And the field, and the cave that is therein, were made sure unto Abraham for a possession of a buryingplace by the sons of Heth.
Parallel translations
- WEB The field, and the cave that is in it, were deeded to Abraham for a possession of a burying place by the children of Heth.
- BSB So the field and its cave were deeded by the Hittites to Abraham as a burial site.
- NKJV So the field and the cave that is in it were deeded to Abraham by the sons of Heth as property for a burial place.
- NASB So the field and the cave that was in it were deeded over to Abraham for a burial site by the sons of Heth.
- NLT So the field and the cave were transferred from the Hittites to Abraham for use as a permanent burial place.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The field and cave are confirmed as Abraham's possession from the Hittites. The chapter closes by stressing the secure, legal ownership of this burial ground.
Overview
The repeated confirmation of the deed underscores that this is now Abraham's rightful possession. It is the only land he ever owned in Canaan, yet it anchors the covenant hope in the soil itself. The purchased grave stands as a pledge of the inheritance God will fulfill for his descendants.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 9
- Jer 32:10–14And I subscribed the evidence, and sealed it, and took witnesses, and weighed him the money in the balances.
- Ruth 4:7–10Now this was the manner in former time in Israel concerning redeeming and concerning changing, for to confirm all things; a man plucked off his shoe, and gave it to his neighbour: and this was a testimony in Israel.
- 2 Kgs 21:18And Manasseh slept with his fathers, and was buried in the garden of his own house, in the garden of Uzza: and Amon his son reigned in his stead.
- Gen 50:13For his sons carried him into the land of Canaan, and buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah, which Abraham bought with the field for a possession of a buryingplace of Ephron the Hittite, before Mamre.
- Gen 50:24–25And Joseph said unto his brethren, I die: and God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land unto the land which he sware to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.
- Gen 25:9And his sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, which is before Mamre;
- Gen 49:31–32There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife; there they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife; and there I buried Leah.
- 2 Sam 24:24And the king said unto Araunah, Nay; but I will surely buy it 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.
- Gen 50:5My 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.
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Christ at the center
From the first promise that the seed of the woman would crush the serpent (3:15), through Abraham's blessing to all nations and Judah's coming ruler, Genesis sows every seed that flowers in Christ — the true offspring, the better Adam, the ram caught for Isaac.
How Genesis 23:20 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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