Genesis 23:18 kjv
Unto Abraham for a possession in the presence of the children of Heth, before all that went in at the gate of his city.
Genesis 23:18 nkjv
to Abraham as a possession in the presence of the sons of Heth, before all who went in at the gate of his city.
Genesis 23:18 niv
to Abraham as his property in the presence of all the Hittites who had come to the gate of the city.
Genesis 23:18 esv
to Abraham as a possession in the presence of the Hittites, before all who went in at the gate of his city.
Genesis 23:18 nlt
It was transferred to Abraham as his permanent possession in the presence of the Hittite elders at the city gate.
Genesis 23 18 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 12:7 | Then the LORD appeared to Abram and said, "To your offspring I will give this land." So he built there an altar to the LORD, who had appeared to him. | Initial promise of the land to Abraham's descendants |
| Gen 13:15 | "For all the land that you see I will give to you and to your offspring forever." | Confirmation of eternal land possession |
| Gen 15:18 | On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, "To your offspring I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates..." | Covenant outlining the full extent of the promised land |
| Gen 17:8 | "And I will give to you and to your offspring after you the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession..." | Perpetual nature of the land promise |
| Gen 25:9-10 | Abraham was buried by his sons Isaac and Ishmael in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, east of Mamre... | Abraham's burial in the acquired cave |
| Gen 35:27-29 | And Jacob came to his father Isaac at Mamre, or Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac had sojourned... Isaac breathed his last and died... | Isaac's death near Machpelah |
| Gen 49:29-32 | Jacob commanded them, "I am to be gathered to my people; bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite... | Jacob's instruction to be buried in Machpelah |
| Gen 50:12-13 | His sons did for him as he had commanded them, for they carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah... | Jacob's burial in Machpelah, fulfilling his request |
| Ex 6:4 | "I also established my covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, the land in which they lived as sojourners." | God reaffirms the land covenant to Moses |
| Deut 2:5 | "You shall not contend with them, for I will not give you any of their land, no, not so much as a footstep, because I have given Mount Seir to Esau as a possession." | God grants land as a "possession" |
| Ruth 4:1-11 | Boaz went up to the gate and sat down there... "And he said to the elders and all the people, 'You are witnesses this day that I have bought from the hand of Naomi all...'" | Legal transactions and witnessing at the city gate |
| Jer 32:9-12 | "I bought the field at Anathoth from Hanamel my cousin... I signed the deed, sealed it, got witnesses, and weighed the money on the scales... Then I handed the deed to Baruch..." | Detailed example of a land purchase with public witnessing |
| Acts 7:5 | "Yet he gave him no inheritance in it, not even a foot's length, but promised to give it to him as a possession and to his offspring after him, though he had no child." | Abraham's initial lack of inherited land but promise of possession |
| Acts 7:16 | "and they were carried back to Shechem and laid in the tomb that Abraham had bought for a sum of money from the sons of Hamor in Shechem." | Abraham buying a burial place (likely referring to this purchase for Jacob) |
| Heb 11:9-10 | "By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign country, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob... For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations..." | Abraham's faith as a sojourner, awaiting the true city |
| Heb 11:13 | "These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth." | The patriarchs died without fully receiving the land promise |
| Psa 105:11 | "saying, 'To you I will give the land of Canaan as your portion for an inheritance.'" | God's solemn promise of Canaan as an inheritance |
| Lev 25:23 | "The land shall not be sold in perpetuity, for the land is mine; for you are strangers and sojourners with me." | God's ultimate ownership of the land |
| Gen 26:3-4 | "Sojour in this land, and I will be with you and will bless you, for to you and to your offspring I will give all these lands, and I will establish the oath..." | God reaffirms land promise to Isaac |
| Josh 24:32 | "The bones of Joseph, which the people of Israel had brought up from Egypt, were buried at Shechem, in the piece of land that Jacob bought from the sons of Hamor..." | Another patriarch buying specific land |
| Ezek 47:14 | "You shall divide it for inheritance among yourselves. It is the land for which I swore to give to your fathers. So this land shall fall to you as your inheritance." | Prophetic reaffirmation of inherited land for Israel |
| Zeph 3:19-20 | "...I will bring you home, and then make you renowned and praised among all the peoples of the earth, when I restore your fortunes before your eyes,' says the LORD." | Final return to their land for Israel |
Genesis 23 verses
Genesis 23 18 Meaning
Genesis 23:18 describes the precise and legally witnessed transfer of ownership of the field and cave of Machpelah from Ephron the Hittite to Abraham. This verse emphasizes the full extent of the acquired property, including all the trees and defined boundaries, ensuring that it was firmly and permanently deeded to Abraham as a perpetual possession in a public setting. It signifies the first tangible piece of the Promised Land that Abraham, a sojourner, formally acquired, albeit for burial purposes.
Genesis 23 18 Context
Genesis 23:18 is situated immediately after the death of Abraham's beloved wife, Sarah, in Hebron (Kiriath-arba). Abraham, a sojourner in the land promised to him, initially possesses no ground to bury his dead. This chapter details his solemn and dignified negotiation with the local Hittite population to acquire a permanent burial place for Sarah, which would also serve as a resting place for himself and future patriarchs. The verse specifically marks the completion and official verification of this transaction. It is the only real estate Abraham purchases in Canaan, symbolizing the first concrete acquisition of the promised land, secured through a legal and publicly witnessed deed rather than military conquest. The entire process highlights Abraham's humble posture as a sojourner and his commitment to proper legal channels within the society where he dwelled.
Genesis 23 18 Word analysis
- All the land of the cave: Emphasizes comprehensiveness, not just the cave opening but the surrounding ground owned.
- that was in Machpelah: Identifies the specific location, a field name or place containing the cave. The Hebrew word, מַכְפֵּלָה (makhpelah), likely means "double" (possibly a double cave or field).
- which was before Mamre: Locates Machpelah relative to Abraham's known dwelling place, providing geographical certainty. Mamre was where Abraham had resided for a long time.
- the field and the cave that was in it: Reiteration of the main objects of purchase, confirming both the open ground and the enclosed burial site. This is a complete estate, not just a burial plot.
- and all the trees that were in the field: Meticulously lists everything included in the sale, showing legal precision and leave no doubt about the property's extent. Trees served as natural boundary markers or had value for timber or produce.
- that were within all its boundaries: Legally binding term, confirming that every part of the defined plot, from edge to edge, was included. This reflects ancient Near Eastern meticulousness in land deeds to prevent future disputes.
- were made over to Abraham: The Hebrew term is יָקָם (yaqam), literally "it stood" or "it was established/confirmed." In the Hiphal (causative) stem here, it means it was formally, legally, and permanently established as transferred. It is a declarative statement of legal completion.
- as a possession: (Hebrew: אֲחֻזָּה - akhuzzah). This signifies full, permanent, heritable ownership, not merely a lease or temporary right. It underscores the perpetual nature of Abraham’s claim to this piece of the promised land. This is Abraham’s enduring and legally documented footprint in Canaan.
- in the presence of the Hittites: The sons of Heth, local authorities, acted as official witnesses to the transaction, granting it full local recognition and legitimacy. Public witnessing ensured legal validity and deterred future disputes.
- before all who went in at the gate of his city: The city gate (שַׁעַר עִיר - sha'ar 'ir) was the public and judicial assembly place. All commercial transactions, legal judgments, and public decrees took place here, ensuring the highest level of public witness and irrefutable validation of the purchase.
Genesis 23 18 Bonus section
The precise details of the land transaction in Genesis 23 reflect customary legal practices of the Hurrian and Hittite cultures of the ancient Near East, specifically emphasizing public declarations, explicit definitions of property boundaries, and a definitive statement of the transfer of title (akin to modern deeds). The inclusion of specific features like "all the trees" would have been crucial for property valuation and boundary demarcation. This meticulousness not only authenticated the transaction for Abraham's contemporaries but also provides textual evidence of the authenticity of the biblical narrative within its historical context. It also subtly reinforces God's sovereignty over the land—even when it must be acquired through human negotiation and purchase, the process is carefully ordained and documented, reflecting His ultimate promise. The repeated return to this cave by future generations for burial underscored its enduring significance and solidified their generational claim to the land of promise.
Genesis 23 18 Commentary
Genesis 23:18 serves as the culmination of Abraham's first significant property acquisition in the Promised Land. Despite God's sweeping promise of the entire land of Canaan to Abraham's descendants, Abraham initially owned nothing more than the plot beneath his feet. This verse details a highly significant purchase of a small plot of land for Sarah's burial, emphasizing the legality, public nature, and permanence of the transaction. The meticulous description of "all the land," "all the trees," and "all its boundaries," combined with the public witnessing by "the Hittites" and "all who went in at the gate of his city," underscores the indisputable validity and permanence of the transfer.
This act, while driven by immediate necessity (burying Sarah), had profound theological and legal implications. It established the first, tangible "possession" (אֲחֻזָּה - akhuzzah) for Abraham's lineage in the promised land, signaling a partial, initial fulfillment of God's covenant. It demonstrated Abraham's faith in patiently acquiring land through legitimate means, trusting in God's ultimate plan rather than forceful takeover. This small burial ground became the sacred sepulchre of the patriarchs—Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebekah, Jacob, and Leah—a physical link of the covenant family to the land that would one day become their nation's inheritance. It stood as an unwavering testimony to their future claim to the entire land, a pledge secured through legal purchase, not yet conquest.