The First Permanent Possession in Canaan

Genesis 22:20-23:20

“And it came to pass after these things, that it was told Abraham, saying, Behold, Milcah, she hath also born children unto thy brother Nahor; Huz his firstborn, and Buz his brother, and Kemuel the father of Aram, And Chesed, and Hazo, and Pildash, and Jidlaph, and Bethuel. And Bethuel begat Rebekah: these eight Milcah did bear to Nahor, Abraham's brother. And his concubine, whose name was Reumah, she bare also Tebah, and Gaham, and Thahash, and Maachah.” (Genesis 22:20-24)

After Abraham’s father, Terah left his son Nahor in Ur of the Chaldees, Nahor’s family had grown quite a lot. He had eight sons by his official wife Milcah and four more by a concubine or mistress, Reumah. It is important to note that while society made a distinction between those who are legally married and the mistress, scripture frequently describes the concubine as wife, implying that God does not make the same distinction, as seen in Judges 20:4-6. The statements in Matthew 19:6 and 9 that it is God’s action and not the human ceremony that marries a couple, and the statement in I Corinthians 6:16 that the sex act itself results in the joining indicate the same thing. Only those whose father refused to acknowledge them were considered “bastards” or illegitimate under the law and excluded from membership I Israel.

One of Nahor’s sons, Bethuel moved to Haran and had several children including a daughter named Rebekah and a son named Laban.

“And Sarah was an hundred and seven and twenty years old: these were the years of the life of Sarah. And Sarah died in Kirjatharba; the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan: and Abraham came to mourn for Sarah, and to weep for her.(Genesis 23:1-2)

Though Abraham had established Beersheba as his home base, planting an orchard there and returning regularly, he still maintained a nomadic lifestyle, as demanded by the grazing of his lifestock. While living near Kirjath-arba, later known as Hebron, Sarah died, fifty-five years after they moved to Canaan. She was a hundred and twenty, and Isaac was thirty. Abraham was a hundred and thirty. They may have even celebrated their hundreth wedding anniversary.

“And Abraham stood up from before his dead, and spake unto the sons of Heth, saying, 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 23:3-4)

After all those years together, never owning a place they could really call theirs, Abraham wanted a place to bury her where they always had the right to go back and remember her. In the centuries to come, that graveyard would provide a measure of stability and connection for future generations. The current practice of having ones ashes scattered will leave future generations without one visible connection to their forebearers, and may leave them with a sense of rootlesness. Abraham asked to buy a piece of land for that purpose.

“And the children of Heth answered Abraham, saying unto him, Hear us, my lord: thou art a mighty prince among us: in the choice of our sepulchres bury thy dead; none of us shall withhold from thee his sepulchre, but that thou mayest bury thy dead.” (Genesis 23:5-6)

The descendants of Heth, later known as the Hittites had basically adopted Abraham as one of them, and offered him his choice of the burial places they had prepared for their families because of their respect and love for him. There was no payment needed.

“And Abraham stood up, and bowed himself to the people of the land, even to the children of Heth. And he communed with them, saying, If it be your mind that I should bury my dead out of my sight; hear me, and entreat for me to Ephron the son of Zohar, That he may give me the cave of Machpelah, which he hath, which is in the end of his field; for as much money as it is worth he shall give it me for a possession of a buryingplace amongst you.” (Genesis 23:7-9)

The funeral provides a mechanism for those with strong emotional ties to begin adjusting to a person’s death. Though modern society views preparing the body and planning the funeral as somewhat macabre, it has an important therapeutic value for those involved. The proper disposal of the body is also a major step. In my experience the modern practice of waiting until the family has departed before filling the grave leaves them with a sense of incompletion. Often keeping an urn of ashes does the same thing. While they may be discounted a sirrelevant in today’s society, the ancient traditions were developed to meet specific needs and should not be lightly ignored for convenience sake.

Rather than take one of the Hittites prepared sepulchers, Abraham asked to buy a cave located in the end of a field belonging to Ephron that made the land less valuable for farming. It would have not greatly affect the Hittites while serving the purpose adequately. It wasn’t like they were fixing a place for her to live, or were trying to make up for what she hadn’t had when she was alive. Elaborate and expensive funeral preparations are often the result of a sense of guilt for having neglected the person while they lived, and many funeral homes play on the sense of guilt and pride of already emotionally distraught people to maximize their profit.

“And Ephron dwelt among the children of Heth: and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the audience of the children of Heth, even of all that went in at the gate of his city, saying, Nay, my lord, hear me: the field give I thee, and the cave that is therein, I give it thee; in the presence of the sons of my people give I it thee: bury thy dead.

And Abraham bowed down himself before the people of the land. And he spake unto Ephron in the audience of the people of the land, saying, But if thou wilt give it, I pray thee, hear me: I will give thee money for the field; take it of me, and I will bury my dead there.

And Ephron answered Abraham, saying unto him, My lord, hearken unto me: the land is worth four hundred shekels of silver; what is that betwixt me and thee? bury therefore thy dead.” (Genesis 23:10-15)

Ephron would have been happy to give the field to Abraham, publicly ofering it, but two things probably held Abraham back. First, he wanted to do something for Sarah, and if Ephron gave it, it would be Ephron’s gift, and not his. Secondly, at some future date Ephron’s heirs might begin to resent the loss of the property. By buying it, they would have no valid reason for resentment. Ephron said the entire field would only be worth four hundred shekels of silver.

“And Abraham hearkened unto Ephron; and Abraham weighed to Ephron the silver, which he had named in the audience of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, current money with the merchant. And the field of Ephron, which was in Machpelah, which was before Mamre, the field, and the cave which was therein, and all the trees that were in the field, that were in all the borders round about, were made sure 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 23:16-18)

Instead of just buying the cave, Abraham legally bought the entire field for a cemetery. He, his son Isaac, his grandson Jacob would all be buried there, as would his great grandson Joseph, almost five hundred years later. During their enslavement in Egypt, the Cave of Machpelah would remain as a reminder of Israel’s home and God’s promise, providing a sense of stability.

“And after this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah before Mamre: the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan. 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.” (Genesis 23:19-20)