BibleWord.ai› Bible› Genesis› Chapter 23› Verse 6

Genesis 23:6

Old Testament Law (Torah) ASV (1901)

What does Genesis 23:6 say?

The American Standard Version records this verse as: “Hear us, my lord. Thou art a prince of God among us. In the choice of our sepulchres bury thy dead. None of us shall withhold from thee his sepulchre, but that thou mayest bury thy dead.” Read the surrounding verses and the named sources below before drawing broader conclusions.

The verse

Hear us, my lord. Thou art a prince of God among us. In the choice of our sepulchres bury thy dead. None of us shall withhold from thee his sepulchre, but that thou mayest bury thy dead.
Genesis 23:6 — American Standard Version

Context — Genesis 23

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. Click any verse for its study page.
3And Abraham rose up from before his dead, and spake unto the children of Heth, saying,
4I am a stranger and a sojourner with you. Give me a possession of a burying-place with you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight.
5And the children of Heth answered Abraham, saying unto him,
6Hear us, my lord. Thou art a prince of God among us. In the choice of our sepulchres bury thy dead. None of us shall withhold from thee his sepulchre, but that thou mayest bury thy dead.
7And Abraham rose up, and bowed himself to the people of the land, even to the children of Heth.
8And 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,
9that he may give me the cave of Machpelah, which he hath, which is in the end of his field. For the full price let him give it to me in the midst of you for a possession of a burying-place.
← Genesis 23:5Genesis 23:7 →
← Full Chapter 23 Genesis Overview

What do historical commentaries say?

John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · 18th-century historical commentary
“Hear us, my lord, etc.] One of them spake in the name of the rest, who calls Abraham not “our lord”, but “my lord”; addressing him very honourably, and desires he would hear what he had to say on the behalf of others with himself; “hear us”, representing not the body of the common people, but the princes among them, the heads of their families: thou [art] a mighty prince amongst us; though he was pleased to call himself a stranger and a sojourner, yet they had an high opinion of him, as a person of great wealth and substance, and of great power and authority; and who lived like a prince, and was a potent one, having a large train of servants under him: or, “a prince of God” f1292, as it may…”
Read attributed excerpt →

Related study paths

Read Genesis 23 in contextBrowse Hebrew word studiesOpen this verse in the study reader

Sources and verification