Genesis 23:4 kjv

I am a stranger and a sojourner with you: give me a possession of a buryingplace with you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight.

Genesis 23:4 nkjv

"I am a foreigner and a visitor among you. Give me property for a burial place among you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight."

Genesis 23:4 niv

"I am a foreigner and stranger among you. Sell me some property for a burial site here so I can bury my dead."

Genesis 23:4 esv

"I am a sojourner and foreigner among you; give me property among you for a burying place, that I may bury my dead out of my sight."

Genesis 23:4 nlt

"Here I am, a stranger and a foreigner among you. Please sell me a piece of land so I can give my wife a proper burial."

Genesis 23 verses

Genesis 23 4 Meaning

Genesis 23:4 records Abraham's plea to the Hittites to acquire a burial site for his deceased wife, Sarah. It profoundly illustrates Abraham's status as a sojourner, or resident alien, in the very land God had promised him as an everlasting possession. Despite the divine promise, Abraham, in a tangible act of faith, seeks to purchase a small parcel of land as a perpetual holding for burial, marking his family's first secure foothold in Canaan. This verse underscores the immediate, practical need of mourning while also pointing to the deferred yet certain fulfillment of God's land covenant.

Genesis 23 4 Context

Genesis chapter 23 immediately follows the pivotal account of Abraham's binding of Isaac in chapter 22, showcasing Abraham's profound obedience and faith. Chapter 23 begins with the death of Sarah, Abraham's wife and the mother of Isaac, at the age of 127 in Kiriath-arba (Hebron) in the land of Canaan. Her death prompts Abraham to seek a proper burial place. Despite God's repeated promises that the entire land of Canaan would be his and his descendants' possession, Abraham, at this point in his life, owned no part of it. He lived as a wealthy, respected patriarch, yet legally, he was a non-landowner. This verse, therefore, highlights the tension between the promise and the present reality. His request for a "burying place as a possession" from the local Hittite inhabitants is his first recorded acquisition of land in Canaan, laying the foundation for a permanent ancestral burial site, symbolic of the future fulfillment of God's greater land covenant. It also illustrates ancient Near Eastern customs regarding land transactions and burial rights for sojourners.

Genesis 23 4 Word analysis

• "I" (אָנֹכִי, anokhi): Refers to Abraham, the patriarch to whom God had given numerous promises. This "I" carries the weight of a divine covenant.
• "am": Simple existence, yet signifies his current status and self-identity in relation to the people around him.
• "a sojourner" (גֵּר, ger): A pivotal term. It denotes a resident alien, a stranger, one who lives in a foreign land without full rights of citizenship or permanent land ownership. The ger was dependent on the hospitality of the local population. For Abraham, this status contrasts sharply with God's promise of the land (Gen 12:7, 13:15, 17:8). This highlights his faith—he trusts in the future promise despite the present reality of landlessness.
• "and a foreigner" (תֹּושָׁב, toshav): Reinforces the meaning of ger. While ger often implies a degree of settlement, toshav emphasizes the temporary nature of the residency and the lack of permanent tenure or hereditary claim. Abraham is acknowledging he has no inherent rights to the land based on lineage or current ownership.
• "among you": Specifies the Hittites, the inhabitants of Hebron/Kiriath-arba, underscoring Abraham's lack of indigenous rights within the very land promised to him by God.
• "give me" (תְּנוּ־לִי, tenu-li): A polite but earnest request. It is not a demand, but a plea for the right to purchase property, reflecting his desire to respect local customs and obtain legitimate ownership.
• "possession" (אֲחֻזַּת, achuzzah): Denotes a legal, permanent, and inheritable property. It signifies Abraham's intent to acquire a permanent claim on a portion of the land, however small, something he could "grasp" and hold onto indefinitely. This is the first recorded instance of Abraham acquiring achuzzah in Canaan.
• "a burying place" (קֶבֶר, qever): Specifically, a grave or burial site. This immediate practical need for Sarah's burial serves as the catalyst for Abraham's first land acquisition. The emphasis on burying "my dead" indicates profound grief and the importance of honorable burial.
• "with you": Implies obtaining it legitimately through a transaction with the current residents, ensuring legal standing.
• "that I may bury my dead": The immediate purpose of the land acquisition. Burying the dead properly was a profound act of reverence in the ancient world.
• "out of my sight": A personal expression of grief, desiring to lay his beloved wife to rest honourably and not have her body remain before him in her lifeless state.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "I am a sojourner and a foreigner among you": This declaration is key. It sets up the central paradox of Abraham's life: chosen by God, promised the land, yet living as an outsider within it. This humility and reliance on grace, not rights, is a hallmark of faith (Heb 11:9-10). It foreshadows Israel's identity as sojourners in their own land under God (Lev 25:23).
• "Give me a possession of a burying place with you": This phrase combines the immediate, pragmatic need for burial with the profound, long-term desire for a permanent, owned property. The acquisition of a ma'achan achuzzah (a burying place for possession/property) marked the only physical piece of the Promised Land Abraham ever personally owned. It becomes a symbolic anchor, a down payment on God's future land promise.
• "that I may bury my dead out of my sight": This highlights the immediate motivation: Sarah's death. It expresses deep grief and respect, yet the practical need leads to a foundational spiritual act—the purchase of land that would become the family tomb (Machpelah), connecting future generations directly to the covenant land.

Genesis 23 4 Bonus section

The legal and cultural context of acquiring the burial plot from the Hittites (Ephron) is significant. In the ancient Near East, the ability to bury one's dead was deeply important and intertwined with land rights and lineage. For a sojourner like Abraham, not owning land meant potential vulnerability. His respectful but firm negotiation to buy a specific parcel (the cave of Machpelah and the field surrounding it, as described in subsequent verses) rather than simply being granted a burial space, demonstrates his intent to secure permanent and inheritable possession. This process is documented meticulously, highlighting the importance of legal acquisition even when a divine promise existed. This deliberate transaction becomes a model for ethical and lawful dealings, reflecting God's order and justice in human affairs.

Genesis 23 4 Commentary

Genesis 23:4 encapsulates a crucial tension in Abraham's life and the biblical narrative: the divine promise versus present reality. God had unequivocally promised Abraham the entire land of Canaan as an everlasting possession. Yet, in the immediate context of Sarah's death, Abraham explicitly identifies himself as a "sojourner and a foreigner"—a landless transient—among the inhabitants of the very land meant to be his. This acknowledgment underscores his utter reliance on God and highlights the nature of faith: believing in future realities not yet seen (Heb 11:8-10).

Abraham's plea is for a "possession of a burying place," a legally owned piece of land that he can claim permanently. While the request is practical—to bury his beloved wife Sarah—it holds immense theological weight. This purchase of the cave of Machpelah, though small, represents the first tangible piece of the promised land acquired by Abraham and his descendants as a perpetual holding. It is a visible sign and a deposit of the covenant, connecting his physical legacy to God's spiritual promises. The humility in asking rather than demanding, even from a powerful position, illustrates Abraham's character and his respect for existing laws and people, anticipating God's instructions for Israel regarding sojourners.

The Machpelah cave becomes the sacred family tomb where Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebekah, Leah, and Jacob are eventually buried (Gen 25:9-10; 49:29-31). This continuity of burial signifies not just a place for the dead but a rootedness in the land promised by God. It visually affirms that despite living as transients, the patriarchs laid their roots in Canaan, waiting in faith for the full inheritance (Heb 11:13). This small piece of land symbolizes the certainty of the larger covenantal fulfillment and God's faithfulness across generations.