1. Grieving the loss of a spouse (vs. 1-2)
 a) Sarah died at 127 in Hebron (moved back from Beersheba 21:33). She is the only woman in Bible 
     whose age at death is given. Abraham was 137, Isaac 37.
 b) “mourn”- loved ones came together & expressed grief in various ways (barefoot, stripping off clothes, 
     -cutting beard, fasting, scattering ashes, beating part of the body). The mourning began at death, 
     continued as the body was carried to the tomb and for at least 7 days afterwards. “weep”- stresses 
     audible expression of grief, weeping out loud. Take time to express your grief.
2. Negotiating a burial spot (vs. 3-16, This is the focus of the chapter rather than Sarah’s burial)
 a) Abraham had to act quickly to obtain a burial site and had little position in that society to secure a 
     place. He respectfully approached the sons of Heth (10:15 2nd son of Canaan) acknowledging he was a 
     “stranger” (foreign resident without land, inheritance rights or voice in the community), and 
     “sojourner” (temporary landless wage earner with even less freedoms than the stranger). He requested 
     they would give him a burial site for his wife.
 b) Their interaction followed typical middle-eastern bargaining practices. The sons of Heth addressed 
     Abraham respectfully as “lord”, and “a mighty prince” using Elohim, “prince of God”, likely 
     indicating God’s obvious blessing upon him (21:22). They gave permission for Abraham to bury his 
     wife in his choice of graves among them, but did not mention any purchase of land. This would satisfy 
     the need for burial in a borrowed grave while Abraham remained landless.
 c) Abraham respectfully bowed before them and asked that they approach Ephron to give the cave of 
     Machpelah (“doublecave”), which was at the end of a field he owned to Abraham. Today there is a 
     mosque build over the site where an ancient church once stood – there is a cave). Abraham offered to 
     purchase just the cave at the full price.
 d) Ephron was sitting among them at the gate. He offered to give Abraham the field and the cave to bury 
     his dead. In that culture, this was not a free gift. Abraham would have to pay, but Ephron expressed his 
     willingness to give Abraham the field & cave. Hittite Law Code declared a land- owner continued to 
     be responsible for the dues on a unit of property unless he disposed of it entirely. Abraham would be 
     responsible for these dues. Leon Wood alludes to another Hittite Law where the owner of property 
     obligated himself to the state for military duties as long as he owned the property.
 e) Abraham spoke to Ephron before the gathered people that he would give the price of the field. Ephron 
     named the price to be 400 shekels of silver. This seems like a high price, but we don’t know enough to 
     know how steep. Typically, the seller comes in at a high price and they negotiate down to a more 
     reasonable figure. Abraham did not counter but paid the initial stated price. This happened officially 
     before witnesses at the gate & following merchant standards of weight. He buried Sarah in Canaan.
 3. Possessing a sliver of God’s promise (vs. 17-20)
 a) Abraham owned one piece of land with its trees and cave for a burial site. He died owning this small 
     sliver of the promise land (Acts 7:16 indicates Abraham purchased land at Shechem, which might have
     been forfeited through nomadic movement, Gen 12:6-7).
 b) This was a step of faith to establish a family burial place in the promise land. The Lord would give 
     them all this land, and his descendants would be buried here as evidence of their faith in God’s 
     promise (49:29-33). Heb. 11:16 states they were looking beyond this to a heavenly city.
 c) It might be that you will die before you see promises of God fulfilled. Consider how you can 
     demonstrate your faith even in the way you die.