Favor · the best way to learn the Bible
Genesis 23 Bible study: A stranger buys a grave
Sarah died at one hundred twenty-seven, and Abraham mourned and wept for her. A stranger in the land God had promised him, he refused the field as a gift and paid four hundred shekels, and the cave of Machpelah became the first land Genesis records him owning there: a grave that would hold three generations of his family.
Favor is a Bible study app that explains every chapter as you read: the words behind the words, what most readers miss, and how it all leads to Jesus.
First week free, then $10 a month per person
“I am a stranger and a foreigner living with you. Give me a possession of a burying-place with you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight.”
Try it · Did you catch it?
“The only land Genesis records Abraham owning in Canaan is a grave.”
Is that in Genesis 23, or not? Make your call.
What's really going on
Sarah dies
"Sarah lived one hundred twenty-seven years" (23:1). She dies "in Kiriath Arba (also called Hebron), in the land of Canaan", and "Abraham came to mourn for Sarah, and to weep for her" (23:2). Then he rises "from before his dead" and goes to the people of the land to find a place to bury her (23:3).
Where it leads to Jesus
Strangers looking for a city
Genesis 23:4leads toHebrews 12:22-24
Abraham says, "I am a stranger and a foreigner living with you" (23:4). Hebrews says, "These all died in faith, not having received the promises", having "confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth" (Hebrews 11:13), and "he has prepared a city for them" (Hebrews 11:16); then it tells believers, "you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem… to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant" (Hebrews 12:22-24). Hebrews doesn't name this verse, so linking it here is a reading: some hear Abraham's words in 23:4 behind "confessed", others Jacob's "The years of my pilgrimage" (47:9), or the patriarchs' whole life "dwelling in tents" (Hebrews 11:9).
Honest questions
Questions people ask about Genesis 23
That was a taste
The rest of Genesis 23 is waiting in Favor
- A stranger in the promised land
- The full price
- Deeded to Abraham
- Strangers and pilgrims
- 7 questions as you read
- 5 more Hebrew words
- A short check at the end
- Your notes, saved as you go
Favor reads the Bible in order, so you'll reach Genesis 23 with everything before it in view. First week free, then $10 a month per person.
The Hebrew word behind it
אֲחֻזָּהachuzzahsay a-khuz-ZAH
"Possession" (Brown-Driver-Briggs); Strong's says "something seized, i.e. a possession (especially of land)". Its first appearance in the Bible is God's promise, "all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession" (17:8). The next three are in this chapter, where Abraham asks for "a possession of a burying-place" (23:4) and "a possession for a burial place" (23:9) and receives the field "as a possession for a burial place" (23:20). Genesis names the same field with the same word at Jacob's death (49:30; 50:13).
For your group
Genesis 23 Bible study questions
- 1Abraham came "to mourn for Sarah, and to weep for her" before he did anything else. What do you learn from how he grieved?
- 2Abraham called himself "a stranger and a foreigner" in the land God had promised him. Where do you feel like a stranger because you belong to God?
- 3As far as Genesis records, Abraham died owning only a grave in the promised land. How do you keep trusting promises you may not see kept in your lifetime?
Leading a group? In Favor, everyone reads Genesis 23 during the week and answers these questions privately. Answers stay sealed until you meet, then appear together, and you can print the week's sheet.
Start a Bible studyThe best way to learn the Bible
Favor opens up every chapter as you read.
Favor is a Bible study app for your phone or computer. It takes you through the Bible one chapter at a time, a few minutes a day, and shows you what's really there: the words behind the words, the moments most people miss, and how the whole story fits together. For you. For everyone.
Every chapter explains itself
As you read, short notes open up what's really going on, the details most readers walk past, and the honest questions people ask.
The Hebrew and Greek behind it
Tap a highlighted word to see the original, how to say it, and what it means, checked against the original-language texts.
Every page leads to Jesus
Watch promises made in Genesis kept in Jesus. Each line lights up on your map as you read.
Better together
Read on your own, or start a Bible study with friends, family or your church. Answers stay sealed until you meet, then appear together.
- 1
Start your free week
Sign up in a minute with your email.
- 2
Read a few minutes a day
Each chapter opens itself up as you go. Tap what you're curious about.
- 3
Bring your people, if you like
Send one link. Everyone reads the same chapter, then meets to talk.
First week free, then $10 a month per person
Questions
What is Favor?
Favor is a Bible study app that explains every chapter as you read: the Hebrew and Greek behind the words, the details most readers miss, and how each part of the Bible leads to Jesus. Read on your own, or start a Bible study with friends, family or your church.
How much does it cost?
Your first week is free. After that it's $10 a month per person, the same for everyone, including groups and churches. There are no tiers and nothing extra to unlock.
Can I read Genesis 23 straight away?
Favor takes the Bible as one story, in order, so you'll reach Genesis 23 with everything that leads up to it in view. Start from Genesis, or meet Jesus first in the Gospels. You can read the text of any chapter in Favor's Look up whenever you like.
Do I need a group?
No. Many people read on their own. If you'd like to read with others, start a Bible study and share one link. Everyone's answers stay private until you meet.
I've never really read the Bible. Is this for me?
Yes. Favor starts where you are and explains as it goes. The questions along the way aren't marked right or wrong: you answer, then see what the text shows.
Which Bible does Favor use?
The World English Bible, a modern, readable translation in the public domain. God's name appears as "the LORD", as in most English Bibles.
Is Favor tied to a church?
No. Favor is non-denominational. Where Christians read a passage differently, it shows the main views side by side and doesn't pick one.
Start with Genesis 23
The best way to learn the Bible. For you. For everyone.
There's a seat for you at the table.
Start your free weekFirst week free, then $10 a month per person · Log in
Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible, which is in the public domain. Hebrew and Greek words are checked against the original-language texts and public-domain lexicons. What we believe · Favor home