Genesis 23:2

Genesis 23:2

And Sarah died in Kirjath-arba; the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan: and Abraham came to mourn for Sarah, and to weep for her.

a. NLT: she died at Kiriath-arba (now called Hebron) in the land of Canaan. There Abraham mourned and wept for her.

b. NIV: She died at Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan, and Abraham went to mourn for Sarah and to weep over her.

c. YLT: and Sarah dieth in Kirjath-Arba, which is Hebron, in the land of Caanan, and Abraham goeth in to mourn for Sarah, and to bewail her.

d. Amplified Bible: And Sarah died in Kiriath-arba, that is, Hebron, in the land of Canaan. And Abraham went to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her.

1). Note Amplified Bible: Surely this indicates that this detail was written at a very early date—before Israel had entered the land. No one in later times would need to be told where Hebron was. Not only was it conspicuous in Joshua’s and Caleb’s day, but it became a “city of refuge.” Besides all this, David was king in Hebron for seven years. Obviously the Israelites had not yet entered Canaan and had to be told not only the name of the place where Abraham and Isaac had lived and were buried, but also its location (P. J. Wiseman, New Discoveries in Babylonia About Genesis).

e. Septuagint: And Sarrha died in the city of Arboc, which is in the valley, this is Chebron in the land of Chanaan; and Abraam came to lament for Sarrha and to mourn.

f. Stone Edition Chumash: Sarah died in Kiriath-arba which is Hebron in the land of Canaan and Abraham came to eulogize Sarah and to bewail her.

1. “And Sarah died in Kirjath-arba; the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan…”

a. Sarah [8283 * Sarah] [Strong: the same as 8282; Sarah, Abraham's wife:--Sarah.]

b. died [4191 * muwth] [Strong: a primitive root: to die (literally or figuratively); causatively, to kill:--X at all, X crying, (be) dead (body, man, one), (put to, worthy of) death, destroy(-er), (cause to, be like to, must) die, kill, necro(-mancer), X must needs, slay, X surely, X very suddenly, X in (no) wise.]

c. Kirjath-arba [7153 * Qiryath `Arba` keer-yath' ar-bah' or (with the article interposed) Qiryath ha- Arbaw] [Strong: from 7151 and 704 or 702; city of Arba, or city of the four (giants); Kirjath-Arba or Kirjath-ha-Arba, a place in Palestine:--Kirjath-arba.]

1). The Scriptures imply that at Sarah’s death, Abraham and Sarah lived apart .It clearly says that Sarah died in Hebron, while Abraham had been living in Beersheba for quite a while. Apparently even before the offering up of Isaac.

a). Genesis 21:32-34 Thus they made a covenant at Beersheba: then Abimelech rose up, and Phichol the chief captain of his host, and they returned into the land of the Philistines.

21:33 And Abraham planted a grove in Beersheba, and called there on the name of the LORD, the everlasting God.

21:34 And Abraham sojourned in the Philistines' land many days.

2). When Abraham returned from offering up Isaac he returned to Beersheba.

a). Genesis 22:19 So Abraham returned unto his young men, and they rose up and went together to Beersheba; and Abraham dwelt at Beersheba.

b). Beersheba and Hebron are about 25 miles apart.]

d. Hebron [2275 * Chebrown] [Strong: from 2267; seat of association; Chebron, a place in Palestine, also the name of two Israelites:--Hebron.]

e. the land [776 * ‘erets] [Strong: from an unused root probably meaning to be firm; the earth (at large, or partitively a land):--X common, country, earth, field, ground, land, X natins, way, + wilderness, world.]

f. Canaan [3667 * Kna’an] [Strong: from 3665; humiliated; Kenaan, a son a Ham; also the country inhabited by him:--Canaan, merchant, traffick.]

2. “…and Abraham came to mourn for Sarah, and to weep for her.”

a. Abraham [85 * ‘Abraham] [Strong: contracted from 1 and an unused root (probably meaning to be populous); father of a multitude; Abraham, the later name of Abram:--Abraham.]

b. came [935 * bow’] [Strong: a primitive root; to go or come (in a wide variety of applications):--abide, apply, attain, X be, befall, + besiege, bring (forth, in, into, to pass), call, carry, X certainly, (cause, let, thing for) to come (against, in, out, upon, to pass), depart, X doubtless again, + eat, + employ, (cause to) enter (in, into, -tering, -trance, -try), be fallen, fetch, + follow, get, give, go (down, in, to war), grant, + have, X indeed, (in-)vade, lead, lift (up), mention, pull in, put, resort, run (down), send, set, X (well) stricken (in age), X surely, take (in), way.]

c. mourn [5594 * caphad] [Strong: a primitive root; properly, to tear the hair and beat the breasts (as Orientals do in grief); generally to lament; by implication, to wail:--lament, mourn(-er), wail.]

d. for Sarah [8283 * Sarah] [Strong: the same as 8282; Sarah, Abraham's wife:--Sarah.]

e. and to weep [1058 * bakah] [Strong: a primitive root; to weep; generally to bemoan:--X at all, bewail, complain, make lamentation, X more, mourn, X sore, X with tears, weep.]

1). Apparently he “came to mourn for Sarah” because they were living separately.

a). Dake: It seems that Abraham was away from Hebron when Sarah died. He could have been 24 miles away at Beersheba where he had previously settled and perhaps still had temporary residence near part of his vast herds. His coming to mourn for Sarah signifies his coming from some place away from home.

2). Another interesting point is found later in Genesis when Isaac and Rebekah marry. It says Isaac brought Rebekah into his mother’s tent.

a). Genesis 24:67  And Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah's tent, and took Rebekah, and she became his wife; and he loved her: and Isaac was comforted after his mother's death.

b). It does not say where this was, whether it was in Hebron or Beershebah, but the fact that Sarah had her own tent supports the idea that Abraham and Sarah possibly lived separately.

3). The following is a number of rabbinic thoughts on this matter. From the website: http://www.chabad.org/parshah/article_cdo/aid/1579612/jewish/Where-Was-Abraham-at-the-Time-of-Sarahs-Death.htm#footnote4a1579612

a). The well-known commentator, Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchaki, known as Rashi, explains that this is where Abraham was coming from when he came to eulogize Sarah. Abraham had settled temporarily in Beersheba following the binding of Isaac, and then, upon receiving word of Sarah’s death, he returned to Hebron.

b). Rabbi Yitzchak bar Yehudah, author of the Paneach Raza commentary, explains that, following the ordeal the binding of Isaac, Abraham decided to settle in Beersheba permanently. He sent a message for Sarah to join him, and only then learned that she had died, so he returned to bury her.

c). Rabbi Judah HaChassid says that Abraham was not living in Hebron at that time because he thought that when Sarah heard the story of the binding of Isaac she would think he had gone crazy. Abraham thought: Who would believe that G‑d had commanded that Isaac be sacrificed and then “changed His mind.” And if G‑d had such a request, why would He retract it? According to this explanation, Abraham assumed that she would never let him near her son again. Therefore, he sent Isaac to live with his mother, and he lived in Beersheba. Only after he heard of her passing did he go to Hebron.

4). All of these explanations need to be looked at in light of the Scriptures that determine where Abraham lived when events happened. Shortly after the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, Abraham and Sarah moved to Gerar

a). Genesis 20:1 And Abraham journeyed from thence toward the south country, and dwelled between Kadesh and Shur, and sojourned in Gerar.

5). After the exposed deception of Abimelech, Abimelech told Abraham he could live anywhere he wanted to within his land (Genesis 20:15). It appears that Abraham and Sarah moved to an area that eventually became Beersheba about 20 miles from Gerar. Looking at the whole chapter of Genesis 21 we can establish that Abraham and Sarah moved to Beersheba, which is where Isaac was born. After about two or three years, Hagar and Ishmael were evicted out of the household and the camp (Genesis 21:8-12). It is then that the area is officially named Beersheba because of a covenant cut between Abraham and Abimelech (Genesis 21:22-31). Chapter 21 ends with a clear statement that Abraham lived in Beersheba many days (Genesis 21:33, 34). In Genesis 22 we have the offering of Isaac for a burnt offering on Mt. Moriah. After a substitute ram is supplied and the burnt offering is completed, it clearly says Abraham returns to Beersheba (Genesis 22:19). That is his last location before Sarah’s death. Were they separated when she died? I don’t know for sure. But Scripture hints they were.