The Meaning of Genesis 23:6 Explained

Genesis 23:6

KJV: Hear us, my lord: thou art a mighty prince among us: in the choice of our sepulchres bury thy dead; none of us shall withhold from thee his sepulchre, but that thou mayest bury thy dead.

YLT: Hear us, my lord; a prince of God art thou in our midst; in the choice of our burying-places bury thy dead: none of us his burying-place doth withhold from thee, from burying thy dead.'

Darby: Hear us, my lord: thou art a prince of God among us: in the choicest of our sepulchres bury thy dead: none of us shall withhold from thee his sepulchre for burying thy dead.

ASV: Hear us, my lord. Thou art a prince of God among us. In the choice of our sepulchres bury thy dead. None of us shall withhold from thee his sepulchre, but that thou mayest bury thy dead.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Hear us,  my lord:  thou [art] a mighty  prince  among us:  in the choice  of our sepulchres  bury  thy dead;  none  of us shall withhold  from thee his sepulchre,  but that thou mayest bury  thy dead. 

What does Genesis 23:6 Mean?

Context Summary

Genesis 23:1-20 - Abraham Buys A Burial Place
Death is an ever-constant monitor that this world is not our home. We rise up from before our dead to confess that we are only strangers and sojourners on the earth. Though the whole country, by God's deed and gift, belonged to Abraham, it had not as yet been made over; hence the necessity for this deliberate purchase with all the stately formalities of the leisured East. Abraham's insistence on buying this grave, and the care with which the negotiations were pursued, show that he realized that his descendants would come again into that land and possess it. It was as though he felt that he and Sarah should lie there awaiting the return of their children and children's children. See also Genesis 49:29-30. So the graves of the martyrs and of missionaries who have fallen at the post of duty are the silent outposts that hold those lands for Christ, as the graves of the saints await the Second Advent. [source]

Chapter Summary: Genesis 23

1  The age and death of Sarah
3  The purchase of the field and cave of Machpelah;
19  where Sarah is buried

What do the individual words in Genesis 23:6 mean?

Hear us my lord a prince mighty You [are] Among us in the choicest of our burial places bury - your dead - of us his burial place none will withhold from you that you may bury your dead
שְׁמָעֵ֣נוּ ׀ אֲדֹנִ֗י נְשִׂ֨יא אֱלֹהִ֤ים אַתָּה֙ בְּתוֹכֵ֔נוּ בְּמִבְחַ֣ר קְבָרֵ֔ינוּ קְבֹ֖ר אֶת־ מֵתֶ֑ךָ אִ֣ישׁ מִמֶּ֔נּוּ קִבְר֛וֹ לֹֽא־ יִכְלֶ֥ה מִמְּךָ֖ מִקְּבֹ֥ר מֵתֶֽךָ

שְׁמָעֵ֣נוּ ׀  Hear  us 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular, first person common plural
Root: שָׁמַע 
Sense: to hear, listen to, obey.
אֲדֹנִ֗י  my  lord 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: אָדֹון  
Sense: firm, strong, lord, master.
נְשִׂ֨יא  a  prince 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: נָשִׂיא 
Sense: one lifted up, chief, prince, captain, leader.
אֱלֹהִ֤ים  mighty 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
אַתָּה֙  You  [are] 
Parse: Pronoun, second person masculine singular
Root: אַתְּ 
Sense: you (second pers.
בְּתוֹכֵ֔נוּ  Among  us 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common plural
Root: תָּוֶךְ  
Sense: midst, middle.
בְּמִבְחַ֣ר  in  the  choicest 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מִבְחָר  
Sense: choicest, best.
קְבָרֵ֔ינוּ  of  our  burial  places 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, first person common plural
Root: קֶבֶר  
Sense: grave, sepulchre, tomb.
קְבֹ֖ר  bury 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: קָבַר  
Sense: to bury.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
מֵתֶ֑ךָ  your  dead 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: מוּת  
Sense: to die, kill, have one executed.
אִ֣ישׁ  - 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֱנׄושׁ 
Sense: man, mortal man, person, mankind.
מִמֶּ֔נּוּ  of  us 
Parse: Preposition, first person common plural
Root: מִן 
Sense: from, out of, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not, more than.
קִבְר֛וֹ  his  burial  place 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: קֶבֶר  
Sense: grave, sepulchre, tomb.
לֹֽא־  none 
Parse: Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
יִכְלֶ֥ה  will  withhold 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: כָּלָא 
Sense: to restrict, restrain, withhold, shut up, keep back, refrain, forbid.
מִמְּךָ֖  from  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine singular
Root: מִן 
Sense: from, out of, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not, more than.
מִקְּבֹ֥ר  that  you  may  bury 
Parse: Preposition-m, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: קָבַר  
Sense: to bury.
מֵתֶֽךָ  your  dead 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: מוּת  
Sense: to die, kill, have one executed.