חיי שרה

Sarah lived 127 years. When she died in Kiriath-arba (Hebron) in the land of Canaan, Abraham mourned and wept. Then he went to the Hittites who lived there and said, “I am a resident alien among you. Sell me a burial site so I can bury my dead.”

The Hittites answered kindly, calling Abraham “the elect of God among us,” and offered him the best burial places. But Abraham asked them to speak with Ephron son of Zohar, because Abraham wanted one special place: the cave of Machpelah, a Hebrew name that can mean “the double cave,” at the edge of Ephron’s field, near Mamre.

Ephron said he would give the field and the cave as a gift, in front of everyone at the town gate. Abraham bowed low and insisted on paying the full price, so the land would truly belong to him. Ephron named the price: four hundred shekels of silver, at the merchants’ rate. Abraham weighed out the silver, and the field, the cave, and all the trees within its borders passed to Abraham. There Abraham buried Sarah in the cave of Machpelah.

Abraham was now old, and God had blessed him in all things. He called his senior servant, who managed everything he owned. “Put your hand under my thigh,” Abraham said, asking for a serious promise. The servant had to swear by God that he would not choose a wife for Isaac from the Canaanites. Instead, he must travel to Abraham’s birthplace and find a wife from Abraham’s own family.

The servant worried: what if the woman would not come? Abraham warned, “Do not take my son back there.” He trusted that God would send an angel ahead.

So the servant set out with ten camels and gifts and reached Aram-naharaim, the city of Nahor. At evening he waited by the well, where women came to draw water, and prayed for a clear sign. Before he finished, Rebekah arrived with a jar on her shoulder. When he asked for a drink, she quickly gave him water and then offered to draw water for all the camels until they finished. The servant watched quietly, hoping God had made his journey successful.

When the camels were done drinking, the servant gave Rebekah a gold nose-ring and two gold arm bands. He asked whose daughter she was and whether there was room to stay the night. Rebekah said she was Bethuel’s daughter, Milcah’s grandson through Nahor, and that there was plenty of straw and feed, and room to sleep.

Rebekah’s brother Laban hurried out and welcomed the servant. Food was set before him, but he said he would not eat until he told his message. He explained how God had blessed Abraham, how Isaac would inherit, and how he had prayed at the well and met Rebekah exactly as he had asked. Laban and Bethuel answered, “The matter was decreed by God,” and they agreed to send her. Rebekah herself said, “I will.”

She traveled back on the camels with her maids. Isaac, living in the Negeb near Beer-lahai-roi, saw the camels coming as he walked in the field toward evening. Rebekah asked who the man was; when told it was Isaac, she covered herself with a veil. Isaac brought her into Sarah’s tent, married her, loved her, and was comforted.

Later Abraham married Keturah and had more children. He gave Isaac everything he owned, and sent the other sons eastward with gifts. Abraham died at 175, and Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah. Afterward, God blessed Isaac.