Genesis 23:16 - Meaning and Application

Here we see the end of the agreement between Abraham and Ephron about the burial place. The deal was made openly before everyone, in the hearing of the sons of Heth, the Hittite people who lived there (Genesis 23:16, Genesis 23:17). Prudence, as well as justice, teaches us to be fair, open, and straightforward in our dealings. Dishonest contracts avoid the light and try to stay hidden, but people who mean to act honestly do not mind witnesses.

Notice, first, that Abraham pays the money right away, without fraud or delay (Genesis 23:16). He pays gladly, in full, and by weight, using current merchant money, without deceit. This shows how early money was used to support trade, and it also shows how carefully money should be paid when it is owed. Even though all the land of Canaan had been promised to Abraham, he still bought and paid for the land he needed at that time. Dominion, or rightful rule and ownership, does not come from grace. Believers have a title to an eternal inheritance, but that does not give them ownership of this world or excuse wrong behavior.

Second, Ephron honestly gives Abraham a clear title to the land (Genesis 23:17, Genesis 23:18, Genesis 23:20). The field, with everything attached to it, is given to Abraham and his descendants forever, in public before witnesses. It was not done by writing, since writing does not seem to have been used then, but by a public and formal declaration that was enough to transfer ownership. Just as what is bought must be honestly paid for, so what is sold must be honestly handed over and secured.

Third, Abraham takes possession and buries Sarah in the cave, or burial vault, in the field he bought. It is not certain whether the cave was formed by nature or by human work. Abraham probably had already buried servants of his household after coming to Canaan, though the graves of ordinary people would have been enough for them (2 Kings 23:6). But now that Sarah had died, a special place was needed for her remains.

It is worth noticing that a burial place was the first piece of ground Abraham owned in Canaan. When we are beginning life, it is wise to remember our end, because as soon as we are born, we begin to die. It is also worth noticing that this was the only piece of land he ever actually possessed, even though the whole country had been promised to him for later. Those who own little of this earth still find a grave in it.

Abraham did not build cities like Cain and Nimrod, but he secured a tomb. He did this, first, to keep death always before him and his descendants, so that they might learn to die daily. The tomb is said to be at the end of the field (Genesis 23:9), because no matter how much we own, there is still a grave at the end of it. He did this, second, as a sign of his faith in the resurrection. Why take such care with the body if it were to be thrown away forever and never rise again? In this, Abraham clearly showed that he was looking for a better country, a heavenly one. While he lived, he was content to keep moving from place to place, but he made sure there was a place where, when he died, his body could rest in hope.