The Meaning of Genesis 23:11 Explained

Genesis 23:11

KJV: Nay, my lord, hear me: the field give I thee, and the cave that is therein, I give it thee; in the presence of the sons of my people give I it thee: bury thy dead.

YLT: Nay, my lord, hear me: the field I have given to thee, and the cave that is in it, to thee I have given it; before the eyes of the sons of my people I have given it to thee -- bury thy dead.'

Darby: No, my lord: hear me. The field give I thee; and the cave that is in it, to thee I give it; before the eyes of the sons of my people give I it thee: bury thy dead.

ASV: Nay, my lord, hear me. The field give I thee, and the cave that is therein, I give it thee. In the presence of the children of my people give I it thee. Bury thy dead.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Nay,  my lord,  hear me:  the field  give I  thee, and the cave  that [is] therein, I give it  thee; in the presence  of the sons  of my people  give  I it thee: bury  thy dead. 

What does Genesis 23:11 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 23:11 mean?

No my lord hear me The field I give you and the cave that [is] in it to you I give it in the presence of the sons of my people I give it to you to bury your dead
לֹֽא־ אֲדֹנִ֣י שְׁמָעֵ֔נִי הַשָּׂדֶה֙ נָתַ֣תִּי לָ֔ךְ וְהַמְּעָרָ֥ה אֲשֶׁר־ בּ֖וֹ לְךָ֣ נְתַתִּ֑יהָ לְעֵינֵ֧י בְנֵי־ עַמִּ֛י נְתַתִּ֥יהָ לָּ֖ךְ קְבֹ֥ר מֵתֶֽךָ

לֹֽא־  No 
Parse: Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
אֲדֹנִ֣י  my  lord 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: אָדֹון  
Sense: firm, strong, lord, master.
שְׁמָעֵ֔נִי  hear  me 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular, first person common singular
Root: שָׁמַע 
Sense: to hear, listen to, obey.
הַשָּׂדֶה֙  The  field 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: שָׂדֶה 
Sense: field, land.
נָתַ֣תִּי  I  give 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
וְהַמְּעָרָ֥ה  and  the  cave 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: מְעָרָה  
Sense: cave, den, hole.
אֲשֶׁר־  that  [is] 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
בּ֖וֹ  in  it 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
לְךָ֣  to  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine singular
נְתַתִּ֑יהָ  I  give  it 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular, third person feminine singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
לְעֵינֵ֧י  in  the  presence 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, cdc
Root: עֹונָה 
Sense: eye.
בְנֵי־  of  the  sons 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
עַמִּ֛י  of  my  people 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
נְתַתִּ֥יהָ  I  give  it 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular, third person feminine singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
לָּ֖ךְ  to  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person feminine singular
קְבֹ֥ר  to  bury 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
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.