2 And Abraham ſtood up from before his dead e, and fpake unto the ſons of Heth, faying,
e To ſhew his moderation in ſorrow, and to take care for her burial, accordingto his duty. ;
4 I am afitranger, and a {ojourner with yougive me a poſſeſſion of a burying-place f with you g, that I may bury my dead outof my fight.
f The priviledge of Burial hath been always ſought, and prized by all Nations, .whom Nature and Humanity, teacheth ro preſerve the Bodies of Men, which have been the Temples of rea-
. Jonable and immortal Souls, from contempt and violation ; ſo e- ſpecially by Chriſtians, as a Teſtimony and Pledge of their furure Reſurre&tion. See Numb. 33: 4: Deut 21. 23. Job 5. 26. For which cauſe Abraham defires a diſtin&- burying-place ſeparated from the Pagan Frople g In Canoan.. There he,' and after him other Patriarchs, . earneſtly deſired to be buried, upon this account, that it might confirm their own and their Child:ens Faith in God's
GENESIS
>— nou eo ,
of
| Chap. XXIV; 15 My LORD, hearken unto me : the land 5s
worth four hundred * ſhekels of filver y ; What js that *Fxod 30. betwixt me and thee 2? bury therefore thy dead. is. Ezek,
y He ſpeaks of the common Shekel,which many value at fifteen 45+ 12*
Pence of Engliſh Money ; but others, more probably,at two Shil-
lings and fix Pence, rightly, as I conceive, ſuppoſing that this was
of the ſame weight and value with the Shekel of the Sanfuary, which
was ſo called, not as if that were double to the former, but only
becauſe all Shekels were to be examined by thatStandard which was
kept in the Sanftuary. * Both Friends, and rich Men ; it is not worth any words or trouble between us.
I6 And Abraham hearked unto Ephron, and Abra- ham weighed 2 to Ephron, the ſilver which he had named 1n the audience of the ſons of Heth, four hundred ſhekels of ſilver, currant meney with the merchant 6.
a For in thoſe times Silver was paid by weight, Gen. 43. 21. Jer.
32+ 10. b( i:e. ) Right for quality as well as weight, in the judg-
ment of Merchants, whoſe frequent dealing in it makes them more able to Judge of it.
17 9 And* thefield of Ephron which as in Mach- *Chap.as. pelah, which was before Mamre, the field, and the 9. and 5c. cave which as therein, and all the trees - that yore 13
in the field, that vere in all the borders round about, were made ſure
18 Unto Abraham for a poſſeflion in the preſence of
fire of his eyes, Exzck.' 24. 16. is now, being dead, become their torment. 5. And thechildrenof Heth anſwered Abraham, ſay- - ing unto him, © : .. 6 Hear. us,my LORD 3 ; thou art | a mighty prince & amongſt us; in the choice of our ſepulchres bury thy dead: fone of us ſhall with-hold from thee his ſepul- 4 chre, but that thou mayeft bury thy dead. b - ; Here is a Conjun&ion of the Plural and Singular Number, " becauſe though bur one perſon ſpake, yet he ſpake in the name of the whole Communiry. & Heb. 4 prince of God, Great and ex- -cellent perſons, or things are oftexpreſſed by adding the name of + God. See Gen. '13. 10. Or, by Prince of God, they underſtand a Prince favoured and -beloved of God. 1 For each Family had a di- - Nin& Sepulchre,
7 And Abraham ſtood up; and bowed himſelf » to the people of the land », even to thechildren of Heth o.
m ( 3: e: ) Shewed a civil reſpe& to them in teſtimony of his thankfulneſs. - Religion allows and requires civility, and thoſe geſtures which expreſs it. » To the Governours of the People <6 who managed all publick affairs in the Peoples name,and ſtead, and 4 & for their good. o So called from Herh the Son of Canaan, Gen. 19. f ; I5.
$8 And he communed with them, ſaying, if it be your mind p that I ſhould bury my dead out of my ſight, hear me, and intreat for me to Ephron the fon of Zohar :
'' p Heb. 1fit bewith, i. e. agreeable to your ſoul, that is,your will | or good pleaſure ; for ſo the Soul is ſometimes taken, as Deur: 23: 24: t; +tOr double Plat. 27; 12. and 41:2. : Wie. 9 That he may give methe cave off Machpelah q.which + Heb. ful hehath, which is inthe end of his held : for} as much money money as it is worthy he ſhall give it me, for a polletii- on of a burying-place amongſt you. | q Which ſeems to be the proper name of the place, werſe 17, 19. ſo called from its duplicity, becauſe the Cave was double, either one for Men, and another for Women ; or the one ſerved only for an entrance into the other, which was the burying-place. » Heb, For full money, i; Chron: 21: 22, 24. #: e: for Money of full weight © - anſwerabletoits worth. .
{} Heb.- i prence ©
%
ET CONES ONT IE? - HS «OE 2 rn eo Or :
And Ephron the Hittite anſwered Abraham in the + au- Whob.corr dience of the children of Heth, ever cf ail that went in ; at the gates of his city t, ſaying,
s Heb: Didſ#, to wit,at that time,asone of the Chief, or Rulers of the People; for ſo the word ſiting is oft uſed, as we ſhal ſee here- after. #* Either where he was born, or at leaſt where he lived.
11 Nay, my Lord, hear me : the field give I thee, andtheeave that zs therein, I give it thee; in the pre- ſence of the ſons of my people give lit thee : bury thy dead. | | .
12 And Abraham bowed down himſclf before the people of the land,
12 And he ſpake unto Ephron in the audience of the
thee hear me: 7 will give thee money for the field x;take ;r of me, andI will bury my dead there.
% Ir is a ſhort Speech, and ſomething muſt be ſupplied ; either if thou wilt give or reſign it tome; or, if thou be the Man of whom I ſpeak : For though Abraham knew his name, he might
_ not know him by face, nor thathe was then preſent. »x He pru- dently choſe rather to buy ir, than to receive it as a gift, partly becauſe ir would be the ſurer to him and his, verſe 17, 20: and
partly becauſe he would not have roo great obligations to his Pagan eighbours.
I4 And Ephrcog anſwered Abraham, fayipg unto him,
Promiſe, and animate their Children in due time to take poſleſ- | ſion of the Land. See Gen. 25. 9. and 47- 29, 30. and go. 13, | 25. Exod, 13: 19:. Heb: 11: 22. h So ſhe that before was the de.
10 And Ephrondwelt 5amonegſt the children of Heth. |
people ofthe land, faying, Bur if chou wil give ir «,Ipray |
the children of Heth, before all that went in at the gate of his city, |
19 And after this Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah, before. Mamre: the famess Hebron in the land of Canaan.
| 20 And the field and the cave that is therein were