Genesis 23 "Sarah dies"

Genesis 23:1 "And Sarah was an hundred and seven and twenty (127) years old, these were the years of the life of Sarah."

She was very fair, a beautiful woman and the wife of Abraham. Parents of a great nation. In chapter 23 she has died and Abraham mourns and weeps for her.

Much of this chapter is about Abraham bargaining for a burial place for Sarah and his kin. He does the baraining at the gate of the city in the audience of the sons of Heth (V16) for 400 shekels of silver.

V17 "And the field of Ephron which was in Machpelah which was before Mamre, the field, and the cave which was therein and all the trees that were in the field, that were in all the borders round about were made sure."

That sounds very much like the language of a legal contract. This was the way business was done then. They made the deal in front of many witnesses so everyone knew and noone could back out later. Twice the Bible says it was made sure. And so, Abraham buried his wife of many years. The name of the cave was Machpelah. Machpelah means double cave. It is the oldest burial site in the world. It is now covered by a Mohammedian mosque. It is also where Issac, Rebekah, Jacob and Leah are buried and possibly Joseph.

Proverbs: 18:14 "The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity; but a wounded spirit who can bear?"