The Meaning of Genesis 23:13 Explained

Genesis 23:13

KJV: And he spake unto Ephron in the audience of the people of the land, saying, But if thou wilt give it, I pray thee, hear me: I will give thee money for the field; take it of me, and I will bury my dead there.

YLT: and speaketh unto Ephron in the ears of the people of the land, saying, 'Only -- if thou wouldest hear me -- I have given the money of the field -- accept from me, and I bury my dead there.'

Darby: and he spoke to Ephron, in the ears of the people of the land, saying, But if only thou wouldst listen to me, I give the money for the field: take it of me, and I will bury my dead there.

ASV: And he spake unto Ephron in the audience of the people of the land, saying, But if thou wilt, I pray thee, hear me. I will give the price of the field. Take it of me, and I will bury my dead there.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And he spake  unto Ephron  in the audience  of the people  of the land,  saying,  But if thou [wilt give it], I pray thee,  hear  me: I will give  thee money  for the field;  take  [it] of me, and I will bury  my dead  there. 

What does Genesis 23:13 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 23:13 mean?

and he spoke to Ephron in the hearing of the people of the land saying But If you please hear me I will give you money for the field take [it] from me and I will bury - my dead there
וַיְדַבֵּ֨ר אֶל־ עֶפְר֜וֹן בְּאָזְנֵ֤י עַם־ הָאָ֙רֶץ֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר אַ֛ךְ אִם־ אַתָּ֥ה ל֖וּ שְׁמָעֵ֑נִי נָתַ֜תִּי כֶּ֤סֶף הַשָּׂדֶה֙ קַ֣ח מִמֶּ֔נִּי וְאֶקְבְּרָ֥ה אֶת־ מֵתִ֖י שָֽׁמָּה

וַיְדַבֵּ֨ר  and  he  spoke 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: דָּבַר 
Sense: to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, sing.
עֶפְר֜וֹן  Ephron 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֶפְרֹון 
Sense: a Hittite, son of Zohar and the one from whom Abraham bought the field and cave of Machpelah.
בְּאָזְנֵ֤י  in  the  hearing 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, fdc
Root: אֹזֶן  
Sense: ear, as part of the body.
עַם־  of  the  people 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
הָאָ֙רֶץ֙  of  the  land 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
לֵאמֹ֔ר  saying 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
ל֖וּ  please 
Parse: Preposition
Root: לוּ  
Sense: if, oh that!, if only!.
שְׁמָעֵ֑נִי  hear  me 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular, first person common singular
Root: שָׁמַע 
Sense: to hear, listen to, obey.
נָתַ֜תִּי  I  will  give  you 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
כֶּ֤סֶף  money 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֶּסֶף  
Sense: silver, money.
הַשָּׂדֶה֙  for  the  field 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: שָׂדֶה 
Sense: field, land.
קַ֣ח  take  [it] 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: יָקַח 
Sense: to take, get, fetch, lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire, buy, bring, marry, take a wife, snatch, take away.
מִמֶּ֔נִּי  from  me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
Root: מִן 
Sense: from, out of, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not, more than.
וְאֶקְבְּרָ֥ה  and  I  will  bury 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative, first person common 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.
מֵתִ֖י  my  dead 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: מוּת  
Sense: to die, kill, have one executed.