Saadia · Bereshit 23
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- Bereshit 23:1
וַיִּהְיוּ חַיֵּי שָׂרָה מֵאָה שָׁנָה וְעֶשְׂרִים שָׁנָה וְשֶׁבַע שָׁנִים--שְׁנֵי חַיֵּי שָׂרָה
. .
The lifetime of Sarah was a hundred and twenty-seven years — the years of her life.
- Bereshit 23:2
וַתָּמָת שָׂרָה בְּקִרְיַת אַרְבַּע הִוא חֶבְרוֹן--בְּאֶרֶץ כְּנָעַן וַיָּבֹא אַבְרָהָם לִסְפֹּד לְשָׂרָה וְלִבְכֹּתָהּ
. . . .
And Sarah died in Kiriath-Arba — that is Hebron — in the land of Canaan; and Abraham came to mourn her and to weep for her.
- Bereshit 23:3
וַיָּקָם אַבְרָהָם מֵעַל פְּנֵי מֵתוֹ וַיְדַבֵּר אֶל-בְּנֵי-חֵת לֵאמֹר
. .
Then Abraham arose from the presence of his dead; and he spoke to the sons of Heth, saying:
- Bereshit 23:4
גֵּר-וְתוֹשָׁב אָנֹכִי עִמָּכֶם תְּנוּ לִי אֲחֻזַּת-קֶבֶר עִמָּכֶם וְאֶקְבְּרָה מֵתִי מִלְּפָנָי
* . .
'I am a stranger or a guest among you — give me a burial possession with you, that I may bury my dead from before me.'
- Bereshit 23:5
וַיַּעֲנוּ בְנֵי-חֵת אֶת-אַבְרָהָם לֵאמֹר לוֹ
And the sons of Heth answered Abraham, saying to him:
- Bereshit 23:6
שְׁמָעֵנוּ אֲדֹנִי נְשִׂיא אֱלֹהִים אַתָּה בְּתוֹכֵנוּ--בְּמִבְחַר קְבָרֵינוּ קְבֹר אֶת-מֵתֶךָ אִישׁ מִמֶּנּוּ אֶת-קִבְרוֹ לֹא-יִכְלֶה מִמְּךָ מִקְּבֹר מֵתֶךָ
. . . . .
'Hear us, O our lord — you are noble of God in our midst; in the choice of our graves bury your dead; and not one man among us shall withhold from you his grave, that you may bury your dead in it.'
- Bereshit 23:7
וַיָּקָם אַבְרָהָם וַיִּשְׁתַּחוּ לְעַם-הָאָרֶץ לִבְנֵי-חֵת
.
And Abraham arose, and bowed down in thanks to the dwellers of the land, the sons of Heth.
- Bereshit 23:8
וַיְדַבֵּר אִתָּם לֵאמֹר אִם-יֵשׁ אֶת-נַפְשְׁכֶם לִקְבֹּר אֶת-מֵתִי מִלְּפָנַי--שְׁמָעוּנִי וּפִגְעוּ-לִי בְּעֶפְרוֹן בֶּן-צֹחַר
. . . .
Then he spoke with them, and said to them: 'If your souls desire that I should bury my dead from before me, hear me, and intercede for me with Ephron the son of Zohar,
- Bereshit 23:9
וְיִתֶּן-לִי אֶת-מְעָרַת הַמַּכְפֵּלָה אֲשֶׁר-לוֹ אֲשֶׁר בִּקְצֵה שָׂדֵהוּ בְּכֶסֶף מָלֵא יִתְּנֶנָּה לִּי בְּתוֹכְכֶם--לַאֲחֻזַּת-קָבֶר
. . .
that he may give me the doubled cave (Machpelah) which is his — which is at the edge of his field — for the full price let him give it to me, in your midst, as a burial possession.'
- Bereshit 23:10
וְעֶפְרוֹן יֹשֵׁב בְּתוֹךְ בְּנֵי-חֵת וַיַּעַן עֶפְרוֹן הַחִתִּי אֶת-אַבְרָהָם בְּאָזְנֵי בְנֵי-חֵת לְכֹל בָּאֵי שַׁעַר-עִירוֹ לֵאמֹר
. .
And Ephron was sitting among them; and Ephron the Hittite answered in the presence of the sons of Heth and the rest of those who entered the gate of his city, saying:
- Bereshit 23:11
לֹא-אֲדֹנִי שְׁמָעֵנִי--הַשָּׂדֶה נָתַתִּי לָךְ וְהַמְּעָרָה אֲשֶׁר-בּוֹ לְךָ נְתַתִּיהָ לְעֵינֵי בְנֵי-עַמִּי נְתַתִּיהָ לָּךְ קְבֹר מֵתֶךָ
. . . . .
'No, my lord, hear me — the field I have given to you, and the cave which is in it; in the presence of my kinsmen I have given it to you. Bury your dead in it.'
- Bereshit 23:12
וַיִּשְׁתַּחוּ אַבְרָהָם לִפְנֵי עַם הָאָרֶץ
.
And Abraham bowed down in thanks before the dwellers of the land.
- Bereshit 23:13
וַיְדַבֵּר אֶל-עֶפְרוֹן בְּאָזְנֵי עַם-הָאָרֶץ לֵאמֹר אַךְ אִם-אַתָּה לוּ שְׁמָעֵנִי נָתַתִּי כֶּסֶף הַשָּׂדֶה קַח מִמֶּנִּי וְאֶקְבְּרָה אֶת-מֵתִי שָׁמָּה
. . .
Then he spoke with him in their presence, saying: 'But you — yet would that you would hear me — let me give you the price of the field; accept it from me, that I may bury my dead there.'
- Bereshit 23:14
וַיַּעַן עֶפְרוֹן אֶת-אַבְרָהָם לֵאמֹר לוֹ
And Ephron answered Abraham, saying to him:
- Bereshit 23:15
אֲדֹנִי שְׁמָעֵנִי אֶרֶץ אַרְבַּע מֵאֹת שֶׁקֶל-כֶּסֶף בֵּינִי וּבֵינְךָ מַה-הִוא וְאֶת-מֵתְךָ קְבֹר
. .
'My lord, hear me — a field worth four hundred shekels of silver, between me and you — what is it? Bury your dead in it.'
- Bereshit 23:16
וַיִּשְׁמַע אַבְרָהָם אֶל-עֶפְרוֹן וַיִּשְׁקֹל אַבְרָהָם לְעֶפְרֹן אֶת-הַכֶּסֶף אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר בְּאָזְנֵי בְנֵי-חֵת--אַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת שֶׁקֶל כֶּסֶף עֹבֵר לַסֹּחֵר
. . . .
And when Abraham heard him in this matter, he weighed out for him the silver which he had named in their presence — four hundred shekels of silver, current in the merchants' trade.
- Bereshit 23:17
וַיָּקָם שְׂדֵה עֶפְרוֹן אֲשֶׁר בַּמַּכְפֵּלָה אֲשֶׁר לִפְנֵי מַמְרֵא הַשָּׂדֶה וְהַמְּעָרָה אֲשֶׁר-בּוֹ וְכָל-הָעֵץ אֲשֶׁר בַּשָּׂדֶה אֲשֶׁר בְּכָל-גְּבֻלוֹ סָבִיב
. . . .
And the field of Ephron, known as the doubled, which was over against Mamre — the field and the cave which was in it, and all the trees which were in it and in all its border round about —
- Bereshit 23:18
לְאַבְרָהָם לְמִקְנָה לְעֵינֵי בְנֵי-חֵת בְּכֹל בָּאֵי שַׁעַר-עִירוֹ
.
passed to Abraham as a purchase, in the presence of the sons of Heth, and the rest of those who entered the gate of his city.
- Bereshit 23:19
וְאַחֲרֵי-כֵן קָבַר אַבְרָהָם אֶת-שָׂרָה אִשְׁתּוֹ אֶל-מְעָרַת שְׂדֵה הַמַּכְפֵּלָה עַל-פְּנֵי מַמְרֵא--הִוא חֶבְרוֹן בְּאֶרֶץ כְּנָעַן
) . . .
And after that Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the doubled field, over against Mamre — that is Hebron — in the land of Canaan.
- Bereshit 23:20
וַיָּקָם הַשָּׂדֶה וְהַמְּעָרָה אֲשֶׁר-בּוֹ לְאַבְרָהָם--לַאֲחֻזַּת-קָבֶר מֵאֵת בְּנֵי-חֵת
. .
And the field, and the cave which was in it, was confirmed to Abraham as a burial possession, from the sons of Heth.
English is a working draft — author revising