A cave for a tomb has been quite an ordinary thing in Palestine at all times. In the soft local limestone it is not hard to make even an artificial cave if no natural one is found. Besides, the "sons of Heth" offer Abraham a cave...
A cave for a tomb has been quite an ordinary thing in Palestine at all times. In the soft local limestone it is not hard to make even an artificial cave if no natural one is found. Besides, the "sons of Heth" offer Abraham a cave for free. Here, of course, before us, among other things, is traditional Eastern bargaining - "I give it for free" - "no, I will pay" - "dear friend, take it as a gift!" - "why as a gift?" - "is what you are offering even money?" - "well, take it anyway!" - "all right, I accept; the cave is yours!" Such bargaining is ordinary in the East; no transaction is concluded there without it.
The Abraham of the Bible is a man of his time and his country. Although it is possible that they really were offering him a cave for a tomb as a gift. After all, Abraham already enjoyed a certain authority among the neighboring tribes. It is hard to say which "Hittites" are meant here. They may have been actual Hittites, or they may have been some other Asia Minor tribes of Aryan origin. Several centuries before Abraham appeared in Palestine, it had for a time been part of the Hittite Empire, and some tribes that had inhabited it may have settled here, adopting the semi-nomadic way of life that all the local inhabitants practiced there. Judging by the story of Abraham's purchase of the cave, they deeply respected him, although his relations with other tribes, especially in Samaria, were more tense.
And yet even with the best relations, accepting such a gift would have been rash. Gifts created obligations, and relations could later change. Meanwhile, accepting such a gift meant binding oneself with obligations that were at least allied, if not directly vassal. When relations were good, one might not be reminded of this, but when they were bad... A purchase was more reliable: it implied complete independence from the seller, which in any case could not exist in relations with a giver. Abraham, however, had come to become master of the land, not subject to someone on it. He does not want to begin his life there with a loss of independence, even a potential one. And he buys a tomb for Sarah - taking root in the land promised to him by his God.
23 Here is,
23:2 Abraham came to mourn for Sarah and to weep - He did not only perform the ceremonies of mourning according to the custom of those times, but did sincerely lament the great loss he had, and gave proof of the constancy of his affection. Therefore these two words are used, he came both to mourn and to weep.
23:4 I am a stranger and a sojourner with you - Therefore I am unprovided, and must become a suiter to you for a burying - place. This was one occasion which Abraham took to confess that he was a stranger and a pilgrim upon earth. The death of our relations should effectually mind us that we are not at home in this world. That I may bury my dead out of my sight - Death will make those unpleasant to our sight, who while they lived were the desire of our eyes. The countenance that was fresh and lively becomes pale and ghastly, and fit to be removed into the land of darkness.
23:6 Thou art a prince of God among us - So the word is; not only great, but good. He called himself a stranger and a sojourner, they call him a great prince.
23:7 Abraham returns them thanks for their kind offer, with all possible decency and respect. Religion teaches good manners, and those abuse it that place it in rudeness and clownishness.
23:11 The field give I thee - Abraham thought he must be intreated to sell it, but upon the first mention, without intreaty, he freely gives it.
23:13 I will give thee money for the field - It was not in pride that Abraham refused the gift; but
23:15 The land is worth four hundred shekels of silver - About fifty pounds of our money, but what is that between me and thee? - He would rather oblige his friend than have so much money.
23:20 A burying place - 'Tis worth noting,