Poetry · Chapter
Burial of Sarah explained
Abraham approaches the sons of Heth to purchase a burial site for his wife Sarah.
What happens
Abraham approaches the sons of Heth to purchase a burial site for his wife Sarah. Though offered a place freely, he insists on buying the field and cave of Machpelah from Ephron, paying the full price in shekels. The chapter emphasizes his grief, his status as a stranger in the land, and his prophetic vision that his descendants will one day possess the soil where he lays his dead.
Themes in this chapter
Faith and Divine Justice
Abraham's purchase of the burial site is an act of faith, trusting God's promise that his seed will inherit the land.
Resilience and Sacrifice
Abraham's insistence on paying for the field rather than accepting it as a gift demonstrates his integrity and the sacrificial nature of honoring his dead.
Characters to notice
- Abraham
Abraham mourns Sarah and negotiates to buy Machpelah's cave for her burial, refusing a gift and insisting on a lawful purchase.
- Heth
The sons of Heth offer Abraham any sepulchre among their dead, showing compassion for his grief.
- Sarah
Sarah is the deceased beloved wife for whom Abraham seeks a burial place.
Key passages
“I am a stranger in your land, My home has lost its light; Grant me a place where I may lay My dead away from sight.”
Abraham acknowledges his status as an outsider and asks for a burial site to hide his deceased wife from view.
This line captures Abraham's grief and his sense of displacement.
“I will not take it as a gift, The grand old man then said; I pray thee let me buy the place Where I may lay my dead.”
Abraham refuses the offer of a free burial site and insists on purchasing it.
Abraham's refusal of a gift underscores his desire for a lawful and permanent possession.
“And saw afar the glorious day His chosen seed should tread, The soil where he in sorrow lay His loved and cherished dead.”
Abraham foresees the future when his descendants will inherit the land where he now buries Sarah.
This line connects the immediate act of burial to the broader promise of the land to Abraham's offspring.