Verse Lens · Expanded explanation
Genesis 23:6 Explained in Context
Use this verse as a doorway into the larger passage—not as an isolated saying.
Verse 6. 6Hear us, my lord: thou art a mighty prince 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.
King James Version — public domain in the United States · Bible text and permissions
Quick Meaning
The community honors Abraham as a 'mighty prince' and offers him the choice of their tombs. Their generosity grants burial access, but it does not yet provide the permanent possession Abraham seeks.
Read It With
- Genesis 23:1–20
Read verses 4–9. Abraham asks for a burial holding; the people offer honored use of their graves; Abraham then asks them to help secure Ephron's cave at full price.
Why This Verse Appears Here
Their generous offer recognizes Abraham's honor but also reveals why borrowed access is not the secure holding he seeks.
Read Genesis 23:3–6 together
Why these verses belong together: Abraham's status and request are answered by the local community's offer of tomb access.
Verse 3. 3 And Abraham stood up from before his dead, and spake unto the sons of Heth, saying,
Verse 4. 4 I am a stranger and a sojourner with you: give me a possession of a buryingplace with you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight.
Verse 5. 5 And the children of Heth answered Abraham, saying unto him,
Verse 6. 6 Hear us, my lord: thou art a mighty prince 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.
Follow the Context
- Sarah dies at Kiriath-arba, that is Hebron, and Abraham mourns and weeps for her (23:1–2).
- Abraham rises from before Sarah's body, identifies himself as a resident outsider, and asks the sons of Heth for a burial possession; they honor him and offer their tombs (23:3–6).
- Abraham bows and asks them to intercede with Ephron for the cave of Machpelah at full price (23:7–9).
- At the city gate before the people, Ephron offers the field and cave; Abraham again bows and insists on paying for the field (23:10–13).
- Ephron names four hundred shekels of silver, Abraham weighs that amount according to the merchant standard, and the field, cave, trees, boundaries, and witnesses are specified (23:14–18).
- Abraham buries Sarah in the cave, and the field and cave are confirmed to him as a burial possession (23:19–20).
Phrase-by-Phrase Explanation
“mighty prince”
In plain language: Literally a prince of God, likely an honored or very great leader.
The local people acknowledge Abraham's exceptional standing.
Why it matters: Honor does not equal title to land.
How certain? strong“none of us shall withhold”
In plain language: No one will prevent the burial in an available tomb.
The community offers meaningful access.
Why it matters: The offer is generous but differs from Abraham's requested possession.
How certain? very strongWhat This Verse Is Not Saying
'Mighty prince' does not make Abraham divine, a king over the sons of Heth, or owner of their land.
The offer does not prove that every tomb was permanently transferred to Abraham.
The title does not authorize religious or political superiority for modern descendants.
What Remains True
Respectful hospitality is valuable, but temporary access and secure ownership are not the same thing.
How It Can Shape Life
- Be generous to people in grief while listening carefully to the actual need they express instead of assuming your first offer settles it.
Teach It Back
Explain Genesis 23:6's contribution to Genesis 23:1–20. Include why the nearby verses are required, what the verse clearly says, and one conclusion it does not justify.
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Continue in Context
The full thought-unit study remains the final contextual authority for this Verse Lens.
Read Genesis 23:1–20 — Abraham Buys a Burial Place for SarahSources used for this Verse Lens
How certain is this explanation? strong
Where care is needed
The exact social rank implied by 'prince of God' cannot be determined with certainty.
These are the sources used directly for this lens. Language, grammar, disagreements, and the complete source shelf remain attached to the full thought-unit research record.
Biblical text
King James (Authorized) Version — eng-kjv2006
eBible.org and CrossWire Bible Society
USFM archive eng-kjv2006_usfm.zip; source files dated 2026-08-19; downloaded 2026-08-24; archive SHA-256 aec1b3b26c622fd3d963d2bbac963016b9513246ffbfa20da00bb100372ea007; normalized corpus SHA-256 09aef51d90488aa7b9722b3fd9a93f4b25f6bf2064c5fd798fb39673c300ddf2.
Supports: Displayed wording, death and mourning, negotiation, payment, conveyance, burial, and later family-tomb connections.
Exact location: Genesis 23:1–20 in the pinned eng-kjv2006 source; compared with Genesis 25:9–10; 35:19–20, 27–29; 49:29–32; 50:13
Open source ↗hebrew text morphology and lemma data
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible — Genesis
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible Project
Open Scriptures, Version 2.2 released 2021; repository inspected 2026
Supports: Mourning and weeping roots, ger vetoshav, burial possession, full silver, gate, weighing, merchant standard, boundary, acquisition, and confirmation language.
Exact location: Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible, wlc/Gen.xml, Genesis 23:1–20
Open source ↗Translation and textual notes
NET Bible — Genesis with translators' notes
Biblical Studies Press
Biblical Studies Press, Digital edition accessed 2026
Supports: Resident-outsider terminology, prince-of-God idiom, sons-of-Heth caution, sale/conveyance language, gate setting, weighed silver, merchant standard, and property-confirmation wording.
Exact location: NET Bible, Genesis 23 and translator notes 1–44
Open NET Genesis 23 ↗