The Hittites

May 30, 2009, 5:26 am by dc-agape.

Genesis Chapter 23

Sarah dies at the age of 127 years old near a town named Kiriath Arba.  The town name will be changed to Hebron when the Israelites wipe the Hittites off the face of the planet in about 400 years.  Abraham needs a burial tomb for his wife.  Reading the NIV study notes the tomb he is bargaining for is also used for himself, his son, his daughter-in-law, his grandson and his granddaughter-in-law. 

Abraham goes to Kiriath Arba and asks the men of the town if he can purchase some land to bury his wife.  The Hittites are so generous and like Abraham so much that they are willing to give Abraham any lot he chooses.  Refering to the study notes we see that purchasing an entire lot would be much more expensive than a small partial lot due to paying extra property taxes.  Abraham does have the choice to take the gift.  Instead, he demands to pay full price.  The lot he chooses happens to belong to Ephron. 

Gen 23:11 “No, my lord,” he said, “Listen to me; I give you the field, and I give you the cave that is in it.  I give it to you in the presence of my people. Bury your dead.”

Seems like a great offer, even if Abraham has to pay property taxes.  In fact, going any cheaper would be an affront to the memory of any one buried in the tomb.

Looking at it from Ephron’s point of view he will lose the income off the property and the property may be either his only property or his best property, so he asks for 400 shekels of silver.   Ephron even say after telling Abraham the price:

^{Gen 23:14} Ephron answered Abraham, “Listen to me, my lord; the land is worth four hundred shekels of silver, but what is that between me and you?  Bury your dead.”

If Ephron thinks that 400 shekels of silver is nothing, then the price is rather small.  If only he had asked for more, maybe the Hitities would still be around! 

Abraham pays the price. He makes sure that the deed is recognized by the town folk of Kiriath Arba. Then he buries Sarah in the tomb.

If only the Hittites knew the mistake they were making by befriending Abraham.  YHWH plans to utterly destroy them when he lets his people free from Egypt. 

Deut 20:17 Completely destroy them – the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites – as the Lord your God has commanded you.

Befriending someone and doing kind things for, someone like Abraham was a bad choice on the part of the Hittites.  YHWH is a weapon of mass destruction, worse than anything we mere humans have created yet, including the atomic bomb.

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