I am a foreigner and an outsider among you.This phrase reflects Abraham's status in the land of Canaan. Despite God's promise to give this land to his descendants, Abraham acknowledges his current position as a sojourner. This humility and recognition of his temporary status highlight the faith Abraham had in God's promises. The term "foreigner" underscores the transient nature of life on earth, a theme echoed in
Hebrews 11:13, where believers are described as strangers and exiles on the earth. This also prefigures the Christian understanding of being citizens of heaven (
Philippians 3:20).
Give me a burial site among you
Abraham's request for a burial site signifies his desire to establish a permanent connection to the land promised by God. This act of purchasing a burial site is significant as it represents the first piece of the Promised Land that Abraham's family would own, symbolizing the beginning of the fulfillment of God's covenant. The cultural practice of securing a burial site reflects the importance of family and heritage in ancient Near Eastern societies. It also foreshadows the future possession of the land by his descendants.
so that I can bury my dead.
The burial of Sarah, Abraham's wife, is not only a personal matter but also a significant event in the biblical narrative. It marks a transition in Abraham's life and the continuation of God's covenant through Isaac. The act of burial in a specific location underscores the belief in the resurrection and the hope of future restoration. This burial site, the Cave of Machpelah, becomes a family tomb, later used for Abraham, Isaac, Rebekah, Leah, and Jacob, establishing a tangible link to the land for future generations.
Persons / Places / Events
1.
AbrahamThe patriarch of the Israelites, who is seeking a burial site for his wife, Sarah, after her death. He identifies himself as a "foreigner and stranger" in the land of the Hittites.
2.
SarahAbraham's wife, whose death prompts Abraham to seek a burial site. Her passing marks a significant moment in Abraham's journey and faith.
3.
HittitesThe people living in the land where Abraham resides as a foreigner. They are the ones from whom Abraham seeks to purchase a burial site.
4.
HebronThe region where Sarah dies and where Abraham seeks a burial site. It is significant as a place of future inheritance for Abraham's descendants.
5.
Cave of MachpelahThe burial site Abraham eventually purchases, which becomes the family tomb for the patriarchs and matriarchs of Israel.
Teaching Points
Living as Strangers and SojournersJust as Abraham lived as a foreigner, Christians are called to live as strangers in the world, with their ultimate citizenship in heaven.
Faith in God's PromisesAbraham's actions demonstrate his faith in God's promises, even when he did not see their fulfillment in his lifetime. Believers are encouraged to trust in God's promises, even when they are not immediately visible.
The Importance of LegacyAbraham's purchase of a burial site reflects the importance of leaving a legacy of faith for future generations. Christians are called to consider how their lives impact their spiritual descendants.
Respect and Integrity in InteractionsAbraham's respectful negotiation with the Hittites shows the importance of integrity and respect in dealings with others, even those who do not share the same faith.
Preparation for the FutureAbraham's foresight in securing a burial site demonstrates the importance of preparing for the future, both practically and spiritually.
Bible Study Questions and Answers
1.What is the meaning of Genesis 23:4?
2.How does Genesis 23:4 illustrate Abraham's faith in God's promises?
3.What does "I am a stranger and a foreigner" reveal about Abraham's identity?
4.How can we apply Abraham's humility in our interactions with others today?
5.What New Testament teachings align with Abraham's perspective in Genesis 23:4?
6.How does Abraham's request for land reflect trust in God's covenant with him?
7.Why does Abraham refer to himself as a "foreigner and stranger" in Genesis 23:4?
8.How does Genesis 23:4 reflect the theme of land ownership in biblical times?
9.What theological significance does Abraham's request for a burial site hold in Genesis 23:4?
10.What are the top 10 Lessons from Genesis 23?
11.Why does the narrative in Genesis 23 seem to contradict other passages suggesting Abraham freely inherited Canaan?
12.Why would Abraham pay such a seemingly high price for the land in Genesis 23:16 if he was already promised the land by God?
13.How can we verify the historical accuracy of the Hittites' presence in Hebron as mentioned in Genesis 23:3-10?
14.Who are the non-Israelites mentioned in the Bible?What Does Genesis 23:4 Mean
I am a foreigner• Abraham openly acknowledges his resident-alien status in Canaan. Though God had promised this land to him and his descendants (Genesis 12:7; 13:15; 17:8), at this moment he owns none of it.
• This confession highlights humility and dependence on God’s timing.Hebrews 11:9-10 reminds us that Abraham “lived as a stranger in the land of promise,” looking forward to the ultimate fulfillment.
• By calling himself a foreigner, Abraham models how believers are “aliens and strangers on the earth” (Hebrews 11:13;1 Peter 2:11), living by faith in God’s future inheritance.
and an outsider among you• The added phrase underscores social distance. Abraham is not merely passing through; he dwells beside the Hittites without full civic rights.
•Genesis 21:23-34 shows earlier interactions with Philistines, confirming he often negotiated peaceful coexistence.
•Psalm 39:12 captures the same posture: “I am a sojourner like all my fathers.” God’s people may reside among nations yet remain distinct, awaiting His fulfilled promise.
Give me a burial site among you• Abraham’s first land purchase will be a tomb, not a farm or fortress. By requesting a legal transaction, he seeks permanent, lawful ownership (Genesis 23:9,17-20).
• Burial grounds in ancient culture testified to lasting roots.Jeremiah 32:6-15 later mirrors this logic when God tells Jeremiah to buy a field as a pledge of future restoration.
• The request also honors Sarah.Proverbs 31:28 speaks of family rising to bless a godly woman; Abraham’s careful provision fulfills that honor.
so that I can bury my dead• Proper burial reflects belief in bodily resurrection and covenant hope. Compare Joseph’s instruction inGenesis 50:25 andHebrews 11:22; both acts look forward to God’s promise concerning the land.
• The phrase shows tender respect for Sarah, illustratingEphesians 5:28-29—husbands nourishing and cherishing their wives even beyond life.
• It signals faith: Abraham invests in God’s promised territory before any visible conquest, echoingJob 19:25-27, the confidence that “in my flesh I will see God.”
summaryGenesis 23:4 reveals Abraham’s humble yet faith-filled approach to God’s promise. Though a resident stranger, he secures a permanent foothold in the land by purchasing a grave for Sarah, demonstrating confidence that the Lord will indeed grant the inheritance. His words model the believer’s posture today—living as pilgrims, honoring loved ones, and acting in tangible faith toward God’s guaranteed future.
(4)
A possession of a buryingplace.--While strangers might pasture their cattle upon the open downs, yet the consent of the natives seems to have been necessary before Abraham could occupy any spot permanently (
Genesis 15:13;
Genesis 20:15). He now wanted even more, and for the actual appropriation of any portion of the soil a public compact and purchase was required, which must be ratified not merely by the seller but by the consent of all the tribe, convened in full assembly at the gate of the city. Thus, in spite of his power and wealth, Abraham, as regards his legal position towards the inhabitants, was but a stranger and sojourner (
Hebrews 11:9), and could secure a resting- place for his dead only by their consent.
Verse 4. -
I am a stranger and a sojourner with you.
Ger, one living out of his own country, and
Thoshabh, one dwelling in a land in which he is not naturalized;
advena et peregrinus (Vulgate);
πάροικος καὶ παρἐπίδημος (LXX.). This confession of the heir of Canaan was a proof that he sought, as his real inheritance, a better country, even an heavenly (
Hebrews 11:13).
Give me a possession of a burying-place with you. The first mention of a grave in Scripture, the word in Hebrew signifying a hole in the earth, or a mound, according as the root is taken to mean to dig (Furst) or to heap up (Gesenius). Abraham's desire for a grave m which to deposit Sarah's lifeless remains was dictated by that Divinely planted and, among civilized nations, universally prevailing reverence for the body which prompts men to decently dispose of their dead by rites of honorable sepulture. The burning of corpses was a practice common to the nations of antiquity; but Tacitus notes it as characteristic of the Jews that they preferred interment to cremation ('Hist.,' 5:5). The wish to make Sarah's burying-place his own possession has been traced to the instinctive desire that most nations have evinced to lie in ground belonging to themselves (Rosenmüller), to an intention on the part of the patriarch to give a sign of his right and title to the land of Canaan by purchasing a grave in its soil - cf.
Isaiah 22:16 (Bush), or simply to anxiety that his dead might not lie unburied (Calvin); but it was more probably due to his strong faith that the land would yet belong to his descendants, which naturally led him to crave a resting-place in the soil with which the hopes of both himself and people were identified (Ainsworth, Bush, Kalisch).
That I may bury my dead out of my sight - decay not suffering the lifeless corpse to remain a fit spectacle for grief or love to gaze on.
Parallel Commentaries ...
Hebrew
“Iאָנֹכִ֖י(’ā·nō·ḵî)Pronoun - first person common singular
Strong's 595:Iam a strangerגֵּר־(gêr-)Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1616:A guest, a foreignerand an outsiderוְתוֹשָׁ֥ב(wə·ṯō·wō·šāḇ)Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 8453:Resident alienamong you.עִמָּכֶ֑ם(‘im·mā·ḵem)Preposition | second person masculine plural
Strong's 5973:With, equally withGiveתְּנ֨וּ(tə·nū)Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural
Strong's 5414:To give, put, setmeלִ֤י(lî)Preposition | first person common singular
Strong's Hebrewa burialקֶ֙בֶר֙(qe·ḇer)Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 6913:A grave, sepulchersiteאֲחֻזַּת־(’ă·ḥuz·zaṯ-)Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 272:Something seized, a possessionamong youעִמָּכֶ֔ם(‘im·mā·ḵem)Preposition | second person masculine plural
Strong's 5973:With, equally withso that I can buryוְאֶקְבְּרָ֥ה(wə·’eq·bə·rāh)Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative - first person common singular
Strong's 6912:To intermy dead.”מֵתִ֖י(mê·ṯî)Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 4191:To die, to kill
Links
Genesis 23:4 NIVGenesis 23:4 NLTGenesis 23:4 ESVGenesis 23:4 NASBGenesis 23:4 KJV
Genesis 23:4 BibleApps.comGenesis 23:4 Biblia ParalelaGenesis 23:4 Chinese BibleGenesis 23:4 French BibleGenesis 23:4 Catholic Bible
OT Law: Genesis 23:4 I am a stranger and a foreigner (Gen. Ge Gn) 
