Verse Lens · Concise explanation
Genesis 23:8 Explained in Context
Use this verse as a doorway into the larger passage—not as an isolated saying.
Verse 8. 8And 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,
King James Version — public domain in the United States · Bible text and permissions
Quick Meaning
Abraham asks the people to listen and to intercede with Ephron son of Zohar. He uses the gathered community to make the desired transaction public and accountable.
Read It With
- Genesis 23:1–20
Read verses 7–10. Abraham's bow leads to a named request; verse 9 identifies the property and price; verse 10 locates Ephron and the witnesses at the gate.
Why This Verse Appears Here
He names Ephron so the gathered people can mediate and witness the proposed transaction.
Read Genesis 23:7–9 together
Why these verses belong together: Abraham respectfully names Ephron, Machpelah, full payment, and the desired burial possession.
Verse 7. 7 And Abraham stood up, and bowed himself to the people of the land, even to the children of Heth.
Verse 8. 8 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,
Verse 9. 9 That he may give me the cave of Machpelah, which he hath, which is in the end of his field; for as much money as it is worth he shall give it me for a possession of a buryingplace amongst you.
What Remains True
Accountability is strengthened when important agreements are named clearly before appropriate witnesses.
How It Can Shape Life
- For consequential agreements, identify the parties and terms clearly rather than relying on vague private assumptions.
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? very strong
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 ↗