The Meaning of Genesis 23:17 Explained

Genesis 23:17

KJV: 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

YLT: And established are the field of Ephron, which is in Machpelah, which is before Mamre, the field and the cave which is in it, and all the trees which are in the field, which are in all its border round about,

Darby: So the field of Ephron, which was at Machpelah, which was before Mamre, the field, and the cave that was in it, and all the trees that were in the field, that were in all its borders round about,

ASV: So 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 border thereof round about, were made sure

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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 

What does Genesis 23:17 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 23:17 mean?

So were deeded over the field of Ephron that [was] in Machpelah that [was] before Mamre the field and the cave that [was] in it and all the trees that [were] in the field within all the borders around
וַיָּ֣קָם ׀ שְׂדֵ֣ה עֶפְר֗וֹן אֲשֶׁר֙ בַּמַּכְפֵּלָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֖ר לִפְנֵ֣י --מַמְרֵ֑א הַשָּׂדֶה֙ וְהַמְּעָרָ֣ה אֲשֶׁר־ בּ֔וֹ וְכָל־ הָעֵץ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר בַּשָּׂדֶ֔ה בְּכָל־ גְּבֻל֖וֹ סָבִֽיב

וַיָּ֣קָם ׀  So  were  deeded  over 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: קוּם 
Sense: to rise, arise, stand, rise up, stand up.
שְׂדֵ֣ה  the  field 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: שָׂדֶה 
Sense: field, land.
עֶפְר֗וֹן  of  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.
אֲשֶׁר֙  that  [was] 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
בַּמַּכְפֵּלָ֔ה  in  Machpelah 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: מַכְפֵּלָה  
Sense: the location of a burial cave for the patriarchs, near Hebron.
אֲשֶׁ֖ר  that  [was] 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
לִפְנֵ֣י  before 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, common plural construct
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
--מַמְרֵ֑א  Mamre 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: מַמְרֵא 
Sense: an Amorite who allied himself with Abram.
הַשָּׂדֶה֙  the  field 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: שָׂדֶה 
Sense: field, land.
וְהַמְּעָרָ֣ה  and  the  cave 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: מְעָרָה  
Sense: cave, den, hole.
אֲשֶׁר־  that  [was] 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
בּ֔וֹ  in  it 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
וְכָל־  and  all 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
הָעֵץ֙  the  trees 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֵץ  
Sense: tree, wood, timber, stock, plank, stalk, stick, gallows.
אֲשֶׁ֣ר  that  [were] 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
בַּשָּׂדֶ֔ה  in  the  field 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: שָׂדֶה 
Sense: field, land.
בְּכָל־  within  all 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
גְּבֻל֖וֹ  the  borders 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: גְּבוּל  
Sense: border, territory.
סָבִֽיב  around 
Parse: Adverb
Root: מוּסָב 
Sense: places round about, circuit, round about adv.