The Meaning of Genesis 23:8 Explained

Genesis 23:8

KJV: And he communed with them, saying, If it be your mind that I should bury my dead out of my sight; hear me, and intreat for me to Ephron the son of Zohar,

YLT: and he speaketh with them, saying, 'If it is your desire to bury my dead from before me, hear me, and meet for me with Ephron, son of Zoar;

Darby: and spoke to them, saying, If it be your will that I should bury my dead from before me, hear me, and entreat for me Ephron the son of Zohar,

ASV: And he communed with them, saying, If it be your mind that I should bury my dead out of my sight, hear me, and entreat for me to Ephron the son of Zohar,

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And he communed  with them, saying,  If it be  your mind  that I should bury  my dead  out of my sight;  hear  me, and intreat  for me to Ephron  the son  of Zohar, 

What does Genesis 23:8 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 23:8 mean?

And he spoke with them saying if it is - your wish that I bury - my dead out of my sight hear me and meet for me with Ephron son of Zohar
וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר אִתָּ֖ם לֵאמֹ֑ר אִם־ יֵ֣שׁ אֶֽת־ נַפְשְׁכֶ֗ם לִקְבֹּ֤ר אֶת־ מֵתִי֙ מִלְּפָנַ֔י שְׁמָע֕וּנִי וּפִגְעוּ־ לִ֖י בְּעֶפְר֥וֹן בֶּן־ צֹֽחַר

וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר  And  he  spoke 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: דָּבַר 
Sense: to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, sing.
אִתָּ֖ם  with  them 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine plural
Root: אֵת 
Sense: with, near, together with.
לֵאמֹ֑ר  saying 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
יֵ֣שׁ  it  is 
Parse: Adverb
Root: יֵשׁ  
Sense: being, existence, substance, there is or are.
אֶֽת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
נַפְשְׁכֶ֗ם  your  wish 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, second person masculine plural
Root: נֶפֶשׁ  
Sense: soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion.
לִקְבֹּ֤ר  that  I  bury 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: קָבַר  
Sense: to bury.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
מֵתִי֙  my  dead 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: מוּת  
Sense: to die, kill, have one executed.
מִלְּפָנַ֔י  out  of  my  sight 
Parse: Preposition-m, Preposition-l, Noun, masculine plural construct, first person common singular
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
שְׁמָע֕וּנִי  hear  me 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine plural, first person common singular
Root: שָׁמַע 
Sense: to hear, listen to, obey.
וּפִגְעוּ־  and  meet 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: פָּגַע  
Sense: to encounter, meet, reach, entreat, make intercession.
לִ֖י  for  me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
בְּעֶפְר֥וֹן  with  Ephron 
Parse: Preposition-b, 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.
בֶּן־  son 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
צֹֽחַר  of  Zohar 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: צֹחַר  
Sense: a Judaite, son of Ashur by wife Helah.

What are the major concepts related to Genesis 23:8?

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