旧约 - 创世记(Genesis)第23章

Sarah lived to be a hundred and twenty-seven years old.
She died at Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan, and Abraham went to mourn for Sarah and to weep over her.
Then Abraham rose from beside his dead wife and spoke to the Hittites. He said,
"I am an alien and a stranger among you. Sell me some property for a burial site here so I can bury my dead."
The Hittites replied to Abraham,
"Sir, listen to us. You are a mighty prince among us. Bury your dead in the choicest of our tombs. None of us will refuse you his tomb for burying your dead."
Then Abraham rose and bowed down before the people of the land, the Hittites.
He said to them, "If you are willing to let me bury my dead, then listen to me and intercede with Ephron son of Zohar on my behalf
so he will sell me the cave of Machpelah, which belongs to him and is at the end of his field. Ask him to sell it to me for the full price as a burial site among you."
Ephron the Hittite was sitting among his people and he replied to Abraham in the hearing of all the Hittites who had come to the gate of his city.
"No, my lord," he said. "Listen to me; I give you the field, and I give you the cave that is in it. I give it to you in the presence of my people. Bury your dead."
Again Abraham bowed down before the people of the land
and he said to Ephron in their hearing, "Listen to me, if you will. I will pay the price of the field. Accept it from me so I can bury my dead there."
Ephron answered Abraham,
"Listen to me, my lord; the land is worth four hundred shekels of silver, but what is that between me and you? Bury your dead."
Abraham agreed to Ephron's terms and weighed out for him the price he had named in the hearing of the Hittites: four hundred shekels of silver, according to the weight current among the merchants.
So Ephron's field in Machpelah near Mamre--both the field and the cave in it, and all the trees within the borders of the field--was deeded
to Abraham as his property in the presence of all the Hittites who had come to the gate of the city.
Afterward Abraham buried his wife Sarah in the cave in the field of Machpelah near Mamre (which is at Hebron) in the land of Canaan.
So the field and the cave in it were deeded to Abraham by the Hittites as a burial site.
创世记第廿三章   第 23 章 

  创 23:1-4> 23:1-4 在亚伯拉罕的时代,死亡和埋葬死人在礼仪和传统上是庄严的事。对死者不敬就是对其最大的侮辱;不合礼仪的葬礼就等于咒诅。在葬礼之中少不了哀哭,众亲友皆要大声哭号,让四周的人都听到。由于没有殡仪馆、殡仪员,这些亲友会帮助埋葬死人。由于天气暖和,丧礼和葬礼往往在同一天举行。 

  创 23:4-6> 亚伯拉罕获得了异族的尊敬,他的秘诀是什么? 

  23:4-6 亚伯拉罕在异地寻找一块埋葬妻子撒拉的地。当地的人乐意帮助他,因为他是“一位尊大的王子”,受人尊敬。虽然亚伯拉罕没有在那儿落地生根,但他的声誉极好。愿意付代价事奉神的人,常常会得到报赏,既有美名,又受人尊敬。 

  麦比拉洞 

  创 23:16> 人往往会争取不该拥有的东西,亚伯拉罕却不同,我又如何? 

  23:16 亚伯拉罕用四百舍客勒银子买那块地,价钱甚高。赫人不喜欢侨居的人买他们的地,所以亚伯拉罕难有讨价还价的余地。 

  以弗仑漫天要价,当时的习惯是讨那块地的双倍价钱,等候顾客就地还价,把它减半。不过,亚伯拉罕没有还价,依他所开的价付钱。他并不想得到他所不配得的产业。神虽然应许把那块地赐给他,但他不是从以弗仑手里白拿走土地。──《灵修版圣经注释》