Genesis 23 · Verse 3

Genesis 23:3

And Abraham stood up from before his dead, and spake unto the sons of Heth, saying,
Genesis 23:3, King James Version

Genesis 23:3 in other translations

BSBThen Abraham got up from beside his dead wife and said to the Hittites,
WEBAbraham rose up from before his dead and spoke to the children of Heth, saying,
ASVAnd Abraham rose up from before his dead, and spake unto the children of Heth, saying,
YLTAnd Abraham riseth up from the presence of his dead, and speaketh unto the sons of Heth, saying,
DARBYAnd Abraham rose up from before his dead, and spoke to the sons of Heth, saying,
BBEAnd Abraham came from his dead and said to the children of Heth,
WebsterAnd Abraham stood up from before his dead, and spoke to the sons of Heth, saying,

What does Genesis 23:3 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

Ge 23:3-20. Purchase of a Burying-Place.

3. Abraham stood up, &c.--Eastern people are always provided with family burying-places; but Abraham's life of faith--his pilgrim state--had prevented him acquiring even so small a possession (Ac 7:5). spake unto the sons of Heth--He bespoke their kind offices to aid him in obtaining possession of a cave that belonged to Ephron--a wealthy neighbor.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 3 Abraham stood up from before his dead - He had probably sat on the ground some days in token of sorrow, as the custom then was, (see Tobit 2:12, 13; Isa 47:1; and Gen 37:35); and when this time was finished he arose and began to treat about a burying place.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Genesis 23:1-13

Chapter Outline The death of Sarah, Abraham applies for a burying-place. (1-13) Sarah's burying-place. (14-20) Verses 1-13 The longest life must shortly come to a close. Blessed be God that there is a world where sin, death, vanity, and vexation cannot enter. Blessed be his name, that even death cannot part believers from union with Christ. Those whom we most love, yea, even our own bodies, which we so care for…

Read the full comment on Genesis 23:1-13 →

Genesis 23:3 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיָּ֙קָם֙vai.Ya.komand he aroseH6965
אַבְרָהָ֔ם'av.ra.HamAbrahamH85
מֵעַ֖לme.'Alfrom onH5921
פְּנֵ֣יpe.Nei[the] face ofH6440
מֵת֑וֹme.Todead hisH4191
וַיְדַבֵּ֥רvay.da.Berand he spokeH1696
אֶל\־'el-toH413
בְּנֵי\־be.nei-[the] people ofH1121
חֵ֖תchetHethH2845
לֵאמֹֽר\׃le.Mor<to> sayingH559

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Genesis 23:3

  • Genesis 10:15

    And Canaan begat Sidon his firstborn, and Heth,

  • Genesis 23:7

    And Abraham stood up, and bowed himself to the people of the land, even to the children of Heth.

  • Genesis 23:5

    And the children of Heth answered Abraham, saying unto him,

  • Genesis 27:46

    And Rebekah said to Isaac, I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth: if Jacob take a wife of the daughters of Heth, such as these which are of the daughters of the land, what good shall my life do me?

  • 2 Samuel 23:39

    Uriah the Hittite: thirty and seven in all.

  • 1 Samuel 26:6

    Then answered David and said to Ahimelech the Hittite, and to Abishai the son of Zeruiah, brother to Joab, saying, Who will go down with me to Saul to the camp? And Abishai said, I will go down with thee.

  • Genesis 49:30

    In the cave that is in the field of Machpelah, which is before Mamre, in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought with the field of Ephron the Hittite for a possession of a buryingplace.

  • Genesis 25:10

    The field which Abraham purchased of the sons of Heth: there was Abraham buried, and Sarah his wife.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Heth.
5,7; 10:15; 25:10; 27:46; 49:30; 1Sa 26:6; 2Sa 23:39

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Genesis 23:2

    And Sarah died in Kirjath–arba; the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan: and Abraham came to mourn for Sarah, and to weep for her.

  • Genesis 23:3

    And Abraham stood up from before his dead, and spake unto the sons of Heth, saying,

  • Genesis 23:4

    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.

Read all of Genesis 23

Genesis 23:3 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y levantóse Abraham de delante de su muerto, y habló á los hijos de Heth, diciendo:
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et Abraham se leva de devant son mort; et il parla aux fils de Heth, disant:
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und Abraham erhob sich weg von seiner Toten und redete zu den Kindern Heth und sprach:
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Cumque surrexisset ab officio funeris, locutus est ad filios Heth, dicens: