Hebrew Torah  - Transliterated & Translated - Verse by Verse & with Commentary

Bereishit Chapter 23

א וַיִּהְיוּ חַיֵּי שָׂרָה מֵאָה שָׁנָה וְעֶשְׂרִים שָׁנָה וְשֶׁבַע שָׁנִים--שְׁנֵי חַיֵּי שָׂרָה

Vayihyu chayei Sarah me'ah shanah ve'esrim shanah vesheva shanim shnei chayei Sarah.

1. Sarah's life was one hundred years, twenty years, and seven years. [These were] the years of Sarah's life.

ב וַתָּמָת שָׂרָה בְּקִרְיַת אַרְבַּע הִוא חֶבְרוֹן--בְּאֶרֶץ כְּנָעַן וַיָּבֹא אַבְרָהָם לִסְפֹּד לְשָׂרָה וְלִבְכֹּתָהּ

Vatamot Sarah beKiryat Arbah hi Chevron be'eretz Kena'an vayavo Avraham lispod le-Sarah velivekotah.

2. Sarah died in Kirat Arbah (Chevron) in the land of Kenaan. Avraham arrived to eulogize Sarah and to weep for her.

ג וַיָּקָם אַבְרָהָם מֵעַל פְּנֵי מֵתוֹ וַיְדַבֵּר אֶל-בְּנֵי-חֵת לֵאמֹר

Vayakom Avraham me'al penei meto vayedaber el-bnei-Chet lemor.

3. Avraham rose up from besides his dead and spoke to the children of Chet, saying,

ד גֵּר-וְתוֹשָׁב אָנֹכִי עִמָּכֶם תְּנוּ לִי אֲחֻזַּת-קֶבֶר עִמָּכֶם וְאֶקְבְּרָה מֵתִי מִלְּפָנָי

Ger-vetoshav anochi imachem tenu li achuzat-kever imachem ve'ekberah meti milefanai.

4. "I am a foreigner and a resident among you. Give me property for a burial site with you, so that I may bury my dead out of my presence."

ה וַיַּעֲנוּ בְנֵי-חֵת אֶת-אַבְרָהָם לֵאמֹר לוֹ

Vaya'anu venei-Chet et-Avraham lemor lo.

5. The children of Chet replied to Avraham, saying to him,

ו שְׁמָעֵנוּ אֲדֹנִי נְשִׂיא אֱלֹהִים אַתָּה בְּתוֹכֵנוּ--בְּמִבְחַר קְבָרֵינוּ קְבֹר אֶת-מֵתֶךָ אִישׁ מִמֶּנּוּ אֶת-קִבְרוֹ לֹא-יִכְלֶה מִמְּךָ מִקְּבֹר מֵתֶךָ

Shma'enu adoni nesi Elokim atah betochenu bemivechar kevareinu kevor et-metecha ish mimenu et-kivero lo-yichleh mimecha mikevor metcha.

6. "Hear us, my master, you are a prince of G-d in our midst. Bury your dead in the choicest of our burial sites. No man among us will deny his burial site from you to bury your dead."

ז וַיָּקָם אַבְרָהָם וַיִּשְׁתַּחוּ לְעַם-הָאָרֶץ לִבְנֵי-חֵת

Vayakom Avraham vayishtachu le'am-ha'aretz livnei-Chet.

7. Avraham rose and bowed down to the people of the land, the children of Chet.

ח וַיְדַבֵּר אִתָּם לֵאמֹר: אִם-יֵשׁ אֶת-נַפְשְׁכֶם לִקְבֹּר אֶת-מֵתִי מִלְּפָנַי--שְׁמָעוּנִי וּפִגְעוּ-לִי בְּעֶפְרוֹן בֶּן-צֹחַר

Vayedaber itam lemor im-yesh et-nafshechem likbor et-meti milfanai shma'uni ufig'u-li be'Efron ben-Tzochar.

8. [Avraham] spoke to them, saying, "If it is really your will that I bury my dead out of my presence, listen to meand intercede for me with Efron, son of Tzochar.

ט וְיִתֶּן-לִי אֶת-מְעָרַת הַמַּכְפֵּלָה אֲשֶׁר-לוֹ אֲשֶׁר בִּקְצֵה שָׂדֵהוּ: בְּכֶסֶף מָלֵא יִתְּנֶנָּה לִּי בְּתוֹכְכֶם--לַאֲחֻזַּת-קָבֶר

Veyiten-li et-me'arat haMachpelah asher-lo asher biktzeh sadehu bechesef male yitnenah li betochechem la'achuzat kaver.

9. Let him give me Machpelah Cave, which belongs to him, on the edge of his field. Let him give it to me in your presence for its full price, as a burial property."

י וְעֶפְרוֹן יֹשֵׁב בְּתוֹךְ בְּנֵי-חֵת וַיַּעַן עֶפְרוֹן הַחִתִּי אֶת-אַבְרָהָם בְּאָזְנֵי בְנֵי-חֵת לְכֹל בָּאֵי שַׁעַר-עִירוֹ לֵאמֹר

Ve'Efron yoshev betoch benei-Chet vaya'an Efron haChiti et-Avraham be'oznei venei-Chet lechol ba'ei sha'ar-iro lemor.

10. Efron was sitting in the midst of the children of Chet. Efron the Chiti replied to Avraham before the children of Chet, for all who came to the city gate to hear, saying,

יא לֹא-אֲדֹנִי שְׁמָעֵנִי--הַשָּׂדֶה נָתַתִּי לָךְ וְהַמְּעָרָה אֲשֶׁר-בּוֹ לְךָ נְתַתִּיהָ לְעֵינֵי בְנֵי-עַמִּי נְתַתִּיהָ לָּךְ קְבֹר מֵתֶךָ

Lo-adoni shma'eni hasadeh natati lach vehame'arah asher-bo lecha netatiha le'einei venei ami netatiha lach kvor metecha.

11. "No my master. Listen to me. I have given you the field. The cave that is in it I have [also] given to you. Before the eyes of the children of my people I have given it to you. Bury your dead."

יב וַיִּשְׁתַּחוּ אַבְרָהָם לִפְנֵי עַם הָאָרֶץ

Vayishtachu Avraham lifnei am-ha'aretz.

12. Avraham bowed down to the people of the land.

יג וַיְדַבֵּר אֶל-עֶפְרוֹן בְּאָזְנֵי עַם-הָאָרֶץ לֵאמֹר אַךְ אִם-אַתָּה לוּ שְׁמָעֵנִי: נָתַתִּי כֶּסֶף הַשָּׂדֶה קַח מִמֶּנִּי וְאֶקְבְּרָה אֶת-מֵתִי שָׁמָּה

Vayedaber el-Efron be'oznei am-ha'aretz lemor ach im-atah lu shma'eni natati kesef hasadeh kach mimeni ve'ekberah et-meti shamah.

13. He spoke to Efron so that all the people of the land could hear, saying, "If you will only listen to me. I have given you the money for the field. Take it from me, and I will bury my dead there."

יד וַיַּעַן עֶפְרוֹן אֶת-אַבְרָהָם לֵאמֹר לוֹ

Vaya'an Efron et-Avraham lemor lo.

14. Efron replied to Avraham, saying to him,

טו אֲדֹנִי שְׁמָעֵנִי אֶרֶץ אַרְבַּע מֵאֹת שֶׁקֶל-כֶּסֶף בֵּינִי וּבֵינְךָ מַה-הִוא וְאֶת-מֵתְךָ קְבֹר

Adoni shma'eni eretz arba me'ot shekel-kesef beini uveineicha mah-hi ve'et-metecha kevor.

15. "My master, listen to me. What is four hundred silver shekels worth of land between you and me? Bury your dead."

טז וַיִּשְׁמַע אַבְרָהָם אֶל-עֶפְרוֹן וַיִּשְׁקֹל אַבְרָהָם לְעֶפְרֹן אֶת-הַכֶּסֶף אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר בְּאָזְנֵי בְנֵי-חֵת--אַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת שֶׁקֶל כֶּסֶף עֹבֵר לַסֹּחֵר

Vayishma Avraham el-Efron vayishkol Avraham le-Efron et-hakesef asher diber be'oznei venei-Chet arba me'ot shekel kesef over lasocher.

16. Avraham listened to Efron, and Avraham weighed out for Efron the silver that he spoke of in the hearing of the children of Chet, four hundred silver shekels, negotiable currency.

יז וַיָּקָם שְׂדֵה עֶפְרוֹן אֲשֶׁר בַּמַּכְפֵּלָה אֲשֶׁר לִפְנֵי מַמְרֵא: הַשָּׂדֶה וְהַמְּעָרָה אֲשֶׁר-בּוֹ וְכָל-הָעֵץ אֲשֶׁר בַּשָּׂדֶה אֲשֶׁר בְּכָל-גְּבֻלוֹ סָבִיב

Vayakom sedeh Efron asher baMachpelah asher lifnei Mamre hasadeh vehame'arah asher-bo vechol-ha'etz asher basadeh asher bechol-gevulo saviv.

17. Efron's field in Machpelah, facing Mamre - the field, its cave, and all the trees in the field in all its boundaries from all sides - became [Avraham's] property

יח לְאַבְרָהָם לְמִקְנָה לְעֵינֵי בְנֵי-חֵת בְּכֹל בָּאֵי שַׁעַר-עִירוֹ

Le-Avraham lemiknah le'einei venei-Chet bechol ba'ei sha'ar iro.

18. through a purchase before the eyes of the children of Chet, all who had come to the gate of his city.

יט וְאַחֲרֵי-כֵן קָבַר אַבְרָהָם אֶת-שָׂרָה אִשְׁתּוֹ אֶל-מְעָרַת שְׂדֵה הַמַּכְפֵּלָה עַל-פְּנֵי מַמְרֵא--הִוא חֶבְרוֹן: בְּאֶרֶץ כְּנָעַן

Ve'acharei-chen kavar Avraham et-Sarah ishto el-me'arat sedeh haMachpelah al-penei Mamre hi Chevron be'eretz Kena'an.

19. Avraham then buried his wife Sarah in the cave of Machpelah Field, which faces Mamre (Chevron) in the land of Kenaan.

כ וַיָּקָם הַשָּׂדֶה וְהַמְּעָרָה אֲשֶׁר-בּוֹ לְאַבְרָהָם--לַאֲחֻזַּת-קָבֶר: מֵאֵת בְּנֵי-חֵת

Vayakom hasadeh vehame'arah asher-bo le-Avraham la'achuzat-kaver me'et benei-Chet.

20. The field and its cave thus became the property of Avraham as burial property from the children of Chet.