloads.htm">Download</a></div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="crossref" id="crossref"></a><div class="vheading">Cross References</div><div id="crf"><span class="crossverse"><a href="/genesis/49-29.htm">Genesis 49:29-32</a></span><br />Then Jacob instructed them, “I am about to be gathered to my people. Bury me with my fathers in the cave in the field of Ephron the Hittite. / The cave is in the field of Machpelah near Mamre, in the land of Canaan. This is the field Abraham purchased from Ephron the Hittite as a burial site. / There Abraham and his wife Sarah are buried, there Isaac and his wife Rebekah are buried, and there I buried Leah. ...<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/genesis/25-9.htm">Genesis 25:9-10</a></span><br />His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah near Mamre, in the field of Ephron son of Zohar the Hittite. / This was the field that Abraham had bought from the Hittites. Abraham was buried there with his wife Sarah.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/genesis/50-13.htm">Genesis 50:13</a></span><br />They carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave at Machpelah in the field near Mamre, which Abraham had purchased from Ephron the Hittite as a burial site.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/acts/7-16.htm">Acts 7:16</a></span><br />Their bones were carried back to Shechem and placed in the tomb that Abraham had bought from the sons of Hamor at Shechem for a price he paid in silver.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/hebrews/11-9.htm">Hebrews 11:9-10</a></span><br />By faith he dwelt in the promised land as a stranger in a foreign country. He lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. / For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/hebrews/11-13.htm">Hebrews 11:13-16</a></span><br />All these people died in faith, without having received the things they were promised. However, they saw them and welcomed them from afar. And they acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. / Now those who say such things show that they are seeking a country of their own. / If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. ...<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/hebrews/11-17.htm">Hebrews 11:17-19</a></span><br />By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac on the altar. He who had received the promises was ready to offer his one and only son, / even though God had said to him, “Through Isaac your offspring will be reckoned.” / Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and in a sense, he did receive Isaac back from death.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/genesis/12-7.htm">Genesis 12:7</a></span><br />Then the LORD appeared to Abram and said, “I will give this land to your offspring.” So Abram built an altar there to the LORD, who had appeared to him.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/genesis/13-15.htm">Genesis 13:15-17</a></span><br />for all the land that you see, I will give to you and your offspring forever. / I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if one could count the dust of the earth, then your offspring could be counted. / Get up and walk around the land, through its length and breadth, for I will give it to you.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/genesis/15-18.htm">Genesis 15:18-21</a></span><br />On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your descendants I have given this land—from the river of Egypt to the great River Euphrates— / the land of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, / Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites, ...<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/genesis/17-8.htm">Genesis 17:8</a></span><br />And to you and your descendants I will give the land where you are residing—all the land of Canaan—as an eternal possession; and I will be their God.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/genesis/21-12.htm">Genesis 21:12</a></span><br />But God said to Abraham, “Do not be distressed about the boy and your maidservant. Listen to everything that Sarah tells you, for through Isaac your offspring will be reckoned.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/genesis/24-7.htm">Genesis 24:7</a></span><br />The LORD, the God of heaven, who brought me from my father’s house and my native land, who spoke to me and promised me on oath, saying, ‘To your offspring I will give this land’—He will send His angel before you so that you can take a wife for my son from there.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/genesis/26-3.htm">Genesis 26:3-4</a></span><br />Stay in this land as a foreigner, and I will be with you and bless you. For I will give all these lands to you and your offspring, and I will confirm the oath that I swore to your father Abraham. / I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky, and I will give them all these lands, and through your offspring all nations of the earth will be blessed,<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/genesis/28-13.htm">Genesis 28:13-14</a></span><br />And there at the top the LORD was standing and saying, “I am the LORD, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you now lie. / Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and east and north and south. All the families of the earth will be blessed through you and your offspring.</div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="tsk" id="tsk"><div class="vheading">Treasury of Scripture</div><p class="tsk2">And the field, and the cave that is therein, were made sure to Abraham for a possession of a burial plot by the sons of Heth.</p><p class="hdg">were.</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/ruth/4-7.htm">Ruth 4:7-10</a></b></br> Now this <i>was the manner</i> in former time in Israel concerning redeeming and concerning changing, for to confirm all things; a man plucked off his shoe, and gave <i>it</i> to his neighbour: and this <i>was</i> a testimony in Israel… </p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/2_samuel/24-24.htm">2 Samuel 24:24</a></b></br> And the king said unto Araunah, Nay; but I will surely buy <i>it</i> of thee at a price: neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the LORD my God of that which doth cost me nothing. So David bought the threshingfloor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/jeremiah/32-10.htm">Jeremiah 32:10,11</a></b></br> And I subscribed the evidence, and sealed <i>it</i>, and took witnesses, and weighed <i>him</i> the money in the balances… </p><p class="hdg">for a.</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/genesis/25-9.htm">Genesis 25:9</a></b></br> And his sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, which <i>is</i> before Mamre;</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/genesis/49-31.htm">Genesis 49:31,32</a></b></br> There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife; there they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife; and there I buried Leah… </p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/genesis/50-5.htm">Genesis 50:5,13,24,25</a></b></br> My father made me swear, saying, Lo, I die: in my grave which I have digged for me in the land of Canaan, there shalt thou bury me. Now therefore let me go up, I pray thee, and bury my father, and I will come again… </p><div class="vheading">Jump to Previous</div><a href="/genesis/23-19.htm">Abraham</a> <a href="/genesis/23-18.htm">Assured</a> <a href="/genesis/23-9.htm">Burial</a> <a href="/genesis/23-9.htm">Burying</a> <a href="/genesis/23-9.htm">Buryingplace</a> <a href="/genesis/23-9.htm">Burying-Place</a> <a href="/genesis/23-19.htm">Cave</a> <a href="/genesis/23-18.htm">Children</a> <a href="/genesis/23-17.htm">Deeded</a> <a href="/genesis/23-19.htm">Field</a> <a href="/jude/1-3.htm">Handed</a> <a href="/genesis/23-18.htm">Heth</a> <a href="/genesis/23-18.htm">Hittites</a> <a href="/genesis/23-19.htm">Hollow</a> <a href="/genesis/23-18.htm">Possession</a> <a href="/genesis/23-18.htm">Property</a> <a href="/genesis/23-19.htm">Rock</a> <a href="/genesis/23-9.htm">Site</a> <a href="/genesis/23-17.htm">Sure</a> <a href="/genesis/23-17.htm">Therein</a><div class="vheading2">Jump to Next</div><a href="/genesis/24-1.htm">Abraham</a> <a href="/genesis/43-23.htm">Assured</a> <a href="/genesis/47-30.htm">Burial</a> <a href="/genesis/47-30.htm">Burying</a> <a href="/genesis/47-30.htm">Buryingplace</a> <a href="/genesis/47-30.htm">Burying-Place</a> <a href="/genesis/25-9.htm">Cave</a> <a href="/genesis/25-4.htm">Children</a> <a href="/genesis/23-17.htm">Deeded</a> <a href="/genesis/24-63.htm">Field</a> <a href="/genesis/27-17.htm">Handed</a> <a href="/genesis/25-10.htm">Heth</a> <a href="/genesis/25-10.htm">Hittites</a> <a href="/genesis/25-9.htm">Hollow</a> <a href="/genesis/26-14.htm">Possession</a> <a href="/genesis/24-2.htm">Property</a> <a href="/genesis/25-9.htm">Rock</a> <a href="/genesis/49-30.htm">Site</a> <a href="/genesis/24-6.htm">Sure</a> <a href="/genesis/34-10.htm">Therein</a><div class="vheading2">Genesis 23</div><span class="reftext">1. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/genesis/23-1.htm">The age and death of Sarah.</a></span><br><span class="reftext">3. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/genesis/23-3.htm">The purchase of the field and cave of Machpelah;</a></span><br><span class="reftext">19. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/genesis/23-19.htm">where Sarah is buried.</a></span><br></div></div><div id="mdd"><div align="center"><div class="bot2"><table align="center" width="100%"><tr><td><div align="center"> <script id="3d27ed63fc4348d5b062c4527ae09445"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=51ce25d5-1a8c-424a-8695-4bd48c750f35&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script> <script id="b817b7107f1d4a7997da1b3c33457e03"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=cb0edd8b-b416-47eb-8c6d-3cc96561f7e8&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-2'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-0' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-3'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-1' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br />  <div align="center" id='div-gpt-ad-1531425649696-0'> </div><br /><br /> <script type="text/javascript"> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script><br /><br /> </div> </td></tr></table></div></div></div><div id="combox"><div class="padcom"><a name="commentary" id="commentary"></a><div class="vheading"><a href="/study/genesis/23.htm">Berean Study Bible</a></div><b>So the field</b><br />The Hebrew word for "field" is "שָׂדֶה" (sadeh), which refers to a piece of land or territory. In the ancient Near Eastern context, owning land was a significant marker of wealth and stability. For Abraham, acquiring this field was not just a transaction but a fulfillment of God's promise to give his descendants the land of Canaan. This field represents the first tangible piece of the Promised Land that Abraham's family would own, symbolizing God's faithfulness to His covenant.<p><b>and the cave that was in it</b><br />The cave, referred to in Hebrew as "מְעָרָה" (me'arah), served as a burial site. Caves were commonly used for burials in ancient times due to their natural protection and permanence. This particular cave, the Cave of Machpelah, would become the family tomb for the patriarchs and matriarchs of Israel. It signifies a place of rest and honor, a sacred space where the legacy of faith and God's promises are remembered and cherished.<p><b>were deeded to Abraham</b><br />The act of deeding, or "קָנָה" (qanah) in Hebrew, implies a legal and formal transfer of ownership. This transaction was not merely a verbal agreement but a documented and witnessed event, ensuring that Abraham's claim to the land was recognized by the local inhabitants, the Hittites. This legal acquisition underscores the legitimacy of Abraham's presence in the land and God's providence in securing a future for his descendants.<p><b>by the Hittites</b><br />The Hittites, or "חִתִּי" (Hitti) in Hebrew, were a significant people group in the region of Canaan. Their willingness to sell the land to Abraham reflects the respect and esteem they held for him as a "mighty prince" (<a href="/genesis/23-6.htm">Genesis 23:6</a>). This interaction highlights the peaceful and respectful relationships Abraham maintained with the surrounding nations, serving as a model of godly conduct and integrity.<p><b>as a burial site</b><br />The phrase "burial site," or "לַאֲחֻזַּת־קָבֶר" (la'achuzat-qaver) in Hebrew, indicates a permanent place for interment. This site was not just for Sarah, Abraham's wife, but would also become the burial place for Abraham himself, Isaac, Rebekah, Leah, and Jacob. It represents a continuity of faith and the hope of resurrection, as the patriarchs were laid to rest in the land promised to their descendants. This burial site is a testament to the enduring faith of Abraham and his family in God's promises, serving as a physical reminder of their trust in God's eternal covenant.<div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/ellicott/genesis/23.htm">Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers</a></div>(20) <span class= "bld">Were made sure unto Abraham.</span>--For the difficulties connected with St. Stephen's apparent confusion of this transaction with that recorded in <a href="/genesis/33-19.htm" title="And he bought a parcel of a field, where he had spread his tent, at the hand of the children of Hamor, Shechem's father, for an hundred pieces of money.">Genesis 33:19</a>, see Note on <a href="/acts/7-16.htm" title="And were carried over into Sychem, and laid in the sepulcher that Abraham bought for a sum of money of the sons of Emmor the father of Sychem.">Acts 7:16</a>.<p><span class= "bld"><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/pulpit/genesis/23.htm">Pulpit Commentary</a></div><span class="cmt_sub_title">Verse 20.</span> - <span class="cmt_word">And the field, and the cave that is therein, were made sure unto Abraham for a possession of a burying-place by the sons of Heth</span>. The palpable discrepancy between the statements of the Hebrew historian in this chapter concerning the patriarchal sepulcher and those of the Christian orator when addressing the Jewish Sanhedrim (<a href="/acts/7-16.htm">Acts 7:16</a>) has been well characterized as <span class="accented">praegravis quaedam et perardua, et quorundam judicio inextricabilis quaestio</span> (Pererius). Of course the Gordian knot of difficulty may be very readily cut by boldly asserting that a mistake has been committed somewhere; either by Stephen, the original speaker, under the impulse of emotion confounding the two entirely different stories of Abraham's purchase of Machpelah and Jacob's buying of the field near Shechem (Beds, Clarke, Lange, Kalisch, Alford, and others); or by Luke, the first recorder of the Martyr's Apology, who wrote not the <span class="accented">ipsissima verba</span> of the speech, but simply his own recollection of them (Jerome); or by some subsequent transcriber who had tampered with the original text, as, e.g., inserting <span class="greek">Αβραὰμ</span>, which Luke and Stephen both had omitted, as the nominative to <span class="greek">ὠνήσατο</span> (Beza, Calvin, Bishop Pearce). The Just of these hypotheses would not indeed be fatal to the Inspiration of the record; but the claims of either Luke or Stephen to be authoritative teachers on the subject of religion would be somewhat hard to maintain if it once were admitted that they had blundered on a plain point in their own national history. And yet it is doubtful if any of the proposed solutions of the problem is perfectly satisfactory; such as <p><span class="note_emph">(1)</span> that the two purchases of Abraham and Jacob are here intentionally, for the sake of brevity, compressed into one account (Bengel, Pererius, Willet, Hughes); or <p><span class="note_emph">(2)</span> that Abraham bought two graves, one at Hebron of Ephron the Hittite, as recorded by Moses, and another at Shechem of the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem (Words. worth); or <p><span class="note_emph">(3)</span> that the words "which Abraham bought for a sum of money" should be regarded as a parenthesis, and the sentence read as intimating that Jacob and the fathers were carried over into Shechem, and (afterwards) by the sons of Hamor the lather of Shechem interred in Abraham's sepulcher at Hebron (Cajetan). Obvious difficulties attach to each of them; but the facts shine out clear enough in spite of the encompassing obscurity, viz., that Abraham bought a tomb at Hebron, in which first the dust of Sarah was deposited, and to which afterwards the bodies of himself, Isaac and Rebekah, Jacob and Leah were consigned, while Joseph and the twelve patriarchs, who all died in Egypt, were brought over to the promised land and buried in Jacob's field at Shechem. . . . <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/commentaries/genesis/23-20.htm">Parallel Commentaries ...</a></span><span class="p"><br /><br /><br /></span><a name="lexicon" id="lexicon"></a><div class="vheading">Hebrew</div><span class="word">So the field</span><br /><span class="heb">הַשָּׂדֶ֜ה</span> <span class="translit">(haś·śā·ḏeh)</span><br /><span class="parse">Article | Noun - masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_7704.htm">Strong's 7704: </a> </span><span class="str2">Field, land</span><br /><br /><span class="word">and its</span><br /><span class="heb">אֲשֶׁר־</span> <span class="translit">(’ă·šer-)</span><br /><span class="parse">Pronoun - relative<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_834.htm">Strong's 834: </a> </span><span class="str2">Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that</span><br /><br /><span class="word">cave</span><br /><span class="heb">וְהַמְּעָרָ֧ה</span> <span class="translit">(wə·ham·mə·‘ā·rāh)</span><br /><span class="parse">Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - feminine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_4631.htm">Strong's 4631: </a> </span><span class="str2">A cavern</span><br /><br /><span class="word">were deeded</span><br /><span class="heb">וַיָּ֨קָם</span> <span class="translit">(way·yā·qām)</span><br /><span class="parse">Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_6965.htm">Strong's 6965: </a> </span><span class="str2">To arise, stand up, stand</span><br /><br /><span class="word">by the Hittites</span><br /><span class="heb">בְּנֵי־</span> <span class="translit">(bə·nê-)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - masculine plural construct<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_1121.htm">Strong's 1121: </a> </span><span class="str2">A son</span><br /><br /><span class="word">to Abraham</span><br /><span class="heb">לְאַבְרָהָ֖ם</span> <span class="translit">(lə·’aḇ·rā·hām)</span><br /><span class="parse">Preposition-l | Noun - proper - masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_85.htm">Strong's 85: </a> </span><span class="str2">Abraham -- 'exalted father', the father of the Jewish nation</span><br /><br /><span class="word">as a burial</span><br /><span class="heb">קָ֑בֶר</span> <span class="translit">(qā·ḇer)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_6913.htm">Strong's 6913: </a> </span><span class="str2">A grave, sepulcher</span><br /><br /><span class="word">site.</span><br /><span class="heb">לַאֲחֻזַּת־</span> <span class="translit">(la·’ă·ḥuz·zaṯ-)</span><br /><span class="parse">Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular construct<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_272.htm">Strong's 272: </a> </span><span class="str2">Something seized, a possession</span><br /><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><div class="vheading">Links</div><a href="/niv/genesis/23-20.htm">Genesis 23:20 NIV</a><br /><a href="/nlt/genesis/23-20.htm">Genesis 23:20 NLT</a><br /><a href="/esv/genesis/23-20.htm">Genesis 23:20 ESV</a><br /><a href="/nasb/genesis/23-20.htm">Genesis 23:20 NASB</a><br /><a href="/kjv/genesis/23-20.htm">Genesis 23:20 KJV</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="//bibleapps.com/genesis/23-20.htm">Genesis 23:20 BibleApps.com</a><br /><a href="//bibliaparalela.com/genesis/23-20.htm">Genesis 23:20 Biblia Paralela</a><br /><a href="//holybible.com.cn/genesis/23-20.htm">Genesis 23:20 Chinese Bible</a><br /><a href="//saintebible.com/genesis/23-20.htm">Genesis 23:20 French Bible</a><br /><a href="/catholic/genesis/23-20.htm">Genesis 23:20 Catholic Bible</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/genesis/23-20.htm">OT Law: Genesis 23:20 The field and the cave that (Gen. Ge Gn)</a></div></div></td></tr></table></div><div id="left"><a href="/genesis/23-19.htm" onmouseover='lft.src="/leftgif.png"' onmouseout='lft.src="/left.png"' title="Genesis 23:19"><img src="/left.png" name="lft" border="0" alt="Genesis 23:19" /></a></div><div id="right"><a href="/genesis/24-1.htm" onmouseover='rght.src="/rightgif.png"' onmouseout='rght.src="/right.png"' title="Genesis 24:1"><img src="/right.png" name="rght" border="0" alt="Genesis 24:1" /></a></div><div id="botleft"><a href="#" onmouseover='botleft.src="/botleftgif.png"' onmouseout='botleft.src="/botleft.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botleft.png" name="botleft" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="botright"><a href="#" onmouseover='botright.src="/botrightgif.png"' onmouseout='botright.src="/botright.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botright.png" name="botright" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="bot"><iframe width="100%" height="1500" scrolling="no" src="/botmenubhnew2.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></div></td></tr></table></div></body></html>